If you're thinking of starting a food business there are plenty of things you need to think about.
Food businesses must register with local authorities in order for them to keep an up-to-date list of food premises in their area, inspect them on a risk based frequency and all food premises are required to complete a food premises registration form. In addition, mobile food vehicles may have to apply for a street trading consent to trade in Salford. Businesses that do not sell food to the public, for example food manufacturers, may also need to have their premises approved under Regulation EC Number 853/2004.
You can get detailed food safety advice from a food safety officer. Find out more.
The proprietors of food businesses must ensure that all food handlers (including themselves) are adequately supervised, instructed and/or trained depending on their work activities.
All food handlers will require basic instruction before they start work (personal hygiene, what to do if they have a stomach upset) and further advice is available by contact the environmental health team.
Staff who handle 'low risk' or wrapped/pre-packed 'high risk' food should be instructed in hygiene awareness (cleanliness, causes of food poisoning, temperature control). For handlers that prepare or serve open 'high risk' food will ideally require level two training (basic food hygiene course or equivalent).
The Approved CIEH trainers list is held by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health Officers.
All food businesses are required to assess the food hazards in their operation to identify steps that are critical to food safety, ie cooking food to kill bacteria. Proprietors must then ensure that controls are put in place to control the risks and monitor them to make sure they are working. The Food Standards Agency have developed a range of Safer food, better business (SFBB) management packs to help food businesses to comply with this requirement.
The Food Standards Agency has also made diary refills available for businesses to download from their website.
The council has numerous guidance leaflets on a range of subjects that can be downloaded free from this site. Other websites where information can be obtained are:
Other food safety websites containing useful information on this subject include:
If you are unable to view documents of these types, our downloads page provides links to viewing software.
This page was last updated on 26 March 2024