Best practice advice for food businesses
This section has been designed to assist people already in a food business or those preparing to set up new
businesses.
We have included the more general elements of food safety and hygiene law together with good practice that our Environmental Health Officers most often refer to.
There are other regulations which apply to certain types of food businesses only which are not included here.
You can access more detailed information via the links below:
- For a national perspective and further information on food and hygiene issues, see the Food Standards Agency's website.
- Further information for caterers and all businesses involved in the preparation, transportation and sale of food is available on the Safer Food Better Business section of the FSA website.
- Suppliers of books, training and advisory material Highfield Group website.
- UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) website: Protecting people's health and reducing the impact of infectious diseases (including food poisoning), chemical hazards, poisons and radiation hazards.
- The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) website: promotes continuous improvement in health through influencing public policy, education, communication and the encouragement of scientific research.
- The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) website is an independent professional body. You will be able to find information on food hygiene courses in your area.
Fat, Oil and Grease (FOG) management advice for food businesses
In the last year there have been over 700 drain blockages in the Reigate and Banstead Borough, the majority of which are caused by people putting the wrong things down the drain and fat, oil, grease (FOG) and food waste is a growing problem. When FOG generated during the preparation, cooking, and washing up of food, pots and pans, utensils, and the kitchen itself, is discharged into our drains, it later cools and hardens, causing pipes to become blocked. This can lead to localised external and internal sewage flooding, as well as pollution incidents.
Under Section 111 of the Water Industry Act 1991, it is a criminal offence to put anything down the drain likely to interfere with the free flow of its contents and Food Business Operators can face fines or even prosecution for failing to comply with this law. Businesses could also lose sales due to forced temporary closure if their premises internally flood with sewage and Thames Water will also seek to recover costs for clearing blockages. For these reasons, it is important that Food Business Operators understand and are aware of the requirements for grease management.
As a wastewater company Thames Water advocate Food Business Operators remove FOG at source through the fitting of a grease removal unit or passive grease separator, as well as having good kitchen practice in place. Thames Water will proactively visit Food Business Operators in the area to encourage this behaviour change.
Please see the Thames Water Website for more details.