Frequently Asked Questions

Running your business

What has changed in the new food hygiene legislation?

A number of new EC regulations, came into force on 1 January 2006 and apply to food businesses in the UK.

For more information visit New Legislation

What measures do I need to take to control pests?

First, you should recognise that food pests are animals that can, if they come into contact with food, contaminate it in some way. Pets such as dogs and cats may be classed as food pests along with those more commonly thought of as 'pests such as rats, mice, birds, cockroaches, flies, wasps and other insects. Pests carry bacteria which can, if they come into contact with food, lead to food poisoning.

You have legal responsibility to control pests in your business. The first thing to do is to 'proof' your premises to prevent, as far as possible, pests gaining access in the first place. Proofing may include the following:

• keeping doors and windows closed whenever possible or screening ones that have to be left open for ventilation using a fine mesh;
• sealing access holes around pipes etc. with mortar, metal sheets or mesh;
• sealing gaps under doorways with rubber or plastic doorstrips.

The second thing to do is to carry out regular checks of the premises to make sure there are no unwanted visitors. Early detection will lead to less damage and will be less costly to treat. There are two main options, either:

1. Employ a pest control contractor, or
2. Do it yourself.

If you decide to follow the first course of action it is strongly recommended that you only employ a contractor who is prepared to give you a written report at the end of each visit. This would detail any problems found and action that had been taken or was recommended.

Why is it important to keep raw and cooked or ready-to-eat foods separate?

To prevent cross contamination (i.e. the contamination of cooked/ready-to-eat foods by bacteria from raw foods). Some pathogenic (harmful) bacteria transmitted in this may cause serious foodborne illness, even if they are present in the food only in small quantities (e.g. E. coli O157).

Food poisoning may also result from eating food where the initial contaminating bacteria have been allowed to multiply to high numbers due to time/temperature abuse involving inadequate/unrefrigerated storage.

What is the new food hygiene legislation that has come in January 2006?

New food hygiene laws will apply in the UK from 1 January 2006, one of which is called The Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2005. They will affect all food businesses, including caterers, primary producers (such as farmers), manufacturers, distributors and retailers.

How the legislation affects you will depend on the size and type of your business.

Officers will continue to visit your premises at regular intervals and take proportionate action to ensure any significant breaches identified are put right.

Do staff need to do refresher training courses?

No. However, we recommend for you to refresh your training every three years so that you are kept up-to-date with legislative changes which may affect the way you work. There are shorter refresher training courses available, which will mean less time away from the business.

Do food handlers need to wear hats and hairnets?

It is important for you to control the risk of food contamination. Hair should therefore be kept clean and long hair must be tied back whilst handling open food. It is good practice for food handlers to cover their hair with a hat and/or a hairnet.

Temperature monitoring equipment can be purchased from the following suppliers

Please note that Westminster City Council neither recommends nor endorses any of the companies on this list.

Temperature monitoring equipment may also be obtained from a variety of other sources, including catering and refrigeration equipment suppliers (see any Business Telephone Directory for details).