Food hygiene legislation requires that all food businesses adopt a Hazard Analysis approach to food safety management. The extent and complexity of this system will depend on the nature and size of the business.
Food businesses must closely examine what they are doing in terms of assessing operations, identifying hazards and ensure that appropriate controls are put in place so that food is supplied to the customer in a way that will not cause harm or injury.
Hazard Analysis is based on the following principles:
- Analysis of the potential food hazards in a food business operation
- Identification of the points in those operations where food hazards may occur
- Deciding which of the points identified are critical to ensuring food safety
- Identification and implementation of effective control and monitoring procedures at those critical points
- Review of the analysis of food hazards, the critical points and the control and monitoring procedures periodically and whenever the food business's operations change
Under the new regulations, the person responsible for developing and managing the system must have received adequate training to enable them to undertake this task.
The Food Standard Agency has developed a new practical approach to food safety management entitled Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB). There are a number of Safer Food Better Business packs available which are designed to meet the specific needs of different food businesses. Visit the Food Standards Agency website for details.
Alternatively, the following Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) guidance pack is available to help you understand and comply with the HACCP requirement of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004.
HACCP self help guidance pack for caterers (PDF 145kb)
Seven Principles of HACCP (PDF 23kb)