Frequently Asked Food Questions (FAQ’s)
A number of frequently asked questions concerning food hygiene are listed below. If
you wish to discuss any matter in greater detail please contact our Food Office via
Customer Services telephone 0115 901 3974 or email [email protected].
Food Business Questions
Q1 I'm thinking of starting a food business, what do I need to do?
Q2 Can I run a food business from my home?
Q3 How often do food businesses have to be inspected?
Q4 Who will inspect your business?
Q5 What are you entitled to expect from inspecting officers?
Q6What powers do authorised officers have?
Q7Do I have to register my mobile food vehicle with the council in whose area I
trade within?
Q8 I have a mobile food business and I trade in several local authority areas, so do I
need to register with each one?
Q9 What temperature should you store food at?
Q10Do staff that handle food have to be trained in food hygiene?
Q11 How do you keep a check on the food sold in the Borough?
Q12 Should my staff wear disposable gloves when handling food?
Q13 How can I make a complaint about an item of food I have bought?
Q14 Do you have a food-sampling programme?
Q15 The person in the cafe was not wearing gloves, they handled the money and
then my food, and then coughed and did not wash their hands - can you prosecute
them?
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Q16 What do 'use by' and 'best before' dates mean?
General Questions
Q17 What do all those 'E-numbers' on food labels mean?
Q18 Where can I find out more about GM foods ?
Q19 What advice should I follow when using fresh shell eggs?
Q20 How do I cater for large functions from my home?
Q21 I think I have food poisoning - what should I do?
Q22How can I avoid food poisoning during barbecues?
Q23 I live above a restaurant and the smell of cooking is often so bad in my flat it
makes me feel ill - what can I do?
Answers
Q1 I'm thinking of starting a food business, what do I need to do?
A1 You firstly need to check whether the intended use will require you to make a
planning application, the Development Control Service will be able to help you.
Where structural changes are intended you should also contact Building Control for
further advice before commencing any works.
The business will also need to comply with current legislation and you should contact
our Food Office for more detailed professional advice tailored to suit your particular
proposals. All food businesses are required by law to register with the local authority
where they are situated or based giving at least 28 days notice before trading. A food
premises registration form can be downloaded from our website or a copy requested
from Customer Services. Completed registration forms should be returned to the
Food/Health and Safety Section, Planning and Environment Department, Civic
Centre, Arnot Hill Park, Arnold, Notts, NG5 6LU .Registration is free.
The Food Standards Agency has produced a very useful booklet, "Starting up a food
business" which is available in a number of different languages- Bengali; Chinese;
English; Gujarati; Hindi; Punjabi; Thai; Turkish; Urdu and Welsh.
The booklets can be downloaded from
http://www.food.gov.uk/enforcement/enforceessential/startingup/startingup
Q2 Can I run a food business from my home?
A2 A food business can sometimes be successfully run from home but firstly you
must check whether the intended use will require you to make a planning application
for the intended ‘change of use’- the Development Control Service will be able to
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help you. Where structural changes are intended you should also contact the
Building Control Office who can help guide you before you commencing any works
that require permission.
The parts of your home intended to be used as a business will also need to comply
with current legislation and you should contact our Food Office for more detailed
professional advice on this. All food businesses are required by law to register with
the local authority where they are situated or based giving at least 28 days notice
before trading. A food premises registration form can be downloaded from the
Council’s website or requested from Customer Services. The completed registration
form should be returned to the Food/Health and Safety Section, Planning and
Environment Department, Civic Centre, Arnot Hill Park, Arnold, Notts, NG5 6LU.
Q3 How often do food businesses have to be inspected?
A3 There is a national Food Code of Practice issued by the Food Standards Agency
which requires food businesses having higher risks to be inspected more frequently.
Gedling Borough Council follows this national system for inspection in its annual
inspection programme. Routine inspections can be as often as every six months for
higher risk premises and every 24 months for the lower rated ones.
Q4 Who will inspect your business?
A4 Authorised Officers which includes Environmental Health Officers, Technical
Officers and Trading Standards Officers have the right to enter and inspect food
premises at all reasonable hours. In line with the national Code of Practice most
inspections and visits are carried out without any advance notice.
The officers will look at the way you operate your business to identify potential
hazards and to make sure the business complies with the law. They will discuss any
problems with you and advise on possible solutions. They have wide enforcement
powers which they will use to protect the public.
Q5 What are you entitled to expect from inspecting officers?
A5 Officers will show their identification on arrival at the business, they will have a
courteous manner and provide feedback from the inspection, such as information
about hazards which have been identified and guidance on how they could be
avoided. In their report and in any letter to you they will make a clear distinction
between what the inspector is recommending you do because it is good practice and
what you must do to comply with the law. Where remedial work is required a
reasonable time will be given to meet statutory requirements, except where there is
an immediate risk to public health. In any letter or notice you will be informed of the
procedures for appealing against local authority action.
If you think the outcome is not fair you should first contact the Section Manager to
the Food Office to see if the problem can be resolved informally. You may wish to
write to the Section Manager, Food/Health and Safety Section, Planning and
Environment Department, Civic Centre, Arnot Hill Park, Arnold, Notts, NG5 6LU in
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the first instance or to telephone 0115 9013974 (Customer Services) or email
[email protected]. This Authority also operates a complaints and
compliments scheme- a copy of the leaflet can be obtained from Customer Services
or off the Council’s website.
Q6 What powers do authorised officers have?
A6 Authorised officers have wide powers. They have the right to enter and inspect
food premises at all reasonable hours and can take samples, photographs, and
inspect records. They may write to you informally asking you to put right any
problems they find. They can detain or seize suspect foods including imported foods.
Where breaches of the law are identified that must be put right they can serve
Hygiene Improvement Notices. In serious cases they may decide to recommend a
prosecution and if the prosecution is successful, the Court may impose prohibitions
on processes and the use of premises or equipment, fines and possibly
imprisonment of the proprietor. If there is an immediate health risk to customers,
inspectors can serve a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice which forbids the use
of the premises, processes or equipment.
Q7 Do I have to register my mobile food vehicle with the council in whose area
I trade within?
A7 It is generally agreed that a mobile food vehicle should be registered with the
local authority for the area where the vehicle is stored overnight or if fixed where it is
permanently trading from.
Q8 I have a mobile food business and I trade in several local authority areas,
so do I need to register with each one?
A8 No - if you run a mobile business you only need to register with the local council
where the vehicle is garaged overnight. Do note however that while authorised food
officers from the local council where your business is registered will mainly inspect
your business each of the local councils in which you trade in the future are also
entitled to inspect your business while you are trading in their area.
Q9 What temperature should you store food at?
A9 Schedule 4 of the Food Hygiene England Regulations 2006 contains the detailed
temperature requirements and exemptions relating to foodstuffs. You should contact
Customer Services at the Civic Centre, Arnot Hill Park, Arnold, Notts, NG5 6LU,
telephone 0115 9013974 or email [email protected] to discuss your
particular concern.
Q10 Do staff that handle food have to be trained in food hygiene?
A10 The law requires that food businesses ensure their food handlers are
supervised and instructed and/or trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with
their work activity. Those with responsibility for the development and maintenance of
HACCP must also have had received adequate training in the application of HACCP
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principles. Many businesses use the national Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB)
pack to prove their diligence and members of staff should know your particulalr
procedures for hygiene etc contained in your copy of the SFBB pack.
As the individual requirements for supervision, instruction and training vary across
businesses you should contact Customer Services, Civic Centre, Arnot Hill Park,
Arnold, Notts, NG5 6LU, telephone number 0115 9013974 or email
[email protected] for more guidance.
Q11 How do you keep a check on the food sold in the Borough?
A11 This is done in several ways-during the inspection of food premises officers are
concerned at the hygiene of food sold by the business and can take samples of food
for microbial examination if necessary. Officers are particularly aware of potential
issues posed by illegally imported foods, both of animal and non-animal origin and
have wide powers to seize illegally imported foods. When we receive a complaint
about any food sold in the area an officer will undertake an appropriate investigation
to find out the cause of any problem and may require that specific action is carried
out by the vendor to prevent a recurrence including sending off the item to an
analyst. There is also a programme of specific food sampling (see question 3)
undertaken each year. Fourthly, national food alerts issued by the Food Standards
Agency inform local authorities of widespread concerns with specific foods-including
contaminants, chemicals and wrong ingredients. Some alerts require that food
businesses are contacted to inform them of problems.
Q12 Should my staff wear disposable gloves when handling food?
A12 Many people believe that wearing disposable gloves helps prevent the risk of
cross contamination of foods due to staff hygiene and handling problems. In some
circumstances gloves are of benefit but they must be changed frequently. The
outside of the glove is just as likely to become contaminated as a hand so the gloves
should be thrown away every time the food handler would normally wash their
hands.
Q13 How can I make a complaint about an item of food I have bought?
A13 Despite the legal controls in this country to prevent food for sale becoming
contaminated, damaged or too old a number of complaints occur and most are
satisfactorily dealt with by the customer returning the food to the shop where it was
purchased. The proprietor can apologise face to face and take the necessary action
to prevent a recurrence to another customer.
From our experience consumers bringing a more serious food complaint to this
Authority are concerned that;
·the food sold was dangerous (for example it contained sharp metal or glass), or
made them ill (food sold beyond its 'Use By' date or where the food was
undercooked for example);
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·that the serious problem with the food should not happen to someone else; or
·they are concerned at the poor response from the shop when they have attempted
to take the food back to the shop for redress.
Our Food safety web page contains details of what to do if you have a food
complaint plus a downloadable guide to foreign object complaints.
Q14 Do you have a food-sampling programme?
A14 In partnership with the other Nottinghamshire Food Authorities Gedling Borough
Council has a food sampling regime largely based upon a national sampling
programme and supplemented by agreed local food sampling in the Notts area. Our
current programme can be downloaded from our main Food safety web page.
Q15 The person in the cafe was not wearing gloves, they handled the money
and then my food, and then coughed and did not wash their hands - can you
prosecute them?
A15 All complaints relating to food hygiene matters within the Borough should be
made to the Customer Services, Civic Centre, Arnot Hill Park, Arnold, Notts, NG5
6LU, telephone number 0115 9013974 or email [email protected] Your
complaint will then be investigated by an enforcement officer who will take the
appropriate action over the matter. In instances where legal action is taken you will
be required to provide a statement to help with the prosecution. Our food safety web
page gives more information.
Q16 What do 'use by' and 'best before' dates mean?
A16 'Best before' dates are used on foods with a long shelf life (for example,
biscuits) and are for guidance only. 'Use by' dates are used on foods with a short
shelf life (for example, packaged sandwiches and cooked meats). It is illegal to sell
food after its 'use by' date due to the health risks associated in consuming such
foods. Our Food safety web page has an informative leaflet that you can download.
Q17 What do all those 'E-numbers' on food labels mean?
A17 ‘E’ numbers designate chemicals that have been passed as safe for use in
foods as flavourings, colourings, preservatives etc. within Europe. Unfortunately
some people can be allergic to certain of these chemicals. More information on ’E’
numbers can be found on the Food Standards Agency website.
Q18 Where can I find out more about GM foods ?
A18 The website of the Food Standards Agency has a lot of information on this topic.
Q19 What advice should I follow when using fresh shell eggs?
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A19 The Governments Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food
have recently published their report on salmonella in eggs. The report contains many
recommendations, the following on the handling and storage of eggs. Eggs should
be consumed within 3 weeks of laying and once purchased eggs should be stored in
the refrigerator below 8°C. Raw eggs should not be uses for dishes that are not
subject to further cooking prior to consumption e.g. mayonnaise, tiramisu, ice cream
etc. Cracked eggs should not be used. Hands should always be washed before and
after handling shelled eggs. Despite positive steps having been made to reduce the
incidence of salmonella in eggs the advice issued in October 1990 by the
Department of Health still stands and that, "Everyone should avoid eating raw eggs
or uncooked dishes made from them. Vulnerable groups such as the elderly, the
sick, babies, toddlers and pregnant women, should make sure that any eggs they eat
are thoroughly cooked until the white and yolk are solid. However for healthy people
there is very little risk from eating eggs which are lightly cooked whether boiled, fried,
scrambled or poached." More recently the Food Standards Agency has run a survey
(between November 2005 and January 2007) analysing 1588 samples of six shell
eggs used in caterers. The results of the survey identified the presence of salmonella
in only six samples, five of which had been produced in the UK.
Q20 How do I cater for large functions from my home?
A20 There are a number of important steps to bear in mind when planning the
catering for a large function-these include:
·Plan the catering carefully ahead of time.
·Ensure adequate and proper temperature control is available for the food.
·Ensure foods are hygienically prepared and cooked where appropriate.
·Avoid contaminating prepared food.
·Don't let raw foods like meat or poultry or unwashed fruit, vegetables and salads
come into contact with food that is ready to eat.
·Wash your hands thoroughly before touching foods and after handling raw foods like
meat and poultry.
·Discard leftovers from the event.
Q21 I think I have food poisoning - what should I do?
A21 You are advised to contact your GP as soon as possible. The doctor will assess
your condition and may decide to notify your illness as suspected food poisoning to
the Health Protection Agency for further investigation. If your illness is thought to be
related to a food outlet in a local area or is part of an outbreak then the Health
Protection Agency will inform the local authorities involved.
Your GP may also ask you to provide a faecal specimen to find out what particular
form of food poisoning you are suffering from. If you work with food or with young
children, the elderly or with patients or have a child who is ill with food poisoning then
there is a particular risk of the illness being passed on to others and will be given
specific advice by either your GP, the Health Protection Agency or your local
authority including when you can return to work, or a child can return to nursery or
school. In some cases repeated infection clear faecal specimens are required before
return to work, nursery or school is possible.
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While you are ill personal hygiene is very important as some forms of food poisoning
can be passed by person to person spread or from touching taps, handles and
sharing hand towels etc. It is also possible to pass on some illnesses during food
preparation, particularly if hand washing is not scrupulously practiced while you are
still infectious.
People often associate their illness with the last meal they ate before becoming ill,
unfortunately experience shows that this proves not to be the case most of the time.
Q22How can I avoid food poisoning during barbecues?
A22 Frozen and raw poultry, red meat and fish often have food poisoning bacteria on
them which only thorough cooking will destroy. Whenever you have handled frozen
and raw poultry, red meat and fish always wash you hands well using soap and hot
water. This stops bacteria then transferring onto the next foods that you touch.
Always wash plates and implements that have come into contact with the frozen and
raw foods and sanitise work contact surfaces to similarly prevent the contamination
of other foods at a later time.
Always cook foods well, ensuring that barbecued food is not burnt on the outside but
undercooked inside. Cooking the food in an oven and finishing off on a barbecue is a
good idea to ensure thorough cooking. Meat and chicken should not appear pink
inside or have blood running from it as this indicates that the food is not sufficiently
cooked.
It is always advisable to eat cooked food right away and never reheat meats, rice or
pasta that have been allowed to cool down outside refrigerated temperatures.
These few rules will help you prevent food poisoning at barbecues. A leaflet giving
food hygiene barbecue advice can be found on our Food Safety web page.
Q23 I live above a restaurant and the smell of cooking is often so bad in my flat
it makes me feel ill - what can I do?
A23 The Public Protection Section at Gedling Borough Council investigates
complaints about odours. Their contact details are the Public Protection Section,
Gedling Borough Council, Civic Centre, Arnot Hill Park, Nottingham Road, Arnold,
Notts, NG5 6LU. Telephone (0115) 901 3972 (Customer Services) and Email
[email protected] .
Last updated August 2011
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