Alerts
Guidance for food businesses
Whilst we are responsible for regulating food hygiene in food businesses and carrying out your inspections; it is the Food Standards Agency who is the national agency responsible for food safety and hygiene across the UK.
You will find a wealth of information and courses to assist new and established food businesses on their website. Some key areas to start are:
All food business must have a Food Safety Management System (FSMS) in place, its purpose is to identify and control possible food hazards within a food business in order to ensure that food is safe to eat.
The Food Standards Agency have a free to download FSMS pack called Safer Food Better Business (SFBB), which is jargon free, and covers cooking, cleaning, chilling, cross contamination and management procedures.
Hertsmere Borough Council run workshops throughout the year teaching business the correct way to complete their SFBB packs, for those that need guidance. Further information on our upcoming workshops can be found on our dedicated training page.
We can also provide you with a printed version of this pack at a cost of £10. Please email the food team if you wish to purchase a pack from us.
Better Business for All have also created a FSMS called Hertfordshire Safe Food Pack. This is another freely available pack to all Hertfordshire businesses.
Food businesses have a legal duty to provide information about the presence of the 14 allergens (PDF 210 KB) required to be declared by law which is within the food and drink they sell.
There are resources available in a number of differing languages to assist those within the food industry.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute have a number of resources available including a full Allergen Awareness training video, The 14 Allergen Posters a Be Allergy Aware handout as well as some social media links.
These resources can be found in the following languages:
The Food Standards Agency also provide guidance for food businesses on providing allergen information and resources.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has an introduction to allergen labelling for PPDS food and have launched a PPDS HUB featuring information and sector guidance.
Allergen Alerts
To keep up to date with any allergen alerts you can subscribe to The Food Standards Agency Allergen Alert system to receive emails directly.
The Food Standards Agency have produced guidance for business operators that manufacture, process or distribute food supplements containing caffeine.
Fats, oils and grease (FOG) are generated during the preparation, cooking and cleaning up of food, pots and pans, utensils, crockery and the kitchen itself. If FOG and leftover food go down your pipes, they will become solid and block your drains.
It is important that everyone working for you knows the best way to manage your kitchens waste. Training employees and helping them understand the
need for grease management and good kitchen practice can really help to prevent blockages in your business’s pipes.
Our best advice
- Scrape any leftover food into the bin and wipe pots and utensils with paper towels before washing up
- Use sink strainers in plug holes
- Install a Grease Removal Unit or Grease Separator as a form of grease management to prevent FOG reaching your waste pipes
- Clean and maintain any grease management equipment regularly
- Collect leftover FOG in an airtight container and arrange for it to be collected by a licensed waste contractor
- Keep a record of grease management maintenance and FOG waste collection dates
What the law says
Keeping fats, oils and grease out of drains is always the most effective solution to keep your pipes clear of blockages. Discharging these substances is illegal and you could face fines or prosecution under Section 111 of The Water Industry Act 1991 if you damage sewers.
For more information please visit the Thames Water's website.
As of 1 January 2021 there are new rules for businesses and citizens following the UK's departure from the EU.
If you import goods from the EU, export goods to the EU, move goods to or from Northern Ireland, travel to the EU, live or work in the EU or if you are staying in the UK if you're an EU citizen you need to act now.
You can get a complete list of what you need to do for you, your business and your family.
As of 1 October 2021 new actions are required for businesses importing products of animal origin into Great Britain from the EU.
Webinars are also available for importers of food and drink products from the EU to Great Britain
For further business advice please view our Business support and advice page.
The Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership is also a good source of information for businesses.
The Food Standards Agency have produced guidance on 'How to safely host a street party'.
If you are organising a public event, further information and guidance can be found on our organising an event webpage.
Peanut contamination of garlic powder alert - 17 February 2025
The Food Standards Agency have been notified by a small number of UK businesses that they have detected peanut and / or peanut protein in garlic powder imported from China. Whilst no evidence of a serious food safety concern.
- Based on the data shared with the FSA so far, there is no indication of a serious food safety concern.
- In response to this incident, when food businesses notify Local Authorities of concern over peanut contamination of garlic, food businesses should establish by undertaking a traceability exercise if they have been supplied with affected contaminated batches, and confirm there is a food safety concern before taking food safety action.
- To determine the level of food safety concern, a product-specific risk assessment should be completed by the relevant food businesses to determine the level of risk, and where there is food safety concern, to identify if sufficient food safety controls are in place.
- Food businesses should consider the use of precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) for peanut, where an unavoidable risk of allergen cross-contamination cannot be sufficiently controlled by segregation and cleaning or other measures.
- Where the FBO has determined sufficient controls are not in place and food safety action is required, food safety action should be undertaken, based on the level of food safety concern.
- FSA advise that action should be taken where possible, to make potentially unsafe food safe, consistent with the guidance on our product traceability, withdrawal and recall guidance, i.e. where FBO’s risk assessments identify precautionary allergen labelling is required, the products may be re-labelled or over-stickered.
- Where FBOs decide product recalls are necessary, the FSA will request LAs to categorise the hazard, as outlined in section 5.2.2. of the Food Law Code of Practice, in deciding whether it is necessary for the FSA to amplify the messaging about a product recall in an FSA Allergy Alert.
- Based on the levels of peanut and peanut protein detected in batches so far that have been reported to the FSA, and, taking account of the intended use of the ingredient and the products, the FSA risk assessment determined that ‘the level of peanut detected in the product poses a risk to less than 1% of the peanut allergic population
- We are continuing to work with industry to ascertain the root cause of this incident.
The FSA have provided supporting guidance for food business operators:
Allergen guidance for businesses
Allergen guidance for manufacturers
Food Standards Agency
General Enquires:
Helpline: 0330 332 7149
Email: helpline@food.gov.uk
