FOOD SAFETY LEGISLATION Food Safety legislation is designed to protect consumers from illness and harm

Food Legislation The Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 The Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 Regulation EC 852/2004 Regulation EC 852/2004 Food Hygiene Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 Food Hygiene Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006

Role of Enforcement Officers Authorised Officers – Environmental Health Officers Authorised Officers – Environmental Health Officers Provide Food Safety advice Provide Food Safety advice Inspect food premises Inspect food premises Enforce legislation covering food Enforce legislation covering food Investigate outbreaks of food-borne disease and possible offences Investigate outbreaks of food-borne disease and possible offences

Powers of Enforcement Officers Powers of entry Powers of entry Inspect food and premises Inspect food and premises Power to seize and detain food Power to seize and detain food Serve notices Serve notices Power to close Power to close Prosecute Prosecute

Food Safety Law Safe Food Safe Food Free from contamination Free from contamination Fit for human consumption Fit for human consumption Hygiene of food premises, equipment and personnel Hygiene of food premises, equipment and personnel Hygienic practices (including temperature control) Hygienic practices (including temperature control) Control of food poisoning Control of food poisoning Composition, amount and labelling of food. Composition, amount and labelling of food.

The inspection of food premises Purpose of inspection by an EHP Ensure operation is capable of producing safe foodEnsure operation is capable of producing safe food To identify foreseeable incidences of food poisoningTo identify foreseeable incidences of food poisoning Assess effectiveness of hazard analysis, especially in relation to critical control points (identify the risks)Assess effectiveness of hazard analysis, especially in relation to critical control points (identify the risks) To check standards have been achieved (legal and industry guides)To check standards have been achieved (legal and industry guides) Identify training needs of staff (competency)Identify training needs of staff (competency) To provide advice/make recommendationsTo provide advice/make recommendations To respond to a complaintTo respond to a complaint RevisitRevisit To continually improve food hygiene standardsTo continually improve food hygiene standards To ensure the business complies with the law.To ensure the business complies with the law.

Food Handler – Legal Requirements Keep yourself clean Keep yourself clean Keep your workplace clean Keep your workplace clean Protect food from contamination or anything that could cause harm Protect food from contamination or anything that could cause harm Follow good personal hygiene practices Follow good personal hygiene practices Wear appropriate protective clothing Wear appropriate protective clothing Tell your employer if you are suffering from or are a carrier of a food-borne illness Tell your employer if you are suffering from or are a carrier of a food-borne illness

Food Handler – Legal Requirements Legislation also states that food handlers must not: Do anything that would expose food to contamination Do anything that would expose food to contamination Sell food that is unfit for human consumption Sell food that is unfit for human consumption Sell food with an expired date mark Sell food with an expired date mark Work with food if they have symptoms of food poisoning Work with food if they have symptoms of food poisoning

Notices A Hygiene Improvement Notice is used to require food businesses to improve something sub-standard A Hygiene Improvement Notice is used to require food businesses to improve something sub-standard A Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice can apply to: A Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice can apply to: Premises (prohibiting use of premises) Premises (prohibiting use of premises) Part of premises Part of premises Equipment Equipment A food business operator A food business operator

Penalties for Non-Compliance Prohibition from using part of business Prohibition from using part of business Fines and legal costs Fines and legal costs Prison sentence Prison sentence Closure of business Closure of business Prohibition from running a food business Prohibition from running a food business Criminal record Criminal record

Due Diligence The principal of defence under The Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 A business must be able to demonstrate that it has done everything within its power to safeguard consumer health Accurate records are useful in proving this defence; these may include: Accurate records are useful in proving this defence; these may include: HACCP HACCP Monitoring records – storage/cooking/delivery Monitoring records – storage/cooking/delivery Pest control Pest control Cleaning schedules Cleaning schedules

What the Law Requires EC 852/2004 on Hygiene of Foodstuffs Premises must: Premises must: Be registered with the local Council Be registered with the local Council Be kept clean Be kept clean Be maintained in good repair Be maintained in good repair Have a good design, layout and construction Have a good design, layout and construction Have adequate facilities for washing equipment and food Have adequate facilities for washing equipment and food Have satisfactory lighting and ventilation Have satisfactory lighting and ventilation Have adequate hand washing facilities Have adequate hand washing facilities

Contd…. Equipment must: Equipment must: Be kept clean and in good condition Be kept clean and in good condition Be installed allowing cleaning in the surrounding area Be installed allowing cleaning in the surrounding area Waste must: Waste must: Not accumulate Not accumulate Be deposited in closable containers Be deposited in closable containers Prevent pest access Prevent pest access

Contd… Personnel must: Personnel must: Have high standards of personal hygiene Have high standards of personal hygiene Wear clean protective clothing Wear clean protective clothing Report to the proprietor when suffering from illness or a condition that may contaminate food Report to the proprietor when suffering from illness or a condition that may contaminate food Be supervised and instructed and/or trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their work activities Be supervised and instructed and/or trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their work activities

Complying with Food Safety Law?

Food Safety Training Legal requirement Legal requirement Appropriate to tasks undertaken Appropriate to tasks undertaken Recorded Recorded Refreshed Refreshed

EC 852/2004 Article 5 Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Hazard – anything that could cause harm to consumers HACCP is designed to help food companies to minimise the risk from food hazards Hazard Analysis (HACCP)

HACCP System Food companies need to: Analyse the hazards to food safety Analyse the hazards to food safety Assess the level of risk from each hazard Assess the level of risk from each hazard Decide the most critical points that require controls Decide the most critical points that require controls Implement appropriate controls Implement appropriate controls Establish a monitoring system Establish a monitoring system Set up procedures to correct problems (corrective action) Set up procedures to correct problems (corrective action) Review the system when operations change Review the system when operations change

Record Keeping Legal requirement that certain records are kept as part of the HACCP-based food safety management system, eg: Fridge/freezer records Fridge/freezer records Cooking/hot-holding temperatures Cooking/hot-holding temperatures Cleaning records Cleaning records Training records Training records Pest control checks Pest control checks

The Food Hygiene Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 Applies to high-risk foods Applies to high-risk foods Cold foods- store below 8 o C Cold foods- store below 8 o C Hot foods – store above 63 o C Hot foods – store above 63 o C During service :- Cold food max 4hrs at room temperature then discard or refrigerate Cold food max 4hrs at room temperature then discard or refrigerate Hot food maximum 2 hrs at room temperature Hot food maximum 2 hrs at room temperature

Summary Environmental Health Officers have wide-ranging powers to control food safety Environmental Health Officers have wide-ranging powers to control food safety Controls are the responsibility of everybody Controls are the responsibility of everybody Many penalties for non-compliance Many penalties for non-compliance Due diligence defence available Due diligence defence available Record-keeping is a legal requirement Record-keeping is a legal requirement Every business must carry out a Hazard Analysis Every business must carry out a Hazard Analysis