Food, Drink & Hospitality Food, hospitality and tourism

Food hygiene and HACCP

Implement food safety management procedures based on HACCP principles.

UK-wide
Guide summary

All food businesses must use HACCP principles to manage food safety. Small businesses can use free tools like Safer Food Better Business for simple operations or MyHACCP for more complex processes. Failure to comply can result in fines up to £20,000 or imprisonment.

  • Use Safer Food Better Business (SFBB) if you run a small catering or retail business with simple operations
  • Use MyHACCP if you manufacture food with complex processes (up to 50 employees)
  • Implement 7 HACCP principles to identify and control food hazards
  • Keep daily records of food safety checks and review procedures every 4 weeks
  • Train staff in HACCP - Level 3 qualification recommended for managers
  • Failure to comply can lead to fines up to £20,000 or 6 months imprisonment
  • Follow the 4 Cs: Cleaning, Cooking, Chilling, and avoiding Cross-contamination
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UK-wide

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All food businesses must have food safety management procedures based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles. This is a legal requirement under Regulation (EC) 852/2004.

For most small businesses, the Food Standards Agency provides free simplified HACCP systems through the Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB) suite of packs.

The 4 Cs of food hygiene

SFBB organizes food safety controls around the 4 Cs:

  • Cleaning: Keep yourself, surfaces, and equipment clean
  • Cooking: Cook food thoroughly to kill harmful bacteria. FSA standard advice is 70°C for 2 minutes, or equivalent combinations such as 75°C for 30 seconds or 80°C for 6 seconds
  • Chilling: Keep food below 8°C (ideally 5°C or below)
  • Cross-contamination: Separate raw and ready-to-eat foods
  1. 1

    Download SFBB pack

    Get the appropriate Safer Food, Better Business pack for your business type.

  2. 2

    Complete daily diary

    Record opening and closing checks, cooking temperatures, and cleaning tasks.

  3. 3

    Implement 4 Cs

    Ensure proper Cleaning, Cooking, Chilling, and Cross-contamination prevention.

  4. 4

    Keep records

    Maintain SFBB documentation and temperature logs for inspection.