Guide

Wales food business compliance checklist

Quick verification checklist for Wales-specific food business obligations. Covers local authority registration, mandatory food hygiene rating display, food waste separation, Natural Resources Wales permits, and Welsh language best practice.

Wales

Use this checklist to verify your food business in Wales meets Wales-specific legal obligations. These are requirements that differ from or go beyond those in England. For general UK-wide food safety obligations, see Food safety compliance checklist.

Registration

Food hygiene rating display

Food waste separation

Natural Resources Wales permits

Welsh language

If you cannot confirm any item above, address it before trading. Failure to display your food hygiene rating in Wales is a criminal offence carrying a fixed penalty notice or prosecution. Failure to separate food waste can result in enforcement action by Natural Resources Wales. For general food safety breaches, penalties include unlimited fines and up to 2 years imprisonment under the Food Safety Act 1990.

Starting a food business in Wales: what you need to know

Overview of what makes starting a food business in Wales different from the rest of the UK. Covers the mandatory Food Hygiene Rating Scheme display requirement, Welsh local authority registration, food waste separation obligations, and Welsh Government support programmes available to new food businesses.

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How food safety enforcement works in Wales

How food safety is enforced in Wales, including the role of the Food Standards Agency Wales and local authority environmental health officers. Covers risk-based inspections, improvement notices, prohibition orders, prosecution, and Food Hygiene Rating Scheme enforcement powers.

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Prepare for a food hygiene inspection

Use this checklist to prepare your food business for an environmental health inspection. Covers the three areas inspectors score, documentation you need ready, common failures, and what happens after the inspection.

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Comply with mandatory food hygiene rating display in Wales

Wales is one of only two UK nations where displaying your food hygiene rating is a legal requirement. This guide explains how to comply with the Food Hygiene Rating (Wales) Act 2013, including where to display your sticker, online display obligations, what happens if you do not display, and what to do if you disagree with your rating.

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