Setting up a food business can be a daunting task, with a wide
range of legislation that must be complied with if you are not to
fall foul of the law. The
Food Standards
Agency (FSA) have produced a booklet entitled
'Starting up - Your first steps to running a
catering business' which can also be downloaded by clicking
the link. Further food safety leaflets may also be downloaded
from the Leaflets and Forms section.
If you wish to speak to an Officer please call 01638 719284 during
normal office hours, or email
commercial@forest-heath.gov.uk.
Food premises registration
All food businesses are required to register with their local
authority (unless exempted).
There is no charge and your registration cannot be refused. Once
registered it is not necessary to re-register, unless there is a
significant change in the business (such as a name change, or
change of proprietorship).
Food hazard analysis
Click
here to find out more about this legal
requirement.
Food hygiene training
All food handlers must be trained commensurate to their work
activities. Remember that you are not obliged to train with the
Council and many other bodies offer training. Visit the
Chartered Institute of
Environmental Health website to find a course that suits
you.
Mobile food businesses
Legally, mobile food businesses must register with the local
authority where the vehicle or trailer is normally kept. This means
that a mobile business registered with Forest Heath District
Council may not trade in the District, but if it is normally kept
here it will need to be registered with us. If you wish to trade in
the District you must apply for a Licence.
Contact us to find
out more.
Approved food businesses
Certain businesses must be approved by us to produce and sell
certain products. These products include meat products, minced meat
and meat preparations, dairy products, fishery products and egg
products.
Approval is gained by application, for which there is a charge, and
usually requires that packaging be labelled with a health mark.
Being approved means that the business must conform to a higher
standard than other businesses and runs the risk of losing approval
if standards are not maintained.
Please
contact us if you
are thinking of setting up a food business that may need to be
approved so that we can advise you further on how to proceed.
Other types of food business
There are certain types of food business that are not enforced by
us. These include slaughterhouses, cutting plants and meat cold
stores. These premises must be licensed by the Meat Hygiene
Service. You can contact the Meat Hygiene Service by phone 01904
455501 or email
mhs.enquiries@mhs.gov.uk.
Further information
To find out about planning issues please contact the Development
Control team on (01638) 719000 or browse to their
web
pages.
Health and Safety at Work information is available at the
Health and Safety web pages.
If you require advice about labelling, weights and measures or food
quality, please contact
Suffolk County Council Trading
Standards.
Consumer Direct Tel: 08454 040506
Email :
enquiries@tradstan.suffolkcc.gov.uk