Luton Borough Council
Guidance for food businesses
Quick links:
- Safety in the work place
- Risk assessment
- Cleaning
- Food hygiene
- Food hygiene and safety for food provided for community groups
- Resources available
Safety in the work place
Guidance issued to help employers, employees and the self-employed to help ensure workplaces are as safe as possible during the coronavirus pandemic.
- Working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Guidance for people who work in or run shops, branches, stores or similar environments
Guidance for people who work in or run restaurants, pubs, bars, cafes or takeaways
- It is compulsory for retail, leisure and hospitality staff to wear a face covering in areas that are open to the public and where they come or are likely to come within close contact of a member of the public. This includes shops, supermarkets, bars, pubs, restaurants, cafes and the public areas of hotels and hostels.
- face coverings must be worn by customers in indoor hospitality, except when seated at a table to eat or drink; and
- Fines for failing to wear a face covering have risen to £200
- Pubs, bars and restaurants must operate table-service only, except for takeaways;
- Hospitality venues must close at 10pm (which means closing, not last orders). The same time of 10pm closures applies to takeaways. Businesses and venues selling food for consumption off the premises, can continue to do so after 10pm as long as this is through delivery service or drive-thru
- Venues are required by law to record contact details of visitors and customers details
- Businesses need to display the official NHS QR code posters so that customers can ‘check-in’ at different premises, please see below information and resources for help
- Covid-secure guidelines have become legal obligations
Useful information and resources
- Create a coronavirus NHS QR code for your venue
- NHS information and resources
- Working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Closing certain businesses and venues in England
Risk assessment
Your risk assessment should identify practical actions that protect people from harm and injury. HSE has developed interactive tools to help those working in low-risk offices and shops, understand what they need to do to assess and control risks in the workplace and comply with health and safety law.
Cleaning
This guidance can be applied to any non-healthcare setting in the community such as workplaces, offices and waiting rooms
Food hygiene
Food business operators should continue to follow the Food Standard Agency’s guidance on good hygiene practices in food preparation and their Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) processes.
A Food Safety Management System (FSMS) that includes existing food hygiene guidance and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) processes should be followed.
Frequently clean and disinfect objects and surfaces that are touched regularly, using your standard cleaning products. Food businesses can refer to the Food Standards Agency’s safer food, better business (SFBB) guidance for further guidance on expected food hygiene standards.
Food hygiene and safety for food provided for community groups
You do not need a food hygiene certificate to provide food for charity or community groups. However, you need to make sure that you handle food safely. If you handle, prepare, store and serve food occasionally and on a small scale, you do not need to register as a food business.
If you are providing food on a regular and organised basis, or are setting up a food bank, you may need to register with your local authority
Resources available
© 2020 Luton Council, Town Hall, Luton LU1 2BQ