On Tuesday 29 November, we were invited to Park Plaza London Waterloo to attend the briefing event for the launch of UKHospitality's updated Industry Guide to Good Hygiene Practice.
Regency's Sian Collins attended the event on behalf of the Association of Indoor Play (AIP) - the trade association of indoor play in the UK, for which Regency's Managing Director, Alex Demetriou sits on the executive board.
During the event the panel of industry experts, including Katie Pettifer - Food Standards Agency, Darryl Thomson - UKHospitality, Richard Short - Accor Hotels Northern Europe, Sterling Crew - Food Authenticity Network and David Bashford - Food Alert Ltd, discussed the future of food safety.
The Industry Guide to Good Hygiene Practice provides information on legal obligations for caterers and the practical requirements to comply with food hygiene law. The guide also offers advice to operators on good practice, which although is not a legal requirement, is likely to contribute to the overall achievement of food safety and customer satisfaction.
The guide has been developed by the food industry and is recognised by the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland, in accordance with Article 8 of Retained Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004.
Since use of this guide is not obligatory and there is no legal requirement to follow it, you may choose to meet the regulations in another way. However, it offers an excellent framework and a practical way to help operators meet their legal obligations. Local Authority enforcement officers may also take account of its contents when carrying out an inspection of food business’s.
What changes have been made to the guide?
The updated version of the guide includes four new sections:
Darryl Thomson of UK Hospitality said…
"Allergen control must be part of your HACCP and businesses should ensure that clear signs and guides regarding allergen awareness for dining customers are visible and available.
Staff training should include encouragement when engaging with customers to have the opportunity to make an allergy request. The use of ‘May’ contain should be used correctly and consideration to updating ingredient information when a substitute product has been delivered as a replacement to an ordered good. With volatility of the supply chain caution needs to be applied so menus are updated with the replacement product."
Katie Pettifer – Director of Strategy, Legal, Communications & Governance Foods Standards Agency said….
"The FSA continue to review laws in line with the EU standards to protect public health and continue to look for opportunities to improve and to have consistency across the UK. Food regulations are evolving, so we need to ensure that we are supporting with clear information and advice.
Looking to change the way compliance is measure and not changing the rules.
The Industry guide is now digital so as changes are made, the guide can be kept up to date."
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You may also be interested in MenuIQ, our powerful menu management solution...
Food safety, hygiene and allergen management technology helps businesses to ensure compliance and reduce (and hopefully eliminate) allergy incidents within foodservice outlets.
Advanced food safety software like MenuIQ receives real-time data direct from suppliers, notifying users the moment a product ingredient changes. Technology in the kitchen helps operators save time, minimise mistakes and stay compliant with laws and regulations.
With the right food safety and allergen management system in place, business owners are not just protecting their business and customers; they’re also building a brand; gaining trust, loyalty and repeat visits.
For help and advice on managing food safety within your business, contact Sian and the MenuIQ experts, MenuIQ: info@menuiq.co.uk / +44 (0)1934 646100.
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