Food laws introduced in January 2006, brought England in line with the rest of Europe. The main changes include the following:

• The requirement for 'hazard analysis' in old food legislation is still required, however, the food safety management system now needs to be documented.
• At least one person at the business must be adequately trained in how to operate the new safety management system.

The purpose of a 'food safety management' system is to ensure that a food business regulates itself every day, rather than wait for a visit from an enforcement officer. The Food Standards Agency have developed a system called 'Safer Food, Better Business' especially for small caterers to make self regulation as easy as possible. 

Information on 'Safer Food, Better Business' is available on the Food Standards Agency website.

If you would like a hard copy of the 'Safer Food, Better Business' pack, call 0845 606 0667 or email: foodstandards@ecgroup.uk.com.