Safer Food, Better Business

Food safety law requires all but the lowest risk food businesses to prepare and put into practice a documented food safety management system.

The purpose of a documented food safety management system is to identify what could go wrong (and cause food to be unsafe to eat) and identify suitable controls to prevent this from happening. It is also likely to set out how this can be monitored and require some records to be kept to demonstrate that the controls have been working.

The Food Standards Agency has developed Safer Food Better Business to help small business comply with this requirement. A number of versions of the pack for different business types and cuisines are available as free downloads. The food business operator will need to fill in the blanks to personalise the pack to their business, put the Safe Methods into practice and keep a daily diary.

Links to each version of the pack are available online

Businesses that manufacture food, larger and more complex operations may need a more detailed food safety management system based on HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points). Please contact the food safety team for further advice.

Lower risk and very small businesses may find our food safety management system for low risk business a suitable alternative

Our Cake Makers and Home Caterers guidance also contains a food safety management system template

For one-off catering operations or occasional catering by volunteers or charitable organisations may find the following advice leaflet helpful