Safer food, better business

Food glorious food, nothing quite like it - especially now the law requires all food premises to have a written food safety management system.

Since the introduction of the Safer Food Better Business scheme in January 2005, Hertsmere Borough Council has been providing small caterers with a free half day seminar and issuing the Safer Food, Better Business pack.

The course helps small caterers to fill in the pack. In total it should take less than four hours to personalise the pack to your business, and only a minute each day to fill in the records that the law requires.

However,  from March 2007 the free seminars will finish - so, if you're a small catering business and haven't yet been on a Safer Food, Better Business seminar you are urged to book a place now.

Chris Gascoine, Chief Environmental Health Officer at Hertsmere Borough Council, said:

“We have run a number of free sessions since the introduction of the Safer Food, Better Business scheme in January 2005 to enable small caterers to comply with the law.

"The free courses were set up to save caterers time, money and stress that would be involved in writing their own system to comply with the new law. The free seminars will be coming to a close in March, which is why we are urging as many small caterers as possible to come on the course now."

This Safer Food, Better Business pack, developed by the Food Standards Agency, working with catering businesses, aims to be practical and easy to use guide. Using this pack will help small caterers to:

• comply with the new regulations
• show how to make food safely
• train staff
• protect your business's reputation
• improve your business e.g. by wasting less food.

Call 0845 234 0338 for further information or to book a seminar, where you will be shown how to use the pack.

Packs can also be obtained free of charge from the Food Standards Agency on 0845 606 0667 or visit: http://www.food.gov.uk/