Local caterers will receive a training boost in food safety following Islington Council’s successful bid for a £15,910 grant from the Food Standards Agency (FSA).<br><br>In a six-month programme commencing in November, the council will provide food safety training for 50 small catering businesses located along the A1. The training will be delivered in partnership with the School of Asian and Oriental Cooking.<br> <br>Islington is also part of a group of 22 London local authorities which has won £414,000 to provide business workshops and coaching to over 2,000 catering outlets across London.<br><br>The grants were part of the £5.5m in funding recently awarded by the FSA to local authorities to train businesses in preparation for the new EU food safety regulations which come into effect on 1 January 2006. The regulations aim to improve consumer protection and make it easier for caterers to implement hygiene rules.<br><br>The funding will help catering businesses implement Safer food, better business (SFBB), the FSA’s new simplified approach to understanding how to manage food safety and reduce levels of food poisoning in people eating out. The FSA has developed SFBB to help catering businesses, particularly smaller ones, comply with the new EU legislation. <br><br>Islington’s Executive Member for Public Protection, Cllr George Allan said: <br><br>“Simplifying food safety legislation will mean eating out is safer for everyone. We want to help smaller businesses, particularly those along the A1 where they may have language issues."<br><br>The funding grants were announced at the recent annual conference of the Chartered Institute for Environmental Health. At least another £4.5m in grants will be available for more training and support for caterers over the next three years. The second round of grants to local authorities will be announced in the New Year. <br><br>For information on food safety, contact Islington Council’s commercial environmental health division on 020 7527 3816.<br><br><br> <br>Notes to Editors<br><br>About the new EU Food Hygiene Legislation<br><br>The new EU Food Hygiene Legislation will apply to all food businesses in the EU from January 1, 2006. It simplifies and updates 17 existing food hygiene directives – which contain inconsistencies and duplication – with three, more flexible and pragmatic regulations. All sectors of the industry, including retail, catering, manufacturing, primary producers and distributors will have to comply with it. Food safety management procedures will apply in a way which is proportionate to the size and the nature of the business.<br><br>The main requirements are that businesses draw up and follow new risk-based procedures to control hygiene hazards based on a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) approach. Businesses will also have to keep records to show how any hazards to food safety have been identified and properly handled.<br><br>About Safer food, better business<br><br>Safer food, better business is a new approach to food safety management which offers simple, easy-to-use, practical guidance for catering businesses. It provides fact-sheets, which a manager adapts for their own establishment to enable them to tackle any hazards in their food preparation or handling process. A simple diary is used to provide appropriate record-keeping. The approach has been developed to allow businesses to manage food safety and protect consumers whilst at the same time removing current burdens on the businesses. <br><br>For more information visit the Food Safety Agency’s website at www.food.gov.uk.
Page Last Updated: 17 December 2009