Germ warfare
Fines, closure, irretrievable loss of customer good faith and the acquisition of a criminal record could be the disastrous consequences of getting your pub's food safety policy wrong.
There's no denying that there is a lot of legislation to comply with, but it's imperative to get the systems in place to avoid giving customers a dose of food poisoning.
New legislation introduced at the beginning of the year means that the statutory food safety management system - Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) - has become more substantial, with a greater need for documentation.
Keep it simple - but comply
However, it need not be dauntingly complex, says Dr Lisa Ackerley, an environmental health practitioner at food safety consultant Hygiene Audit Systems.
"Don't be alarmed," says Ackerley. "A food safety management system can actually help you run the food safety side of your business rather than cause you extra hassle.
"Don't be persuaded that such a system needs to be complicated - simplicity is the key. Beware of consultants who are marketing all sorts of complicated systems that cost you lots of money and tie you up in knots. Prioritisation is key - you are not expected to run a kitchen like an operating theatre."
Ackerley says that using a template, such as the Safer Food Better Business pack produced by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), is a good way to get you started, but you must consider what controls are suitable for your particular pub, and make sure that any forms you use are realistic and manageable.
And she adds: "If you get a visit from the EHO (environmental health officer), be helpful. If you get a letter or improvement notice, take action. Don't think the problem will go away - like the tax demand or a parking ticket, it will get worse if you ignore it. If you don't understand what a directive says, get professional help. It will be worth it."
Setting a system in place is not only essential to keep you and your staff on top of food safety, but it is also now a legal requirement, points out Jenny Morris, food policy officer at the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH).
"You've now got to have a system to manage your food safety. If you have a good system that can be easily maintained, you have the process to keep your food safe.
"If you don't comply with food regulations and your system doesn't work, the worst-case scenario is that someone will go down with food poisoning. If that happens it's not good for the reputation of your business; there is potential for civil action to be taken against you; and there's potential for enforcement action by your local authority.
"On top of that, most people would feel bad about poisoning a customer. So all in all, you really want to get your food safety right."
Safety pinned down
There are serious repercussions to face if you do slip up and don't "get it right", warns Janet Perkin, operations manager at business risk management consultancy Perry Scott Nash Group. The company stresses that those involved in the operation of food have a legal, commercial and moral obligation to ensure good standards of food hygiene.
Perkin says: "Food must be fit for consumption. If it's so contaminated as to be unfit, you are committing an offence. Fines for the selling of unfit food, or food not complying with food safety laws, are up to £20,000 per offence."
She says that some of the essential rules for good food safety include: keep raw and cooked food separately to avoid any "cross-contamination" - the spread of bacteria from one place to another; use colour-coded chopping
boards and utensils to keep raw and cooked food handling separate; re-heat food once only; and if you need to keep food hot, make sure it is kept at temperatures above 63°C.
And she adds: "Keep records of your food safety management system, but don't make them too complex. Have the records show that you take temperatures of food and fridges.
"Getting food safety wrong can be a costly business. But getting it right only requires knowing and following a few rules."
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