UKHospitality, in partnership with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS), has today launched an updated version of the industry-recognised hygiene standards guide for all caterers.
The guide, sponsored by Food Alert, is the only recognised document for hygiene standards for the catering sector, that is used by both industry and enforcement.
It sets out advice and guidance for caterers on how to comply with their legal obligations and continues to be applicable across the entire UK, meaning there can be a consistent and simple approach for Environmental Health Officers and companies operating across nations.
UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “Maintaining our high standards of food safety and hygiene is a top priority for all hospitality venues and this industry guide is the gold standard for industry to get their advice and guidance on complying with legislation.
“It is essential reading for everyone in hospitality with a catering offering and as the rules and regulations continue to change, it was important for us to review, update and relaunch the guide.
“Making this guide work for all four nations was a real priority and I’m pleased that UKHospitality was able to work with both the FSA and FSS to achieve this. This consistent approach should make complying with legislation easier and ensure we continue delivering the high standards our customers expect.”
Katie Pettifer, Director of Strategy and Regulatory Compliance, FSA, said: “At the Food Standards Agency, we want everyone to have food they can trust. We want to make it as easy as possible for businesses to do the right thing for consumers, so we were pleased to work with UKHospitality and Food Standards Scotland on the latest update to the industry guide.
“It will provide up-to-date, accurate and understandable guidance to help food businesses across the UK achieve good food hygiene compliance.”
Food Standards Scotland Chief Executive Geoff Ogle said: “Good hygiene is an essential requirement to producing safe food. This updated version of the guidance for the catering sector emphasises the importance that industry and regulators place on food safety.
“Consumers reasonably expect their food to be safe and this guidance enables the hospitality sector to ensure that high standards are maintained. Consumers will always go back to a business if they have had a positive experience, if they have a bad experience they’ll not return.
“A ‘gold standard’ is an enabler for repeat business and is to be welcomed.”
Richard Short, Vice President for Health and Security, Accor Hotels Northern Europe said: “Accor has, at the heart of its ethics and values, the safety and security of all its guests, staff and visitors so it is of utmost importance we comply with both the letter and the spirit of food hygiene legislation.
“This industry guide gives clear, unambiguous and reliable advice which is vital to both Accor and the hotel and catering industry as a whole.”
Food Alert Managing Director David Bashford said: “As food safety partners to UKHospitality we welcomed the opportunity to both sponsor and contribute to the creation of a new, revised Catering Guide.
“The new Guide will be the go-to document for food business operators and enforcement authorities when they look to how compliance with food hygiene legislation should be achieved, leading to a consistent application of the rules.
“UKHospitality and the whole review panel is to be commended for the hard work needed to produce the new Guide.”
