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Food safety management systems for businesses

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1. Overview

If you run a food business, you need to have a food safety management system to make sure your food is safe to eat.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

A food safety management system is a written set of processes, checks, rules and records. It usually includes things like:

  • rules for cleaning and hygiene
  • safe cooking and storage procedures
  • allergen controls
  • staff training
  • temperature checks

Your food safety management system must meet the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles.

There are different rules for HACCP in meat plants.

The HACCP principles

To meet , you need to:

  • identify any food hazards that need to be avoided, removed or reduced
  • identify the critical control points (CCPs) - the points when you need to prevent, remove or reduce a hazard in your work process
  • set limits for the CCPs
  • monitor the CCPs
  • put checks in place to make sure your system is working
  • put things right if there is a problem with a CCP
  • keep records of your food safety systems, checks and how you’ve put things right

If your business is involved in a food safety incident, you will need to show your records as evidence of how you keep food safe.

Food hazards

A food hazard is anything that could make food unsafe to eat.

The 3 main types are:

  • microbiological - involving harmful bacteria
  • chemical - including cleaning chemicals, allergens and other contamination
  • physical - involving objects getting into food

2. Creating a food safety management system

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

The type of food safety management system you need depends on:

  • the size of your business
  • its risk level and complexity

Examples

A café prepares sandwiches, salads and hot drinks to sell the same day. They need to identify key food safety risks, keep chilled food at safe temperatures and provide allergen information for customers.

A factory produces chilled ready meals containing cooked meat and distributes them nationwide. They need a fully documented system with supplier assurance, environmental monitoring, product testing and traceability controls.

How to create a food safety management system

  1. Contact your local food safety team. They’ll assess the size and nature of your business and advise you on the type of system you need.

  2. Build your system using guidance and templates. You can also hire an independent food safety consultant or get help from your industry association, if you’re a member of one.

  3. Check, review and update your system regularly, and whenever you change your food processes or suppliers.

Guidance and templates to build your system

Food safety management toolkits for smaller businesses

The Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB) toolkits are designed for small catering businesses such as restaurants, cafés and takeaways.

If your business is in Northern Ireland, use the Safe Catering guidance instead.

The SFBB toolkits include procedures for managing cross-contamination, cleaning, chilling and cooking. They can be adapted to suit the size and nature of your business.

Sector-specific SFBB information is also available for:

  • retailers
  • Indian takeaways
  • Chinese takeaways
  • childminders
  • care homes

Document templates for food safety procedures

You can use FSA’s food safety document templates to manage most food safety practices, such as:

  • cleaning
  • maintenance
  • pest control
  • chemical records
  • staff training
  • staff hygiene
  • staff health and sickness

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans

An HACCP plan is a more detailed part of food safety management that focuses on identifying and controlling food safety risks. It includes formal hazard analysis, critical control points, monitoring procedures and detailed records.

Your local food safety team might advise that you need an HACCP plan if your business is larger or higher-risk.

You can make an HACCP plan:

  • online, through the MyHACCP service
  • using FSA’s HACCP plan template

3. Make an HACCP plan

Use the MyHACCP service to:

  • create a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan
  • update an existing HACCP plan

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

Before you start

You’ll need to sign in to use the MyHACCP service. If you do not already have sign in details, you’ll be able to create them.

To create an account, you’ll need:

  • an email address
  • details of the business, including name, location, type and size

To use the service, you’ll need:

  • details of the food you make or handle
  • a list of ingredients, raw materials and processes
  • temperature records and cleaning schedules (if you have them)
  • information about your suppliers and staff training

You can save your progress and return later.

Other ways to make an HACCP plan

You can also create an HACCP plan using:

Contact your local food safety team if you’re not sure what to do.