Hospitality, catering and retail

There are a number of resources which can help small catering or retail businesses with food safety management and food hygiene regulation.

MenuCal is a free and easy to use tool for food businesses to provide information about the calories and allergens in their dishes to help customers to make informed choices. 

CookSafe helps catering businesses understand and implement systems based on Hazard and Critical Control Point (HACCP). Using the CookSafe manual, you can develop HACCP-based procedures that fit your needs.

RetailSafe has been designed for retailers handling unwrapped high-risk foods. It has been designed to assist with compliance with the food hygiene regulations and is built on the CookSafe approach and structure.

Vac Pac Guidance: This guidance is applicable to all raw and ready-to-eat vacuum packed or modified atmosphere packed chilled foods, and provides advice to manufacturers on how to produce these foods safely. In addition an online training course which includes information on the hazards associated with vacuum packing and modified atmosphere packing, the causes and growth of Clostridium botulinum and the control factors that can be used to prevent growth and toxin production is available.

Control of cross contamination: All businesses should take steps to minimise the risks associated with possible cross contamination between raw and ready to eat food.  Useful guidance has been produced.

Food Handlers: Fitness to work: this guidance is intended to assist food business managers and food handling staff in understanding the types of illnesses that should be reported and the actions they need to take to prevent the spread of infection.

Online allergy training: this has been created to help give greater understanding of food allergens in catering and manufacturing settings.

Advanced online allergen training: we have created this tool to provide a more in-depth understanding of allergen management in catering and manufacturing settings.