Yes, drinks businesses in the UK absolutely need a food safety management system based on HACCP principles – it’s a legal requirement. Here’s the specific details:
- Legal Requirement: It is a legal requirement in the UK for any food or drink business to have a plan or study built on HACCP Principles (EU Regulation 852/2004).
- Implementation Options: For smaller businesses, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) provides a simplified way to comply through their Safer Food Better Business (SFBB) pack, which is based on HACCP principles but designed to be more accessible for small businesses.
- Documentation: The law requires that you must write down what you do to make sure food is safe. This includes maintaining records to show your system is working effectively.
- Scope: This applies to all food and drink businesses, including:
- Pubs
- Bars
- Clubs
- Other establishments serving drinks
Even if you’re only serving drinks, you still need to have proper food safety management procedures in place because drinks are considered food products under food safety legislation. The law requires all food handling businesses to put in place a written food safety management system based around the principles of HACCP.
The system should address potential hazards related to:
- Storage of drinks
- Handling procedures
- Temperature control (where applicable)
- Cleaning and sanitization
- Staff training and hygiene
If you’re unsure about how to implement this, you can get guidance from your local authority or the FSA website, which provides free resources and templates to help businesses comply with these requirements.