• Food Allergen Awareness Training
• What is Food Hypersensitivity?
• What is a Food Intolerance?
• What Does Natasha’s Law Mean for My Business?
• Food Allergies: Myth Vs. Fact
• Food Allergy Awareness Quiz

The post Food Hypersensitivity Quiz appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

Allergies are unique to the individual and those who experience food allergies and intolerances will likely know which foods they can safely consume which don’t trigger a reaction for them. We call these ‘allergy free’ foods and they are unique to each individual.

This article will explore what allergy free can mean, provide inspiration and knowledge on what foods may be allergy free and give guidance on ensuring food safety.

What Does ‘Allergen Free’ Mean?

Allergen free is a term used by allergy sufferers to refer to food that does not contain any of the ingredients that cause an allergic reaction for that person. However, because allergen free foods are unique to the individual, there is no widely accepted or set definition for what allergy free means, rather, each person will have a list of their own allergy free foods. You might see the term used to refer to foods which do not contain any of the 14 named allergens in their ingredients list and you may also hear allergen free called ‘allergy friendly’ or ‘allergy safe’.

The 14 named allergens are:

1. Celery
2. Cereals containing gluten
3. Crustaceans
4. Eggs
5. Fish
6. Lupin
7. Milk
8. Molluscs
9. Mustard
10. Nuts
11. Peanuts
12. Sesame
13. Soya
14. Sulphites and Sulphur Dioxide

Those with allergies should always be given the right information when shopping in retailers or when eating out at catering establishments. As a catering business, it is important to offer menu items that can be deemed allergy free to customers and to give wider choices on your menu. Allergy free foods and substitutes can be used to replace common allergens in your menu items and recreate dishes that may already be familiar. This enables customers with allergens to be included and gives them choices when eating in your business.

However, it is essential that you are transparent with all the ingredients in a dish, and that you do not declare something as allergy free for all. Effective control of allergens through staff training, communication with customers and applying traceability procedures to your menu items and ingredients is paramount to the safety of your guests and your business’s success.

List of ‘Allergy Free’ Food

When thinking about creating allergy free, or free from allergen, menu items, you must consider all of the ingredients in the different components of the dish and the way it is prepared. Creating simple dishes with fewer ingredients should help limit the chances of them containing ingredients that people are allergic to. However, it isn’t always that easy and you must carefully check all your ingredients for allergens. We’ll look at food safety with regard to allergens further on in this article, but for now, let’s take a look at some ideas for allergy free foods.

As we’ve said above, allergy free has a different meaning for different people, and you must declare all ingredients in a product so that the customer can make an informed decision about whether the item is allergy free for them.

To help you think about dishes that could be allergen free, we’ve put together some ideas for starters, mains and desserts that don’t contain any of the 14 named allergens.

Need a Training Course?

If you want to extend knowledge of food allergens in your business, why not take a look at our Food Allergen Awareness Training which is designed to ensure learners have a thorough understanding of allergens and helps food handlers identify and label allergens correctly in order to comply with allergen laws and keep customers safe.

How to Ensure Food Safety Regarding Allergens

As we’ve mentioned, effective training of staff so that they can manage all customer’s needs is vital. It is also essential that there are effective control measures within your business to ensure that the ingredients and allergens listed for each menu item are accurate.

For instance, pre-cut chips often come coated in flour to prevent them from sticking together in the packet, and to ensure a crispy finish in the fryer – but flour contains gluten, which is one of the 14 named allergens, and as such it must be declared on your menu. Similarly, items you might not expect to contain allergens, do. For example, breadcrumbs can contain dairy and egg in the mix, and again, this must be declared on your menu. In addition to allergens being in the products themselves, you must also be aware of cross-contamination.

Preventing Cross-contamination

Cross-contamination can occur outside of your business, for example, a curry sauce you buy may be manufactured on the same line as a satay sauce – which contains peanuts. The manufacturer should inform you of the risk of peanut contamination from the satay sauce to the curry sauce and you must be aware of this so that you can reliably inform your customers.

Cross-contamination can also occur within your premises, through the way you prepare dishes, contamination of the prep area and staff error. Something simple such as deep-frying your gluten-free chips in the same oil as the breaded fish can lead to gluten contaminating the chips – and the menu item you thought was safe for those with gluten allergies no longer is.

Other steps that help avoid cross-contamination in the kitchen include making sure staff are washing their hands effectively, that they are wearing correct and clean garments when preparing allergy free food items and that they use the correct equipment – many businesses will use different colour-coded chopping boards and utensils to signify allergen free food prep areas. Similarly, food preparation areas must be thoroughly cleaned before and after preparing a meal that is allergy free and all staff should follow procedures to ensure safe food handling and avoid cross-contamination.

Following the tragic deaths of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, Owen Carey and Celia Marsh among many others, great steps have been taken in raising awareness and enforcing accountability in the food industry regarding the devastating impact that anaphylaxis caused by ingesting allergens can have on people’s lives. As a manager of a catering establishment, you have a duty to protect your customers and you must continually monitor your food safety procedures and take appropriate measures so that you can manage any potential allergenic risks in your business. To learn more about what Natasha’s Law means for your business, read our article.

Another way to manage the risks in your business is to make use of an allergen risk assessment. An allergen risk assessment is a way of determining the potential allergenic risks in your business. It can assess whether the controls you currently have in place are efficient. It also gives you the opportunity to identify any areas that need improving in order to keep your customers safe. You can read more about how to assess allergenic risks and make use of our free downloadable resources, in this link to our Food Allergen Risk Assessment.

We hope you have found this article informative and useful, and that you have a better understanding of what allergy free can mean to your customers. We hope also it has given you some food for thought and inspiration on what allergy free dishes you could offer in your restaurant. For any more information, feel free to get in touch. High Speed Training offers a wide variety of courses and resources that can help.

Further Resources:

• Food Allergen Awareness Training
• Food Allergy Awareness Quiz
• What Does Natasha’s Law Mean for My Business?
• Health and Safety in the Kitchen Quiz
• Recognising Oral Allergy Syndrome (Pollen Food Syndrome)
• Food Allergy Chart Template for Hospitality
• What are the Four Types of Food Contamination?
• Food Allergies: Myth Vs. Fact

The post What are ‘Allergy Free’ Foods? appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

The impact on the food industry was economically catastrophic for all involved – from consumers, supermarkets, food production companies and the meat industry, and had a massive impact on the UK economy. Companies were understandably keen to distance themselves from the huge blow Horsegate had on the whole food industry. This article will look at what we have learned, ten years on from the horsemeat scandal.

What was the Horsemeat Scandal?

To recap, the horsemeat scandal occurred when meat from horses erringly entered the supply chain as beef. Once it was in the supply chain, the horsemeat ended up in many different products sold in the UK. Initially identified in Ireland, the scandal stretched across Europe and beyond. The horsemeat scandal infiltrated numerous supply chains and led to millions of products being withdrawn across Europe, costing businesses millions of pounds. Additionally, there was a huge loss of consumer confidence in some of the biggest brands in the UK market.

Where did it start?

In December 2012, the Food Standards Agency Ireland (FSAI) tested a range of frozen foods. The tests showed unknown DNA present in the samples and so they were tested again for bovine (cow), porcine (pig) and equine (horse) DNA. The results came back with over a third of the products containing equine DNA, and 85% of the total products containing pig. The FSAI released their findings in January 2013, and the horsemeat scandal broke in the following weeks throughout the industry.

How did horsemeat end up in our food?

One of the issues the scandal highlighted was how vulnerable to food crime the supply chain is. Once the FSAI had reported their findings, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the UK and the European Commission encouraged the industry to test all of its beef products for horse meat. These tests revealed that the “beef” in frozen lasagne and spaghetti Bolognese, made by French manufacturer Comigel, was up to 100% horse. Comigel supplied products to Tesco, Aldi and Findus. The investigations into how horsemeat came to be in certain foods then unravelled across Europe.

What Was the Impact of Horsegate on Consumers?

At the time, Horsegate had many consequences, not least for the consumers who became unsuspecting victims. Consumers became economic victims of this food crime when they paid for beef and instead, unknowingly, received a cheaper alternative in horsemeat.

They were victimised further by the fact they had eaten horsemeat without knowing whether it had been contaminated with illegal pharmaceuticals, such as phenylbutazone (commonly known as Bute). Bute is a drug given to horses but banned from human consumption. Any horse that receives Bute treatment cannot enter the human food chain.

Lastly, consumers became victims from a psychological perspective as they unintentionally ate an animal that many people consider a pet. Some people may have experienced trauma resulting from the guilt and disgust of eating an animal that’s not usually seen as a food source.

How Did Consumers and Businesses Respond?

This sentiment of consumer victimisation had a major impact on consumer confidence in meat products. In the immediate aftermath of the horsemeat scandal, there was a drastic fall in consumer confidence in supermarket products. A Which? report from March 2013 found that 6 in 10 consumers had changed their shopping habits. 30% of consumers were buying less processed meat, and 24% were choosing vegetarian ready meals instead of meat ones. Consumer trust fell by a dramatic 24%.

Furthermore, the lack of trust in cheaper processed supermarket meals was linked to a rise in organic sales. The economic downturn from 2008 had previously put sales of organic food in a downward trend. However, the Soil Association reported that organic sales increased by 8.4% from January 2013 to February 2013, indicating that consumers were buying organic as a sign of integrity and quality.

Since then, the world has experienced many upheavals with Brexit, the COVID pandemic and inflationary pressures causing a cost of living crisis. However, it remains clear that consumers put their trust in brands that deliver what is important to them – sustainability, traceability and value for money. And still, the UK organic market continues to grow, reaching a record £3.05 billion share of the market in 2022. The data shows that during crises, shoppers chose organic for health, transparency, integrity and sustainability reasons.

Winning back trust that was damaged during the horsemeat scandal saw many supermarkets commit to buying more British meat. Tesco – whose own brand burgers were found to contain 29% horsemeat – promised to tighten up their supply chain, source British meat and be more transparent about the supply of their products. Using British meat and local suppliers where possible is part of the manifesto for many UK supermarkets. You can read more about the best of British food in our article here.

Indeed, in 2019, Lidl committed to spending £15 billion with British suppliers between 2020 and 2025. The discount store has recently increased this to £17 billion, expecting to spend £4 billion on British suppliers this year alone. Clearly, this demand for supporting local producers and gaining transparency and traceability of supply chains remains at the forefront of what consumers want.

Consumers continue to be encouraged to look for 100% British products and those with the Red Tractor logo as this shows the product is fully traceable, has been made to world-class standards and has been independently inspected.

Avoiding certain products by choosing traceable, organic or vegetarian meals instead of cheaper meat-based ready-meals shows consumers’ feelings toward food businesses. By communicating via their wallet and shopping patterns, consumers continue to send a clear message to the industry about what is important to them.

In a bid to restore consumer faith in the aftermath of the horsemeat scandal, the Government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) commissioned a report to establish how it happened and what steps should be taken to prevent it from happening again. The report, titled the Elliott Review, was published in 2013.

Image Credit

What Were the Recommendations from The Elliott Review?

Published in 2013, in the wake of the horsemeat scandal, the Elliott Review looked at the weakness of our food supply chain and suggested measures for improvement. Its purpose was in response to a growing concern about the system used to deter, identify and prosecute food crime. The review made recommendations designed to protect food businesses and help restore consumer confidence. According to the review, there are 8 pillars of food integrity and they must all be considered together. A summary of their main points is shown below.

A Decade On: What Did the Horsemeat Scandal Teach Us?

The horsemeat scandal no doubt taught us how susceptible to fraud and crime the food industry can be, and that, where there are weaknesses, there are people who will exploit them. Food supply chains are vital in ensuring food safety and traceability of products, meaning both manufacturers and consumers can easily trace food back to its origins. You can read more about the importance and management strategies of food supply chains in our article – Food Supply Chain: Importance & Management Strategies. The Elliott Review made it clear how the extent of food fraud and food crime had previously been unrecordable.

For instance, in attempts to quantify the level of food crime, the Elliott Review contacted the territorial police forces in England and Wales who mentioned the problems with obtaining this information. There was no central body in charge of these types of crimes and there was no central database to store records. This meant you could not search for crimes relating to food fraud or food crime. The call to industry to request evidence of food fraud also had limited results, either being insignificant concerns or already widely known problems.

This lack of accountability and centralisation did not help in the war against food fraud. Indeed, the loopholes and ‘under the radar’ approach that criminals have taken are the primary reason they have been able to get away with food crimes so successfully. The horsemeat scandal is an example of how criminals can infiltrate supply chains of legitimate businesses without their knowledge and cause a huge impact both across the industry and down to individual consumers.

Since the horsemeat scandal, the recommendations of the Elliott Review have been considered, and together with government and industry, have helped defend the nation from fraudsters and organised criminals.

How Have the Recommendations Been Implemented?

Ten years on from the Elliott Review, we may ask ourselves, are we any safer? What have the government and the food industry done to protect consumers? Are we more resilient to food fraud now than we once were? And what is the impact of Brexit, Covid and the higher cost of living crisis we find ourselves in now? All these economic threats provide opportunities for criminals to exploit weaknesses in our food supply chains. So, are we any safer?

There were three major recommendations made in the Elliott Review. Firstly, the formation of the Food Industry Intelligence Network (FIIN), a not-for-profit organisation to bring together a number of large food businesses to share intelligence on food authenticity testing. The organisation is still thriving with more than 50 member companies working together to protect each other and their customers from fraud.

Secondly, the most controversial of the recommendations was the formation of a National Food Crime Unit (NFCU), and the Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unit (SFCIU), under the FSA board. Since their inauguration, they have moved from solely gathering intelligence to investigating serious food fraud activities across the UK. This allows the FSA to work more effectively with industry and makes industry better at probing the details of their supply chains and sampling their ingredients and products.

In a recent report, the NFCU showed it registered 59 disruptions with the National Crime Agency in the first nine months of 2022 and secured the first conviction following a Unit-led investigation. However, there is more they could do, such as applying for search warrants, seizing evidence and interviewing suspects who are under arrest. The FSA has launched a consultation on this matter in 2022 and granting such powers will better allow organisations greater strength in tackling organised crime.

The third positive outcome of the report was the establishment of the Food Authenticity Network (FAN). This has provided a unique online platform for the sharing of huge amounts of information and training for those who test for and audit food authenticity. With a membership now in the thousands it has become a resource for many around the globe.

…But are we in a better position now than we were in 2013?

When we compare 2013 to 2023, we can see there have been strides made towards implementing the 8 pillars that Elliott recommended. The National Crime Unit (NCU) is an integral part of keeping our food safe. Ideally, as Elliott recommended, the NCU should have its own authority to make arrests and lead investigations, such as the Dutch unit do. However, they do work very closely with Europol and the Food Fraud Network, and continued involvement and cooperation of these bodies will help us combat food fraud.

Evidence of this is seen in the annual coordination of Interpol and Europol and their food fraud investigations under the operation title Opson. Every year Opson works with numerous countries and reports its findings on food fraud.

Opson comes from the Greek word meaning food. The Opson VI investigation saw the involvement of 61 countries.

Furthermore, in the wake of Horsegate, there has been a considerable increase in authenticity testing. Carried out as part of general industry audit work, it involves targeted and planned testing. In April 2014, a second round of coordinated pan-European testing for horse meat DNA in beef products was launched. This second round of testing showed only 0.61% of samples tested positive, a vast improvement.

Should We Still Be Worried?

There is no doubt that big steps have been taken to help make our food safer and less at risk of food fraud and food crime, but there is always more to be done with this ever-advancing crime. In recent years, we’ve seen new challenges to the safety of our food and an understandable emerging concern among consumers around labelling. Consumers should be able to trust that a product contains what it says it does – or doesn’t.

An example of the essential nature of correct labelling and passing information to consumers was highlighted in the inquest into the death of Celia Marsh, who died from anaphylactic shock to milk protein that was found in a ‘dairy-free’ super veg rainbow flatbread. The product was labelled as containing a “dairy-free coconut yoghurt alternative”, yet as was revealed in the inquest, the coconut yoghurt product had been contaminated. During the manufacturing process, an ingredient in the yoghurt called HG1 had become cross-contaminated with milk protein. The manufacturer of the dairy-free yoghurt had in its possession documents that flagged this risk but this risk was not passed on to its customers.

Looking to Learn More?

If you want to extend your knowledge of food allergens and labelling, why not take a look at our Food Allergen Awareness Training and Food Labelling Regulations Course.

Furthermore, as Professor Chris Elliott details in his ABC of issues – Austerity, Brexit and Complacency – all have a detrimental impact on those working to keep our food safe. The cost of living crisis makes bargain hunters of us all, leaving people vulnerable to fraud and exploitation. Brexit has had a disturbing impact on border control, leaving our borders weak and exposed. Whilst the complacency is evident in the government’s announcement that checks on food imported from the EU would not be subject to new controls until the end of 2023.

Case Study 1

Recent scientific work from the Quadram Institute in Norwich has established a test to differentiate between buffalo mozzarella and mozzarella made with cows’ milk. To test the usefulness of this work, they sampled mozzarella from supermarkets and restaurants.

Findings

Eight samples from the supermarkets had ingredient labels saying buffalo mozzarella and 100% were labelled correctly. Of the five samples from the supermarkets that were labelled as simply ‘mozzarella’, 100% were made with cows’ milk.

Of the products sold as ‘supermarket pizza carrying buffalo mozzarella’, ‘supermarket pizza carrying mozzarella’, ‘restaurant pizza bearing buffalo mozzarella’, and ‘restaurant other (salads and pastas) also bearing buffalo mozzarella’- two thirds of these had at least some cows’ milk in the cheese. In some cases, the buffalo mozzarella advertised was in fact 100% cows’ milk mozzarella.

Conclusion

Consumers are the obvious victims in these cases. As buffalo mozzarella is a premium product, they are paying more for a product they are not getting. However, consumers are likely not the only victims. The fact that some mozzarella was a blend of buffalo and cows’ milk indicates that the adulteration happened early in the supply chain. This means that restaurants and supermarkets are also victims, as too might be the cheese producers, if they are unwittingly supplied milk from undeclared sources.

Case Study 2

Since 2014, restaurants and takeaways have been required by law to tell customers if a dish contains any of the 14 allergens. There have been numerous cases recently where peanuts have entered dishes through spice mixes.

Due to a global shortage in 2014 after failed crops in Southeast Asia, prices of cumin increased. This meant mixes were being bulked up with cheaper alternatives to keep costs down. Sometimes this is done fraudulently and proprietors don’t know the product contains other ingredients. At other times, it is labelled correctly and it is the proprietor who fails to pass this information onto the customer. This was sadly the case for Paul Wilson who died from anaphylactic shock after eating a takeaway containing peanuts in 2014.

What’s Changed Since Horsegate?

Since Horsegate, retailers have taken enormous steps to improve their supply chains, and the big retailers have stringent testing processes in place. However, as Elliott warns, food chains are now so complicated that the finished product we buy from our suppliers, or as consumers from the supermarket shelves, could easily have untraceable and fraudulent content. The only way we would know this is if we put it under a microscope and tested the content of the product itself. As purchasers, this is not feasible, and so we rely on those who can to stamp down on food crime on our behalf.

Recent research by NFU highlighted that consumers trust takeaways the least in terms of serving fraudulent food, indicating they need to work harder to prove their integrity. The type of food consumers trusted least was processed foods and red meat. Horsegate has clearly had a lasting effect on the consumer psyche.

As a food retailer – whether it be a takeaway, restaurant, butcher’s shop, catering supplier or anything else – having traceable food, a short supply chain, and stocking British food items will all go a huge way to establishing yourself as a reputable establishment and in gaining customer support.

What Did We Learn?

The horsemeat scandal taught us a lot about our vulnerabilities when it comes to food fraud, not least the impact a high-profile case like that can have on the economy, and the wider food industry across continents. After such a scandal, people understandably felt uncertain about food and lost trust in food provenance.

Additionally, the results of Opson VI (March 2017) resulted in the seizure of fraudulent foods for an estimated sum of £205m. But food crime is already a billion-pound business and links to organised crime are well known. In Italy, it is dubbed ‘agromafia’. The food fraud business is estimated to be more lucrative than the small arms trade and drug smuggling combined.

The take-home message we should learn from the horsemeat scandal must be this: food crime is real, it happens globally, and it costs every single person dearly.

Should we still be worried? In short, yes.

Where there is potential for crime to exist, criminals will exploit and thrive in all the gaps they find. As food crime grows, so does the cleverness of the criminals and the ways in which they can infiltrate the industry.

What Can We Do?

Food fraud is a topic we all need to stay on top of. We all need to take responsibility for preventing food fraud and food crime where we can, both as workers within the industry and as consumers.

If you suspect something fraudulent happening within your business, supply chain or supermarket, you can check your company whistleblowing procedure, or report it confidentially through the FSA website, via email, or by calling the Food Crime Confidential line on 020 7276 8787.

There is no doubt food fraud costs businesses every day. As a business, implementing awareness and prevention programmes, training your staff and using suppliers with food defence strategies, will all help reduce this cost, and combat food crime. Showing your commitment to implementing prevention measures could give your business an edge and create strong ties with your customers.

Up Next: What is Food Fraud Costing Your Business?

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If you work in hospitality, it is essential that you understand how to run a restaurant successfully so that you can contribute to the overall success of the business. Whether you are a business owner or manager, an aspiring chef or part of the front-of-house team, we will show you methods to improve your work. This article will include what is involved in running a restaurant, why it is important to run a restaurant successfully and helpful tips for doing so.

What is Involved in Running a Restaurant?

Running a restaurant is a complex business operation and there are lots of aspects to consider when running a business like this. There are many positives to running a restaurant, cafe, takeaway or other food business, such as having the freedom to make your own decisions. This could include the creative freedom to decide the menu and the look and theme of the restaurant. Running a restaurant will also give you opportunities to learn how to be a good leader and build your skills and qualities.

What can be challenging, is that owners and managers often need to juggle multiple roles whilst coping with a lack of resources. You will need to have the right attitude, know how best to promote your restaurant, understand what your customers want, keep an eye on your competition and manage the daily operation of the restaurant.

It can be difficult to implement the actions you want to see as you find yourself accountable for finances, HR, customer service and other such roles that in most businesses would usually be a standalone department – all in addition to your primary job of general manager.

Running a restaurant successfully will help you manage all these demands. For example, if your staff are happy with their hours and pay, then fielding complaints, swapping shifts and adjusting payroll is something you won’t have to do. Therefore, working to meet your business aim of running a restaurant successfully will limit potential issues.

Running a restaurant involves the following key areas and it is important to consider where you can limit issues, for your business and your staff. Take the time to think about your business, and how you would want it to operate.

Choosing Suppliers

You will need suppliers for food and drink items and cleaning products, as well as IT consultancy companies for your POS system and more. Make sure you research your suppliers thoroughly and carry out your due diligence on their suitability.

Business Acumen
Having an understanding of numbers is important to keep track of your businesses success. Your financial plan will set out how much money the business needs to turn over in order to pay the bills, staff, and suppliers. Keeping an eye on the profit and loss reports, sales and expenditures will help you spot any areas for potential growth, as well as any areas that need careful management.

Team
Your restaurant is make-or-break on the team you employ. Look at how your team operate together. Do you have the best people working in the roles that suit them? Could you offer more responsibility to the staff that are keen to progress?

Working Hours
Look at how the rota is organised to ensure that you have staff when needed. Having more staff on during busy times will reduce employee stress but make sure there aren’t too many on during quieter times. Boredom can be stressful too, and expensive.

Holiday Requests
How do you accommodate holiday requests? Developing a policy here can help to avoid being short-staffed. Do you encourage staff to take their holidays? Being the boss who looks out for their wellbeing will foster loyalty and respect in the workplace which will help you in the long run.

Time Off
Good employees don’t like letting the team down but sometimes things come up that mean staff need time off at short notice. Forewarned is forearmed, so encourage your staff to talk to you about their lives; do they have a driving test, exams, or a special anniversary?

Sickness
We all get sick but when you work with food and the general public, fully recovering before returning to work is essential. Good hygiene is fundamental to staying healthy so do what you can to encourage a healthy workforce. Drill in the importance of hand hygiene for staff, especially when cold and flu season comes around. When staff are sick, encourage them to give as much notice as possible, and make sure they are well before they return to work – you don’t want staff passing on their germs to one another, and your customers.

Disciplinary Procedures

This is as essential as any other policy you implement. It is important your staff know and understand what constitutes a disciplinary procedure, what the process involves and what the consequences are. It will give you guidance should you have to deal with employee issues such as theft, assault or workplace bullying. Take the time to set out the disciplinary procedure now so that should you require it, you can call on it to protect yourself, your business and your staff.

Marketing Your Business

Social media is the most popular way to showcase your restaurant to connect with your many existing and future customers. You can use social accounts to run promotions and discounts. These are great ways to boost engagement. It is also a great way to launch new products, menu changes, and build customer relationships by responding to feedback. Read our article here to learn more about marketing your food business.

Once you are comfortable with what is involved in running a restaurant successfully, it is useful to look at why it is important you do so.

Why is it Important to Run a Restaurant Successfully?

As we’ve mentioned, success can look widely different to everyone, so think about what it means to you. Does success equal a good income, is it the chance to support and employ others, is it driving business growth and expansion, or is it the chance to follow your passion, enjoy work and talk with your happy customers every day? It might even be several of these. But whatever it means to you, there is no doubt that in the world of hospitality, happy customers and happy staff make the everyday running of a business much smoother.

Furthermore, happy and engaged staff will support the principles of your business, such as maintaining excellent food hygiene standards and being knowledgeable and careful with allergens. It will also limit your staff turnover, which can be a huge expense for a business. To learn more about the importance of retaining employees in hospitality, read our article here.

Looking to Learn More?

For more information on food hygiene and safety, take a look at our Food Hygiene Courses. We also offer courses such as Food Allergen Awareness Training and Mental Health & Wellbeing in Hospitality.

Tips on Running a Restaurant Successfully

The hospitality industry is an exciting place to work, it evolves and changes every day, and in order to be successful in your business you must stay on top of trends and consumer demands. However, when you look at successful restaurants you will see they all have key elements in common. It is these key elements that you can take and apply accordingly and they will underpin the success of your business too.

Key Elements of a Successful Restaurant

There are many elements to a business that can make the restaurant unique but ultimately success depends on whether your customers like what you’re offering, and whether they are willing to part with their money for it.

Some common key elements of a successful restaurant therefore include:

• Food – The most important aspect of a food business is of course the food! Your customers will return if they are happy to pay for what they receive. Not everything has to be fine dining and gourmet, but it does have to be consistently good, and customers now more than ever will search for value.
• Service – Alongside food, service is one of the most important elements of a successful restaurant. When a customer comes to your restaurant, your staff are who they see. A welcoming smile can make a diner’s experience. Furthermore, to have a relaxed and enjoyable experience, the customer needs to trust the business. This means that servers must be well-trained and knowledgeable in the service they are delivering. They must be able to confidently answer questions on the menu including allergen information, and be able to resolve issues promptly and effectively. Think about going the extra mile for guests too, you could offer a loyalty scheme or birthday freebies, all this will encourage customers to return to you. To learn more about how to train your staff, take a look at our Customer Service Training course.
• Location – Location is undoubtedly important, it is harder to run a successful business without access to customers, or if you have too-strong competition on your doorstep. However, the location must be right for your business too, for example, you might expect a fish restaurant to do well if situated near the coast. When deciding your location it is worth looking at the local demographic, business regulations, affordability and how accessible and approachable your space is for diners and suppliers.
• Strong restaurant identity – One of the most confusing things for diners is returning to a place and not getting the same experience. Having a strong restaurant identity helps keep your offering consistent and focused. A good place to start is in identifying your target customer. With them in mind, you can ensure your restaurant successfully meets their needs.
• A strong restaurant concept – Your unique selling point (USP), what makes your restaurant different? Be it a KittyCafe, vegan street food, or a pudding parlour, whatever it is you offer, embrace it across all aspects of your business and on your socials.
• Hiring – As a manager or business owner, you may be used to wearing many hats, but it is important to understand when it is best to hire others to help you get the most out of your business. Good staff will elevate the business, taking responsibility for shared success.
• Retaining staff – Not only is hiring the right people essential but keeping them is equally important. The act of searching for, hiring and training new workers is incredibly time-consuming and expensive. But the good news is that workers who feel valued and supported in their jobs, stay in their jobs.

• Supportive environment – As above, creating a supportive work environment can help staff feel happier in their jobs. Be the boss you wish you had. There are steps you can easily take to show your support and appreciation for your staff, from ensuring they take holiday time, supporting their mental wellbeing, providing training, and having open conversations about pay reviews.
• Hygiene and cleanliness – Customers notice things in a restaurant that you may yourself miss. It is essential that all areas of your business are clean at all times. Use cleaning checklists to ensure staff are doing their part and carry out regular spot checks on your menus, salt and pepper pots and decor. As well as clean, food preparation areas must be hygienic. It is also important that staff members, such as chefs, are in the correct uniform at all times. Your staff should be well trained on this as customers will not return to an establishment marred by unhygienic practices. See our personal hygiene tips for service staff here.
• Creating a profitable menu – Profit is of course key to running a successful restaurant. Some costs are fairly fixed, such as business rates and labour costs, but the menu offers an opportunity to change items for optimum pricing. Changing dishes for the season, or creating specials, can give a degree of flexibility by adding to gross profit or by recommending the upselling of side dishes. The same approach can be used on wet-led products too.
• Write a tasty-sounding menu – Research shows that menu descriptions sell food. Many people will choose items which demonstrate the cooking method used, such as ‘pan-seared’ or ‘slow-cooked’, simply because they sound like they taste delicious! Also, people like to know where the food comes from, is it an Aberdeen Angus Steak, or Cromer Crab caught fresh off the Norfolk coast? Be specific too, is your pasta dish served with linguini, or fettuccine? Details enhance the customer’s perception of the dish so highlight the selling points on your menu.
• Consider possible limitations – Alongside all the positive actions you can take in your business, it is important to know about any limitations you may face, what you can’t do is just as enlightening as what you can do. For example, do the rules of calorie labelling apply to you? Do you know how to properly label products adhering to allergy laws?

The hospitality industry is a resilient one, but it has also been going through some big changes in recent years. Modern values such as the rise in flexible working, an upcoming generation of workers and the desire for a better work-life balance are, rightly, disrupting the legacy of hospitality as a difficult work environment. There is a huge opportunity for businesses to be successful for their employees, in promoting staff wellbeing, and career progression and using policies to safeguard against future problems. 

We hope the information contained in this article, along with our tips, has helped you to identify what success is for you and highlighted the importance of food safety, customer satisfaction and supporting great staff – all of which will help create your restaurant identity and encourage the customer to return time and time again.

What to Read Next:

• Daily Opening and Closing Checklist for Restaurants
• Online Food Hygiene Training
• Food Allergy Chart Template
• Disabled Access Requirements for Restaurants
• Employee Turnover in Hospitality: Causes and Retention Strategies
• Restaurant Hospitality Quiz
• How to Foster Motivation in Your Restaurant Employees
• The Kitchen Hierarchy Explained: What is the Brigade de Cuisine?
• Customer Complaints in Hospitality – From Our Very Own Experts
• What is the Importance of Effective Communication in the Hospitality Industry?
• The Importance of Food Hygiene Training
• How to Set a Table: Basic, Casual and Formal Dining
• How to Improve Sustainability in Restaurants
• Online Allergen Awareness Training

The post How to Run a Restaurant Successfully appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

The topic of food safety culture has grown considerably over recent years, demonstrated by its continued inclusion in the latest release of the BRCGS standard (version 9). A mature food safety culture encourages employees to act and do the right thing when it comes to following food safety standards and procedures, even when they are not being observed. 

This article will discuss what food safety culture is and why it is important in your food business. We will explore ways to measure food safety culture, and provide guidance to help you assess your existing workplace food safety culture, and what an action plan should include. 

What is Food Safety Culture?

Food safety culture is a relatively new term in food safety. It is incredibly difficult to define and many organisations have proposed definitions to meet their respective requirements of food safety culture.

Dr Joanne Taylor developed the term food safety culture in the Food Safety Culture Excellence Model. Dr Taylor wrote that food safety culture is the “prevailing attitudes, values and practices related to food safety that are taught, directly and indirectly, to new employees”. 

Since then, the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and BRCGS have coined similar definitions. The GFSI defines food safety culture as “shared values, beliefs and norms that affect mindset and behaviour toward food safety in, across and throughout an organisation.” Whilst the BRCGS offers its’ definition as being: “The attitudes, values, and/or beliefs which are prevalent at the site, relating to the importance of product safety, and the confidence in the product safety systems, processes and procedures used by the site.” 

As you can see, there is much overlap between these definitions, but food safety culture is all of these things and more. It is composed of many specific aspects which are all equally important. Ultimately, food safety culture is exactly what you expect it to be – a culture of a business or workplace which emphasises all aspects of food safety and expects standards of safety to be of the highest level instinctively for all members of staff.

Why is a Food Safety Culture Important?

Anyone who works in a food-based business will know how important it is that all staff are properly trained in their role within the organisation. Whilst it is easy to display posters to remind staff to uphold best practice procedures, and it is a relatively simple task to monitor compliance in the form of due diligence checklists, one of the biggest hurdles that organisations face is getting their employees to always act correctly even when they are not being monitored. 

Furthermore, the BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 has expanded on food safety culture as a particular focus of attention. It is a requirement for senior management to demonstrate commitment and continual improvement to food safety culture within their organisation during an audit. The emphasis provides companies with the opportunity to have their food safety culture assessed, alongside their on-site food safety audit. To learn more about the BRCGS, take a look at our article Our Guide to Understanding BRCGS.

By promoting a food safety culture in their organisation, businesses can step up from providing training on food safety practices to staff, to seeing it in action from all employees at all times. This leads to benefits such as higher levels of compliance and high safety standards throughout the business, as well as having a more engaged workforce. 

What are the benefits of a positive food safety culture?

Having an excellent food safety culture can help your business. By establishing a culture of values, and correct attitudes, norms and priorities regarding food safety, you can help all staff understand their role and impact within the organisation. Understanding this will foster employee engagement and empower staff at all levels to naturally commit to maintaining the highest standards of food safety.

Furthermore, a well-established food safety culture within any organisation helps to establish long-standing relationships with suppliers, and customer bases. And it helps toward building a reputational brand. 

Whilst excellent scores and grades during an audit are desirable, during a crisis is where a positive food safety culture pays dividends. Any organisation that has an established food safety culture will have a strong and steady foundation on which to effectively manage any crisis with minimal disruption. Such a demonstration of competence instils confidence and gives reassurance to both customers and consumers alike. With the right food safety culture, companies can demonstrate their commitment to ethical practices.

What kind of characteristics does a well-developed food safety culture have?

An established food safety culture is also known as a mature, or well-developed food safety culture. A well-developed food safety culture is one that is working effectively, that is fundamental to daily working life for all employees in the organisation, and that seeks to continuously improve and operate sustainably. It will differ from business to business, and from site to site, but it should always be the ultimate aim.

To start with, a well-developed food safety culture must be promoted from the most senior levels of management to cascade effectively throughout the business. The management team must have a strong commitment to food safety and make it a priority, and senior staff members must demonstrate this through their everyday work. 

Procedures must be in place to allow staff at all levels to demonstrate their contribution to the culture. And in an ideal world, the cascading effect will feed into other employees’ responsibilities across all levels and departments of the business, until it emerges as a grassroots culture. Alongside this, strong discouragement of unethical and unacceptable behaviour should be highlighted. 

Why does a food safety culture matter to an organisation and its employees?

A mature food safety culture will help the organisation score highly and always be prepared for an unannounced audit. Emphasis on food safety will lead to fewer costly recalls and potentially brand-damaging food safety incidents. Essentially, unsafe behaviour is likely to result in unsafe food, and that can be an expensive outcome to manage – from product recalls, wastage, legal fees and damaged reputation. As such, this should be all the incentive an organisation needs to instil an excellent food safety culture.

Yet, in addition to these points, food safety culture also helps employees feel more engaged with their work. Knowing that they act in accordance with the organisation’s values and principles will align staff to be better workers and better ambassadors for the business. Food safety culture will therefore help improve staff engagement and retention. When a company has a mature food safety culture, it will inform everything about the business, from recruitment, GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) and employee performance, to overall business success. 

As outlined in the definitions above, culture is determined by the organisation’s values and the underlying norms and behaviours of existing employees. During the onboarding process with new employees, these values are communicated and passed along to new starters. It is therefore essential that new employees receive both excellent formal training on food safety practices, and that this training is supported by a culture of food safety among existing staff. 

However, food safety culture goes beyond the training given to employees. It’s one thing to have employees that know what to do regarding food safety, yet it’s another to be confident that those employees will naturally follow correct procedures at all times, even when unobserved. 

Developing a mature and well-established food safety culture encourages all within the business to hold food safety at the forefront, and to act at all times with its standard in mind. This will give you confidence that your business is operating in the best and safest way possible. Creating a mature and sustainable food safety culture is a difficult task to undertake, but it must be a priority for every business. Ultimately, food safety culture is born from an inherent sense of responsibility to provide safe food products to customers, consumers and communities worldwide. If you are responsible for food safety in your business, you may be interested in our other food safety management courses –  Internal Auditing and HACCP online training course.

How Do You Measure Food Safety Culture?

Food safety itself is easily measurable and you can see it reflected in all manner of things in a business. It is evident in:

• Conformance to the HACCP plan. 
• Compliance with food safety procedures.
• A good audit score.
• Reduced non-conformances during an audit.
• Conducting and evaluating root cause analysis. 

It can also be seen in increasing sales, brand loyalty, low staff turnover and high staff engagement. To some extent, these can be useful in identifying your food safety culture – any business that does not score well in these areas will be unlikely to have a good food safety culture in operation. The level of maturity of your food safety culture will depend on how well-established it is, and how committed the senior leadership is to understanding it and supporting its implementation within the organisation. 

However, there is not one single framework that a business should use to diagnose existing culture, measure it, and suggest ways to manage it. Most businesses will assess their individual needs and combine resources. For example, using the GFSI framework alongside other well-known standards, such as the BRCGS, and implementing their guidance to suit your own business. We will look at the GFSI framework in more detail later on in this article. 

Measuring the food safety culture of an organisation can be very difficult. As we’ve discussed, food safety culture is often unseen – it is the actions that happen when staff aren’t being monitored that build culture. It is choosing the right way, not the easy way when no one is looking. Below, we’ll look at some ways in which you can think about measuring your food safety culture. Use the links below to look at each in more detail.

The ABC Model

The Culture Excellence Model

The GFSI Framework

The ABC Model

The first step to measuring and internally auditing your food safety culture is identifying what you currently have. You need to take the time to diagnose the level of culture currently in existence as that will help guide you in areas to improve upon. One model that may help is the ABC model, incorporating the Antecedent (trigger), Behaviour and Consequence. 

This is a useful tool to strengthen a business’s food safety culture as it allows you to see and manage behaviours within the workplace. Managing behaviours will reinforce and ensure the safety of the food and ultimately help inform the workplace culture. 

An antecedent is something that comes before a behaviour and is required for an individual to understand what is expected and how to perform a behaviour. For example, policy, stated expectations, training, job aids, stimulus, circumstances and past experience are all antecedents. A consequence is something that follows the behaviour and is caused by the behaviour. 

For example – new policies and procedures are being communicated to all employees on the correct handwashing technique. The antecedent is the training that is given, the expected outcomes and the policy itself, the behaviour is anything an individual does which is observable thereafter, and the consequence is based on what the employee does. There is a feedback loop in the behaviour, as what happened last time you behaved in a particular way will affect how you will behave the next time. Depending on the consequence, you will either sustain or change your behaviour.

Diagnosing the behaviours that are currently in existence in your business provides a starting point on which to build. However, you cannot confidently say that good results in these areas are indicative of an excellent culture 100% of the time – you cannot assume that observable behaviour leads to the same thing happening every time and even when unobserved.

The Culture Excellence Model

When it comes to measuring your food safety culture, there are several methodologies that you can apply. One widely recognised model is the Culture Excellence Model which encompasses the Four Ps –  People, Purpose, Process and Proactivity. 

Recently, the Culture Excellence model was incorporated into the BRCGS as a voluntary module, offered alongside its BRC Food Safety Standard:

The GFSI Framework

Since the development of the Culture Excellence model, other organisations have been keen to contribute to the topic, not least the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) which made a major contribution to this issue when, in November 2017, it published Food Safety Culture – A position paper from the Global Food Safety Initiative. This publication addresses food safety culture and how to implement a positive mindset in the organisation through various strategies. It has since formed the basis of how to develop a good food safety culture for many businesses. 

The GFSI document identifies five organisational dimensions structured for Food Safety Culture, and we’ll take a look at these in detail below:

• Vision and mission.
• People. 
• Consistency. 
• Adaptability.
• Hazard and risk awareness.

When it comes to hazard and risk awareness in your food safety culture, employee engagement is a huge resource available to you. Do not underestimate it, but nurture its growth. Communicating food safety news from the CEO level demonstrates top-down engagement when matched with financial and people investment, which can be impactful to employees. Couple this with improving awareness and an understanding of issues across the industry for grassroots engagement, and you can inspire trust and belief from all employees in the food safety system. And we know that engaged employees will be more invested in contributing to, and supporting, the food safety culture. 

Free Food Safety Culture Assessment Guide

The UK has some of the most respected and comprehensive food safety laws in the world. This is down to the continued emphasis on food safety and HACCP for everyone who is involved in the supply of food to consumers, and the adoption of additional global industry standards. Yet, to continue to be world leaders, we must pay attention to the food safety cultures within our businesses. 

The cultural standards within a business ensure everyday food safety protocols are upheld. They emerge through shared experiences and conversation, and they become intrinsic within the business through reinforced values, beliefs and actions. 

Below, we have devised a list of questions for you to use in your business to help you assess your food safety culture. Once you have evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of each site and department in the business, you should have a better understanding of the level of the existing food safety culture.

Once you have assessed the food safety culture in your workplace, you need to implement an action plan for the development and continuous improvement of your food safety culture. This plan should be specific to your organisation, include activities for all employees in areas of the business, and effectively address the areas for improvement. 

Action Plan 

Your action plan may encompass different activities based on your assessment of your existing food safety culture, but, as a minimum, you should look to improve upon the following areas:

• Clear and open communication on product safety.
• Training.
• Feedback from employees.
• Behaviour changes required to improve product safety processes.
• Performance measurement on product safety, authenticity, legality and quality-related activities.

Your action plan should include how the activities will be carried out and measured. They should have a timescale, and a review of effectiveness after completion and the plan should be reviewed and updated at least once a year. 

Employees need to actively and independently choose to do the right thing, regardless of observation. Still, even well-intentioned employees can struggle if they cannot access the proper tools, or the facility’s design and equipment make doing the right thing extremely difficult or time-consuming. Creating a mature culture is about expressing, nurturing and ultimately demonstrating desired attitudes and behaviours. Therefore, it makes training, communication, motivation and empowerment critical to the success of your business.

We hope this article has been informative and gives you key takeaways for your workplace so that you can develop your food safety culture. For more information on our training, please get in touch with our sales team – email – phone – who will be happy to discuss your training needs. 

• Introduction to Internal Auditing and Management Training
• Cyber Security in Food & Drink Manufacturing: BRCGS Standards
• Preventative Maintenance in the Food Industry
• Food Product Recall Procedure Template – Free Download
• What Does the BRCGS Grading System Mean?
• Whistleblowing on Food Crime – Do You Know Your Rights?
• Is There a Difference Between Food Hygiene and Food Safety?
• Good Manufacturing Practice Quiz
• The Importance of Food Hygiene Training

The post Promoting a Food Safety Culture: Free Assessment Guide appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

The best cheese is much like a fine wine – an art form based on precise science. It is formed by carefully controlling the milk produced, the process of making the cheese and the storage methods applied to age it well. Artisan – or farmhouse – cheeses are made in ‘wheels’, which are then stored to mature. Once these wheels are cut open, the cheese is no longer able to mature in the same way, and correct storage is then essential so that we can appreciate the cheese in all its intended glory. Below, we’ll share our top tips on how to store cheese to ensure the best quality and encourage longevity.

What are the Best Cheese Storage Containers?

It’s important to note that there are a number of ways you can store your cheese, and this will be dependent on the type of cheese you have, for example, hard cheese or soft cheese. Some cheeses will be best kept in specific containers, whereas others will do just fine wrapped in cheese paper or clingfilm. 

Bacteria require food and moisture to survive, and cheese with a lower moisture content tends to keep longer. Hard cheeses, such as parmesan, have a low moisture content, and because of this, hard cheeses are better wrapped in clingfilm rather than in waxed cheese paper (or baking parchment). This is because the paper will allow the air to pass through, and the cheese will dry out. 

Soft cheeses have a higher moisture content and need to be able to breathe. Don’t wrap your soft cheeses in clingfilm as they won’t be able to breathe and they will ‘sweat’. If soft cheeses are prevented from breathing, they can build up ammonia gases which can taint the flavour and ruin your carefully selected purchase. Soft cheeses are therefore best wrapped in waxed cheese paper, baking parchment, or reusable waxed cloth, and then put in a plastic container. If you have a particularly tricky cheese, add a piece of dampened kitchen towel to the container and this will help regulate the atmosphere and the humidity inside the container. Keeping cheese in an airtight container will also help prevent the smell from escaping.

All cheese requires cool air and particular levels of humidity to stay at its best. In days of old, cheeses were often kept in stone barns that were usually dark, damp and provided a naturally cool environment. You can buy products that are specifically designed to replicate this type of environment, such as the cheese grotto. The modern take on the cheese grotto protects cheese and stores it at 75% humidity. These can be kept on the counter or in a fridge. 

When storing your cheeses, it is important you follow the manufacturers’ guidelines and consume them before their use-by date. For most of us who don’t have access to special cheese stores, we tend to keep cheese in the fridge.

How to Store Cheese in the Fridge

Storing cheese in the fridge has the benefit of being able to hold it at a regular, cold temperature. This will limit the growth of bacteria and help your cheese stay fresh for longer. As we learned earlier, different types of cheese have different requirements when it comes to storage. 

You’ll notice that many soft cheeses that are bought in supermarkets come in tubs with foil seals (e.g. Philadelphia and equivalents), or wrapped up in portions in liquid (e.g. mozzarella and feta), and even wrapped up waxed paper and placed in wooden collars (e.g. camemberts ready for the oven). These materials have been carefully selected to allow the cheese to be kept in the safest way for each of their own requirements. Wooden collars work really well in allowing cheese such as Tunworth to breathe, whilst inhibiting the growth of bacteria.

Once your cheese is wrapped up in the most appropriate way, you’ll need to think about where to put it in your fridge. We know that cheese benefits from consistency, and for that reason, you should keep it at the back of the fridge where the temperature and humidity are the most regulated. Try to avoid keeping cheese in the fridge door, as the constant opening and closing subjects it to hugely varying temperatures. 

Want to Learn More?

Take a look at our extensive range of Food Hygiene and Safety Courses. Find everything from Level 2 Food Hygiene and Safety for Catering to Nutrition and Healthy Eating.

How to Store Cheese in the Freezer

Occasionally, you may need to store cheese in the freezer. This can be a great way to reduce waste and prolong the life of your cheese. Freezing cheese is safe to do and will extend its shelf life, but the process of freezing cheese will affect the texture and the flavour of the product. 

Cheeses that have a high moisture content, for example, soft cheeses like brie and camembert, risk forming ice crystals when frozen, and the low temperatures can also suck the moisture out of them, causing them to dry out and become hard and unpalatable. It is not recommended that you freeze any cheese you want to enjoy eating on a cheeseboard. 

However, freezing a block of cheddar that you intend to grate and use as an ingredient in your cauliflower cheese recipe is fine. If you do decide to freeze cheese, wrap it in waxed cheese paper or baking parchment and place it in an airtight container before popping it in the freezer and use it within 6 months. 

Top Tip

When freezing food items, it’s a good idea to take stock of your freezer and check that it hasn’t become too iced up. This restricts the airflow and hinders the freezing process. Check out our article on how to safely defrost your freezer, if you feel now is the time to give your freezer some TLC.

Can You Eat Cheese That Has Mould On It?

Mould inside certain cheeses, such as stilton, is intentional. Blue and white vein mould is introduced into cheese in order to develop the flavour, and forms along the cracks and air pockets within the cheese. The blue (and white) moulds are different strains of the penicillin genus. 

The Penicillium roqueforti strain has been specifically chosen for cheese because it adds flavour and it is what gives blue cheese its distinct look and flavour. Whereas Penicillium camemberti is used for surface-ripened cheeses, such as brie and camembert, which form the white furry outer edge. These penicillin moulds are completely harmless to eat because they do not produce the same mycotoxins that can be produced on other foods. 

However, for some cheeses, mould is not a positive flavour-maker and, like any other food, it could make you feel unwell. Although you may follow the correct storage techniques, as outlined above, cheese will not last indefinitely, and you may see the formation of undesired mould.

Cheese which has a high moisture content, such as soft cheese, has a higher risk of going mouldy quicker, due to it providing a happy environment for bacteria to thrive. Bacteria need food and moisture to survive; whilst most bacteria are harmless or essential to our healthy digestive systems, some can be unpleasant. 

You must try to control the risk of unwanted bacterial growth by limiting the flow of oxygen to the cheese, and by temperature regulation. Mould-ripened cheese can be susceptible to the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, which causes an illness called listeriosis. This illness is especially dangerous to pregnant women. This is also where, especially in businesses and food-based settings, food hygiene training protocols need to be followed to reduce the risk of food poisoning.

We hope you have enjoyed this article and have learnt how to keep your cheese at its best for longer. If you have any further questions or wish to find out more information on the topics covered in this article, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at High Speed Training!

Further Resources: 

• Online Food Hygiene Training
• Safe Temperatures for Food Storage: A Free Guide to Cooling and Chilling Times
• Do You Know Which Fridge Shelves You Should Store Your Food On?
• Food Safety Myths and Facts
• Answering Your FAQs About Egg Safety
• Understanding Factors Affecting the Shelf Life of Food Products

The post How to Store Cheese appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

Many businesses will prioritise the bottom line, and understandably, obtaining a good price is important, but maintaining a good relationship with your supplier can be cost effective too. So how then do you ensure that the business supplying you is paying the same level of care and diligence to their goods, their role in the supply chain, and in their relationship with you, as you are?

There are many key factors that you need to consider when choosing the right supplier, such as how to guarantee the quality, safety and value of the food, as well as understanding what processes they have in place for if things go wrong. This article will include what a reputable food supplier is and how to find one. We will also discuss what factors to consider when choosing your suppliers, give an overview of the supplier selection process, and explain how you can establish a good relationship with your chosen reputable food supplier.

What is a Reputable Supplier?

A reputable supplier is a business that supplies you with ingredients (raw or processed), finished products, goods or services. Within the food supply chain, a reputable food supplier is one who adheres to high levels of food hygiene and safety standards at all times, whilst continually improving their processes and sharing information with you, the purchaser. 

Most people in the food and drink industry will have come across the term ‘reputable supplier’ when setting up their food safety management system. Part of your due diligence for a food safety management system requires that you have carried out documented checks on your suppliers to ensure that the food you obtain is safe to use in your business. Doing your due diligence and having a good relationship with your suppliers is essential for the transfer of information that is necessary to keep your product, your customers, and your business, safe. 

The task of deciding upon a supplier usually comes from the person responsible for sourcing the required product. This can be the business owner or manager, the purchasing or procurement departments, the chef, or anyone else who can recommend a good supplier! The key to making a good decision is to do your research thoroughly.

How to Find a Good Supplier

Finding a good supplier can be a difficult task, but chances are you already know of some, or you know someone who can give you some recommendations. If you are completely new to this, don’t be afraid to call up potential suppliers and explain what you’re looking for. Some other good places to seek advice are:

• Networking events – these are a great place to meet potential suppliers. Many industry bodies, and even your local council, will organise events throughout the year where you can attend and make good connections. 
• Specific industry experts – there are many consultancy businesses that specialise in particular products and markets and their knowledge could be invaluable to your business.

Any business that is involved in the supply of food should be committed to food safety, and that includes assessing the threats and vulnerabilities in the whole supply chain. As such, when looking to discover if the supplier you have in mind is reputable, a good place to start is with some basic research. A reputable supplier should have a history of supplying acceptable products, and value-added service. Your research can help you assess this – consider asking how long have they been in business, what certification have they gained, what customer reviews and partnerships do they have, are they financially stable, and what are their past audit results? 

A reputable supplier will meet industry standards and regulatory requirements, and should supply this information upon request. You should also look for a company mission statement, which should be on their website, and check to see if the business demonstrates a commitment to food safety.

Choosing the right supplier for your business is crucial when it comes to satisfying your customers and consistently providing them with the best products and services. Once you have completed your initial research, you need to drill down deeper into the company. We will look at what further factors to consider in the next section of the article.

What Factors Should be Considered When Choosing Suppliers?

It is important to use reputable suppliers that you can trust to handle and supply food safely. This means trusting them to provide products that match standards, with accurate labelling and traceable documentation, that have been handled safely throughout the supply chain, that are of an acceptable quality and price, and that arrive on time and at the agreed price. A reputable supplier will also have a robust procedure in place in the event of a product recall or withdrawal, and be consistently horizon scanning and working on adapting to any upcoming issues. All of this information should be shared with you. As you can see, there is quite a lot of work that goes into sourcing a reputable supplier!

There’s no doubt that the selection process can be time-consuming, so it can help to familiarise yourself with the qualities of a reputable supplier, as well as the key factors you should be looking to consider. To help you establish a good relationship with your supplier, be sure to ask them the following key questions:

• Are they registered with the local authority?
  In the UK, a reputable supplier will be registered with their local authority.
• Do they demonstrate regulatory compliance? 
  Everyone involved in a food supply chain must provide a complete picture of a product’s history that’s consistent and comprehensive. Traceability also works as a risk management tool that food businesses should use to react to a food safety issue. Ensuring that you can trace products back to the source is essential for the efficient and accurate recall and withdrawal of any unsafe foods.
• Do they have any certification or quality assurance? 
  Evidence of external certification, auditing to external standards, or of quality assurance, is a good indication of a reputable supplier. Remember you can cross reference their claims with the certification provider to be doubly sure. 
• Are they financially stable? 
  A supplier that goes out of business at short notice can leave you really stuck, or scurrying around to source product from elsewhere, often at inflated prices. 
• Do they provide fully referenced invoices or receipts? 
  A business which is transparent with invoices and receipts is another good sign of a reputable supplier as they can be traced through the banking system, making it easier for you to keep track of your own accounts. 
• What is their customer service like? 
  This will be important to you when dealing with the supplier in future. Make sure their customer service works to your needs, for example if you run a 24-hour manufacturing line that could require a call to the supplier at any time of day or night, work this into your research. A deeper understanding of the contract language about their return policy should be uncovered as well. 
• How does the supplier store, transport and/or pack their goods? 
  You can ask for evidence of safe and hygienic operations. They should follow a one step forwards and one step backwards approach, which you can learn more about in our article series on food fraud. 
• Does the supplier provide accurate allergen information?
  Accurate allergen information is essential in keeping your customers safe, and any reputable supplier will understand this and should be able to provide allergen information for every product they sell. A supplier that has taken the time to provide easily accessible product specifications demonstrates a willingness to be as helpful as possible to win and maintain your business.

You can also ask your other trusted suppliers for their recommendations, and look to see which trusted businesses have partnered with your potential supplier. A declaration of trust from a well known business is an excellent green flag that your supplier is meeting rigorous standards. 

Remember, you are required by law to take reasonable precautions and do all that is needed to protect your customers, and therefore you must choose your suppliers carefully. Alongside considering logistics and that goods are handled safely, you should also think about the supplier’s equipment and packaging, and what steps are in place to mitigate the risk of unsafe foods being delivered to your business. When performing checks on your supplier, considering their equipment is equally important in the process.

Any suppliers of cold food items must legally transport the goods under refrigeration to maintain the ‘cold chain’. As such, any delivery truck storage areas should operate below 8 °C – though it is best practice to store chilled foods below 5 °C. You can ask to see documentation that their cold store delivery trucks are regularly checked and operate at the correct temperature to ensure they are maintaining the cold chain. 

What should I document for due diligence?

As you are assessing your suppliers’ reputability, you will naturally compile ‘evidence’ of each suppliers’ procedures. Each of the factors and key questions mentioned above will give you valuable insight as to whether the supplier is someone you want to work with or not. It is recommended that you keep this information on file for each supplier you assess, along with notes of your thoughts of their suitability to your business. This will demonstrate evidence of your due diligence, should you ever need to provide it. 

As part of your food safety management system, you should also have a record of all the suppliers you use, their contact details, and the terms of your agreement. Additionally, it is good practice to regularly run an audit on your suppliers and your arrangement with them to ensure that it remains fit for purpose. You should regularly check that they are upholding standards, and that new procedures are documented and effective. Any information discovered through horizon scanning should also be shared as well as new processes, such as increased cyber security protocols.  

What is the Supplier Selection Process?

Now that you have a better understanding of what factors to consider when looking for a reputable supplier, that will help to get the ball rolling on your journey to finding the right reputable supplier for you and your business. Once you have identified your reputable supplier and carried out your checks, the next step is beginning the supplier selection process. 

The supplier selection process is the procedure that companies go through to identify, evaluate, and form contracts with suppliers. It can be quite time consuming, and take up a large amount of resources – both financial and time. Taking precautions here can help you not fall victim to food fraud. Yet once you have done the leg work and have a contract in place that all parties are happy with, the working relationship can flourish and the long term benefits will play a crucial role for the success of any organisation.

Key criteria to first consider in your selection process includes understanding supplier characteristics. What are the important strategic alignment factors that you value? Outlining your values at the start of the process will help you get on the same page and identify any potential issues. Consider also if there are any constraints to the process – such as management directives, government regulations, contracts already in place and other commitments. Think about where the supplier is based as that may have an impact on your arrangement. 

Once you are happy your reputable supplier is a good fit for your company, and vice versa, it is down to negotiating your terms and creating a contract that you are both happy with. It is important to get this stage right so that when you start working together you can focus on the future and on progressing and maintaining a good relationship.

We hope you have found this article useful and have a better understanding of what a reputable supplier is and how to find one. Choosing the right supplier for your business is crucial when it comes to producing a safe product and mitigating risk in your business. A supplier relationship should be nurtured so that you can both share information that will be valuable to your businesses.

Further Resources:

• Food Hygiene Training
• Level 2 TACCP Training
• Food Supply Chain: Importance & Management Strategies
• Starting a Food Business From Home
• Who is Responsible for the Traceability of Food?

The post How to Choose a Reputable Food Supplier appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

What is Natasha’s Law?

In July 2016, 15-year-old Natasha ate a Pret a Manger artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette bought at Heathrow Airport. Unknown to her, sesame seeds had been baked into the bread. Due to her sesame allergy, Natasha sadly died of anaphylaxis after collapsing onboard a flight shortly afterwards.

This tragedy may have been avoided if clear legislation was already in place, ensuring all food sold to the public is labelled with every ingredient. Instead, Natasha was ‘reassured’ by the lack of any allergen information on the product when she chose it.

Under the previous Food Regulations, you didn’t have to individually label freshly made, pre-packaged food. This meant Pret a Manger didn’t have to list all ingredients on their food product labels. Instead, they had signs near displays prompting consumers to raise any allergen queries with staff. However, this changes with the introduction of Natasha’s Law.

From October 2021, food pre-packed for direct sale (PPDS) must list all ingredients on food labels of individual products. Natasha’s Law applies to all businesses in the UK. For more information on what are Prepacked for Direct Sale (PPDS) foods, take a look at our article here.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove announced the law in a move to protect England’s 2 million food allergy sufferers; Natasha’s Law will give consumers greater transparency about what they are eating. This is something that will benefit everyone, and, most importantly, help to prevent potentially life-threatening allergic reactions.

What Does Natasha’s Law Require of Food Businesses from October 2021?

Natasha’s Law applies in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is always strongly recommended that you are transparent about all ingredients and allergens that you are putting into your products. If you rely on verbal information, there is always the possibility of this being incorrect or of customers not asking and assuming the food is safe. Having all ingredients clearly listed is just one way that we can provide more reassurance to those with allergies and food hypersensitivity.

Cafés & Delis

From October 2021, you are legally required to label ingredients on pre-packed food made on-site. Typically, this applies to cafés and delis, where food is produced at the same premises and usually on the same day. Example products include ready-made salads or sandwiches that are then packaged up and put out for direct sale to the consumer. Previously, cafés and delis tended to display signs prompting customers to ask a member of staff about allergens. However, if you give wrong information, this could cause a customer to experience a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction.

Under Natasha’s Law, you must list all the ingredients on individual packaging of products that are considered pre-packed for direct sale (PPDS). Products made at a customer’s request do not need to carry an allergen label, but this information must be available to customers if they ask for it. If you sell PPDS food, then you must ensure that you have implemented the new regulations.

Restaurants

Restaurants will not be affected by Natasha’s Law and the changes it will bring to the listing of ingredients. However, you must make allergen information available, whether that be via the menu or verbally if the customer asks. This is not without risks, as the recent tragedy of Owen Carey demonstrates.

Before ordering, Owen informed staff at the burger chain Byron about his dairy allergy. Despite this, he was reassured that the grilled chicken he consumed was free from the allergen. However, it emerged that the chicken had in fact been marinated in buttermilk. There had been no mention of any marinade or allergenic ingredient on the menu or by staff. As a result, Owen unfortunately died following a severe anaphylactic reaction. Since the avoidable incident, his family have been campaigning for ‘Owen’s Law’.

Similar to Natasha’s Law, they want legislation to be put in place that ensures restaurants label allergens better. The FSA (Food Standards Agency) agreed at their board meeting on 13th December 2023 that written allergen information should be compulsory in food businesses like coffee shops and restaurants. This is an important step in allergen awareness and board members will now write to the Government calling for change, backing the Owen’s Law argument.

While Natasha’s Law may not specifically affect your business, it’s in your best interests to take allergens into consideration. With a clear industry wide crack down on reporting of allergens, being ahead of your competitors will put you at an advantage. Consumers are more likely to trust businesses that pay attention to allergens. By providing clear allergen information for every dish, this prevents the customer having to ask a server about each one.

Additionally, knowing about Natasha’s Law and implementing controls around allergens will help your food hygiene rating. EHO’s will work with you and offer advice on how to improve in your business, whereas if you choose not to implement labelling legislation and don’t take allergens seriously, this will harm your rating.

The pizza chain Franco Manca is a leading example of how to make allergens clear and readily available for customers. Their allergen menu clearly indicates what allergens are in each dish with a picture icon. This feature is available on their online menu too, helping consumers to feel reassured in advance. By providing this, Franco Manca helps their customers to make an informed choice, and removes the need for them to enquire.

Takeaways

Takeaways come under the same category as restaurants, as they sell ‘non-prepacked (loose) foods’. This means you can give allergen information either in writing or verbally. Likewise, takeaways will not be affected by Natasha’s Law. However, unlike restaurants, takeaway meals are considered to be ‘distance selling’. This means that allergen information must be available to the customer both at the point of purchase and at point of delivery. This information must be in a written document that is kept at the takeaway premises, as well as available in written form for the consumer if they request it. To make your takeaway business stand out from your competitors, you could clearly list the allergens in each dish on your menu or have a separate menu doing so. For further reading on Allergen Regulations for Takeaways and Distance Sellers, take a look at our article.

Caterers

For caterers, Natasha’s Law will impact if the business produces single items in packaging that are ready for presentation to the consumer before it is ordered or selected. It does not include food packaged in larger quantities (such as platters of sandwiches covered in clingfilm). For event caterers this may mean changes to labelling for prepacked foods such as sandwiches, salads and other products.

As always, food provided by a caterer should adhere to food law and be safe to consume. Therefore, caterers supplying food to an event should provide allergen information to enable consumers to make safe and informed food choices.

It is worth noting that if a consumer were to take food away with them in a ‘doggy bag’ this would not need a label on the principle that the food had already been ordered. Allergen information must be available to consumers prior to ordering, and this can be provided verbally.

Kitchens

No matter what type of food business you operate in, in all kitchen environments, all staff should take care in the preparation of food to ensure there is no cross contamination. For products which carry a label, this is especially important to ensure labelled products don’t mislead the customer by containing an ingredient or allergen that is not listed.

Staff should all have an awareness of allergens and there should be a kitchen culture of checking for allergens in the products they use. Often, ingredients can run out, or be substituted by suppliers. In instances where alternative ingredients are used, kitchen staff should check the new constitution of the product, and all labels should be thoroughly checked and updated as required. All staff members should be informed of the changes and also customers should be informed where appropriate.

How Can I Meet the Requirements for Natasha’s Law?

Natasha’s Law came into force in October 2021 and the two-year transition period should have given you plenty of time to arrange how you are going to label all PPDS products with a full ingredients list. If you run a small deli or café you may feel you lack the staff, time or technology to make the changes. To make things simpler, we recommend the following ways of preparing:

Ensure your staff have up to date allergen awareness training and understand the importance of taking allergens seriously.

Need a Course?

Our Food Allergen Awareness Training will teach you how to comply with the UK’s allergen laws, so you understand which foods commonly cause allergic reactions, how these should be labelled on food products under the Food Information for Consumers (FIC) Regulation, and how to ensure customers are provided with accurate information about the food they are purchasing.

The consequences of mislabelling food can be as severe as death by anaphylaxis, as was the case for Natasha. Staff must understand why having an awareness of allergens is necessary and what they must do to keep consumers safe. This includes knowing where to find the correct, up-to-date ingredients list of products and to share this information with customers when requested.

Have a system in place for quickly responding to ingredient changes.

As soon as a recipe changes, so too do your ingredients, and you need to alter the labelling process to match this. For example, if a soup recipe changes to contain celery, you need to update the ingredients label as soon as the product goes on sale. You should also make it clear that the recipe has changed, such as in writing on the product label. Some customers may have previously checked that celery wasn’t an ingredient and bought the soup, so may not check the ingredients again.

Keep your staff informed.

If you change the ingredients in a product, you must inform staff of this as soon as it happens. This updated information should be stored somewhere that all colleagues have easy access to. If a customer then has a query, they can easily refer to the product information.

Investigate what technology would be suitable for your business.

This is dependent on the size of your business and whether you can access certain technology. One way to prevent mistakes is to link your label printer to an online database of what ingredients every product contains. Then, if an allergen is introduced to a product, you can easily input this data and be reassured that your labels are correct.

You also need to consider what conditions your labels may go through, for example will they be on products that are frozen, or heated? Will the ink rub off if the label is handled? Freezing may affect the adhesive properties of the label and heat may destroy the visibility of the information on the label.

Clearly signpost allergen information.

Although you will have to include a list of all ingredients on products, this shouldn’t mean you take down allergen signs. Customers are likely to still have allergen or ingredient queries, and showing you are clued up and willing to discuss them can be incredibly reassuring.

Additional FAQs on Natasha’s Law

We’ve put together some further questions and answers you may have regarding Natasha’s Law and your business.

Through Natasha’s Law, you will be providing clear ingredient and allergen information which shows you are committed to making the experience of eating out as reassuring as possible. By establishing your business as one that understands the risks allergens pose, consumers will trust you and, as a result, your company is bound to flourish.

What to Read Next:

• What is Cross-Contact?
• Food Allergies: Myth Vs. Fact
• Food Allergen Awareness Training
• Clean Label Packaging & Food Trends
• Food Allergy Chart Template for Hospitality
• Food Allergen Risk Assessment & Checklist: Free Templates
• How to Create an Ingredients List
• Food Allergen Labels: Free Download & Advice
• Food Labelling Regulations Training

The post What Does Natasha’s Law Mean for My Business? appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

If you work or volunteer in a food bank, or perhaps you are thinking of setting up your own initiative to help those in need, there are food safety considerations you must bear in mind. If you are involved with an organisation that handles food, it is essential that you understand how to ensure good food safety practices. In this article we will outline the food bank rules and regulations to be aware of, including paying specific attention to food allergy information, so that you can help make food banks safe for all.

Why is Food Safety Important for Food Banks?

Anyone can use a food bank. Usually, a person will swap a food voucher for their household, and most food banks will provide three days worth of food at one time. They take care to ensure each food package is nutritionally balanced, offer a solid support network, and provide a place to get friendly advice.

Food banks can be a lifeline to people in need, who struggle for a variety of reasons. Some people who go to food banks for help and support are classed as vulnerable, or live with vulnerable people. It is therefore essential that food banks continue to be a place of safety, and that extends to all they offer, including the food they provide. 

Any food supplied by a food bank must be safe to eat. Legally, as it states in the Food Safety Act 1990, all types of food businesses must ensure:

• They do not include anything in food, remove anything from food or treat food in any way which means it would be damaging to the health of people eating it; 
• The food you serve or sell is of the nature, substance or quality which consumers would expect; 
• The food is labelled, advertised and presented in a way that is not false or misleading. 

Looking to Learn More?

Our range of Food Hygiene Training provides you with the appropriate level of food hygiene knowledge to work safely in an environment where food is handled or sold to the public. Find everything from Level 2 Food Hygiene and Safety for Catering to Food Allergen Awareness Training.

If you work or volunteer in a food bank, or in any organisation that provides food to those in your community, you must take all aspects of food safety extremely seriously. Food that is provided for community groups must comply with food law and be safe to eat.

If you prepare or distribute food within your community, it is your duty to ensure that those receiving food parcels are aware of what is in the parcel, and how to store and consume it safely. You also need to make sure that any food containing allergens are labelled clearly. Furthermore, it is important that those who handle food do not pose a risk of contaminating food or passing on illness to the recipients.

What Should Food Banks Consider Regarding Food Safety Regulations?

Food banks should consider all aspects of food hygiene and safety and ensure they adhere to rules and regulations at all times.The main areas of food hygiene and safety to consider are avoiding cross-contamination, food allergies, food storage conditions and temperatures, following food dates closely and using food safe packaging appropriately. We will take a look at these in more detail below. 

Cross-Contamination

Avoiding cross-contamination of food is a key aim for any food handler. Whether you are volunteering at a food bank, working in a kitchen, or even preparing food at home. Avoiding cross-contamination is one of the cornerstones of good food hygiene.

Food handlers have a legal responsibility to ensure that the food they prepare is free from contaminants and safe for the consumer – this includes food provided by food banks. There are four main types of contamination – chemical, microbial, physical, and allergenic – and you should take care to avoid all of these. You may find our article on What are the Four Types of Food Contamination? useful for learning more about this topic.

You can avoid cross-contamination by ensuring food items are packaged securely, with no way of pests accessing the food. You should also make sure food is stored correctly to avoid microbial contamination. When preparing food parcels be careful to avoid contamination of raw and ready to eat products – always keep these separate. If you are involved in cooking food for distribution, you should have thorough knowledge of food safety in kitchens and may find our Level 2 Food Safety & Hygiene online course useful.

Food Allergies

Controlling the risks posed by allergens is a legal requirement under food safety and labelling laws. Natasha’s Law is to come into force in October 2021. This requires any food that is pre-packed directly for sale and made on the premises has a label with a full list of ingredients, including any allergens in the food. For food banks receiving prepackaged items, having food products labelled in such a way should enable better communication of ingredients and allergens with those receiving the food. 

Another way of controlling the risk of allergenic contamination in a food bank is to make sure all staff are trained on what an allergen is. People can be allergic to anything, however there are 14 named allergens that everyone who handles food should be aware of. These are:

• Celery and celeriac.
• Cereals containing gluten.
• Crustaceans.
• Eggs.
• Fish.
• Lupin.
• Molluscs.
• Milk.
• Mustard.
• Nuts.
• Peanuts.
• Sesame seeds.
• Soy.
• Sulphur dioxide and sulphites at levels above 10mg per kg or 10ml per litre.

The best way to avoid allergenic contamination is to keep any food items that contain any of these ingredients separate to other foods. This will likely mean having separate storage areas, and separate utensils when preparing foods with these ingredients. Taking steps to protect people from allergens and being transparent will allow people with food allergies to make safer choices. 

Food Temperature

It is essential that food should be stored at the correct temperature. The Food Standards Agency sets the temperature danger zone for food between 8 °C and 60 °C, and this is the range you want to keep the food out of. This means that food is safest when it is either frozen, chilled at a temperature of less than 8 °C, or heated beyond 60 °C. As best practice, we recommend that food is cooked or heated to a temperature of 70 °C, and it should remain that temperature for at least 2 minutes when tested with a probe thermometer.

Chilled food should be stored at a temperature of between 1 °C and 5 °C as best practice, and frozen food should be stored at a maximum temperature of -18 °C. By storing food at the correct temperature you will prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and help keep the food safe.  

Food Dates

You should never use food past its use by date. This means you cannot eat, cook, freeze, sell or redistribute food that has gone past its use by date because it may be unsafe. If you are accepting donated food, you should reject any that has passed its use by date. The only exception to this is if the food has gone through a safe freezing or cooking process before the use-by date has passed. In this instance the food should be appropriately re-labelled. 

However, food that has passed its best before date can be legally sold, redistributed, and consumed after this date, if judged to be of sufficient quality to be donated and made available to be eaten. Food banks and redistributors should check all food that is past the best before date to ensure it is of sufficient quality – usually a visual inspection of the food will do this. You can use food items that are past their best before date as a meal ingredient, but again a quality inspection should occur.

Food Safe Packaging

Any food that is stored and distributed in packaging must be in containers that are food safe and fit for purpose. This will help ensure food safety, help food be transported safely and maintain the quality. Without correct packaging, chemical contaminants or germs could transfer onto food.

Food banks can reuse glass or plastic packaging so long as there are no chips or cracks in it. Any food storage containers or packaging must be cleaned thoroughly between uses to prevent cross contamination of germs, allergens, and physical contaminants. Washing should be thorough and use hot soapy water, sanitiser and/or disinfectant. 

Food Hygiene Tips for Food Banks

As well as adhering to food safety laws and regulations, there are additional tips you can implement in food banks to ensure good food hygiene. 

Pre packed donated food should already be labelled correctly – including any use by dates, allergen information, how best to store the item, and any cooking guidance if necessary – this will help ensure people who receive the food know best how to consume it. Where possible, you should keep food with the original packaging. 

One of the easiest ways of maintaining food safety in food banks is by having all staff and volunteers practice good personal hygiene. We are all well aware of the importance of washing our hands thoroughly and effectively. To aid this, you can download and display our poster, reminding everyone how to wash their hands properly. Anyone who prepares food must have clean hands, be appropriately dressed in clean clothing and not have jewellery or hair on show that could fall into food. 

Food items should also be kept in sealed containers as this avoids potential cross contamination from physical objects, such as bits of packaging falling into food containers. Keeping food sealed also avoids allergenic contamination, such as if a dish containing peanuts leaked onto other food items, it could present a serious health risk to those with a peanut allergy.

Washing raw fruits and vegetables is something many people do before cooking or eating them, especially if they have been bought loose from the shop, or have remnants of soil on them. If you are receiving food packaged items into a food bank, you may want to wipe down any outer packing materials before opening and allocating individual units to parcels. This will minimise the risk of transmission of any bacteria and virus to food, or to people.

Training for Food Banks

Those who work and volunteer in food banks no doubt do tremendous work, but by their own admission, food banks operate in the hope that one day they won’t be needed. Until this happens, anyone who handles food in a food bank must be appropriately trained in doing so safely. You may not need to hold a food hygiene certificate to provide food for charity or community groups, but you may wish to have someone in the organisation who has received training and has a good understanding of food safety risks and management. 

Fountain Food Bank

Fountain Food Bank is a group of volunteers from all backgrounds that helps the local community of Downpatrick and Lecale areas by providing emergency food parcels.

We hope the tips and the links to other articles here help you in understanding food bank rules and regulations, the legal requirements and the best practice guidance to follow. If you have any comments or questions, please do get in touch with our dedicated support team 0333 006 7000 or support@highspeedtraining.co.uk.

Further Resources:

• Online Food Hygiene Training Courses
• What is the Temperature Danger Zone? Free Food Safety Chart
• Is There a Difference Between Food Hygiene and Food Safety?
• Free 14 Allergens Poster

The post Food Safety for Food Banks: Rules & Regulations appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

Are you confident in table setting rules and etiquette? Do you know the difference between a salad fork and a dessert fork? Or which glass is used for which drink, and where they should be placed on the table? 

Our guide for how to set a table will show you the best ways to lay your table for different situations. Below we will outline some general rules for cutlery placement and look at specifics for the different types of table setting – basic, casual and formal. Enjoy our videos that will show you just how to set your table just right.

What are the Different Types of Table Setting?

As we mentioned earlier, there are general table setting rules and etiquette which can be applied to all types of tables and place settings. In addition to these, there are further requirements for more casual or more formal tables. 

It is important to set a table differently according to the type of event you’re hosting – you don’t want to confuse your guests by giving them too many options! Also, your table set up will be different depending on what kind of event you are hosting. Casual will be more relaxed compared to formal dining tables. Ultimately it is up to you to decide how you want it to look and feel. We will outline three different types of table settings below: basic, casual and formal. 

How to Set a Basic Table 

The basic table setting comprises the implements you would need for an everyday meal. You would use a basic table setting for a daily dinner, or perhaps a special brunch. 

To set your basic table, you will need a charger plate, a knife and fork, a water glass and a napkin. You can set your basic table setting up following the general rules above – there are no hidden extras here! 

Often with a basic table setting there is no dessert cutlery given as it is not expected that you would serve dessert. There also does not need to be a wine glass if you are not drinking wine – but a fancy brunch setting may well come with a champagne flute for bucks fizz! 

How to Set a Casual Table

The casual table setting is becoming increasingly popular at big events – such as at weddings – and dinner parties at home. It gives a special touch without feeling too stuffy or constrained. 

To set your casual table you will need a knife and fork for both the starter and the main course – or a soup spoon if this is the starter. You will also need a spoon and dessert fork, placed horizontally above the plate. Glassware will depend on what you are serving, but generally there would be a water glass and a wine glass placed above the knives in the top right. Napkins can be placed in the centre of the setting, or to the left. 

Casual table settings are a great place to play around with different looks. You might need to have a water glass, a wine glass and a champagne flute for each person, but you could mix up the styles and colours to make it unique to you. Charger plates are also a great way to get creative, you don’t have to use a plate, you could use a placemat, mirrored glass, or a piece of shaped wood if you are going for a rustic look.

How to Set a Formal Table

You often see the formal table setting used in traditional fine dining restaurants. Although a more modern trend is to remove plates and cutlery between courses and bring fresh utensils for each course served. At home, the formal style is most commonly used where there are more than three courses involved, or where the type of food served is more intricate. 

The main difference with the formal table is the variety of different foods which then require different implements, different plates and different glassware to accompany them. Often formal dining also uses a tablecloth, but this is optional and again more frequently reserved for traditional establishments.

To set your formal table, start with your menu and identify what your guests will need. Are you serving soup? You will need a soup spoon, and likely a bread plate too. Once you have identified what you need to set out you can follow the general rules as above. Remember forks go on the left, knives on the right, and the soup spoon will go on the right with the knives. If you are setting a bread plate out, this goes in the top left corner of the setting. Remember to point your knife diagonally down, so that it is not seen as threatening to any of your guests! Your dessert spoon and dessert fork will go above the plate, fork handle to the left, spoon handle to the right. 

When it comes to glassware for the formal setting you will have a water glass – usually the biggest glass on the table – a small wine glass for white wine and a larger, rounded wine glass for red wine. You may also decide to set out a cup and saucer for after dinner coffee, this would go underneath the glassware, to the right of the knives. 

Even though formal settings are a little more traditional, you can still make them unique and work them into the overall look for your table. Consider using napkin rings, or decorate individual place cards to wow your guests.

How to Set a Table Video

Our ‘How to Set a Table’ video demonstrates how you can set a basic, casual or formal table. Whether you’re looking for ways to brighten up family mealtimes, or brushing up on your professional knowledge, our video guide is easy to follow.

What are the Table Setting Rules?

No matter what table you are setting, whether it’s for two courses or eight courses, there are certain rules to always follow. Each guest has a setting and this is in front of their seat at the table. Their table setting should have everything they need to enjoy their meal. 

Some general guidance on how to set a table are as follows:

• Cutlery is set in the order of use, working outside-in. Outer utensils are for the first courses with the innermost set reserved for the main course. 
• Forks always go on the left of the setting. The only exception is an oyster fork, which is sometimes used in a formal table setting and would be placed on the right, alongside the knives. 
• Knives always go to the right of the setting. The exception to this is if you have a bread plate.This is placed to the top left of the setting, with the butter knife on top of the plate. 
• Glassware is set above the knives. There are different glasses for different drinks but they are all grouped together in the top right corner of the setting. 
• If serving dessert, the dessert spoon and fork should be placed above the plate. The spoon handle should be on the right, while the fork handle should present to the left. This is so that the right hand can easily pick up the spoon, and the left hand uses the fork. 
• Napkins can be placed either to the left of the forks, or underneath the forks. If space is limited on your table, you can also place the napkin in the middle of the setting, or on top of the charger plate. 
• Use a charger plate. This is placed in the centre of the setting upon which other plates are set and it has multiple functions. It serves as decoration and adds to the aesthetics of the table. It ensures your guests’ setting is never empty during the dinner, and crucially it is a tool useful for hot plates where guests can adjust the charger plate without risking burning their fingers on a hot plate. The charger plate doesn’t have to always be a plate, it can be a traditional placemat, or something more contemporary, for example a piece of slate, or wood. 

Each implement on the table has a function – whether that’s glassware, cutlery or crockery. It is unlikely that you would set a table without knowing what you are serving to your guests, so take the time to plan your table as thoroughly as your menu. You may find it helpful to write out your menu and go through what cutlery and crockery you will need for each course.

For example, if you are serving soup, you need to set a soup spoon down. If you are serving a light meal with seafood, chances are you won’t be drinking red wine, and so you won’t require the large red wine glasses. Remember, you should only have on the table the things your guests will need. 

We hope our article has given you plenty of table setting ideas, and the videos have helped you with how to set a basic, casual, and formal table in your home.

Further Resources: 

• Online Food Hygiene Courses
• What is the Temperature Danger Zone? Free Food Safety Chart
• Washing Food: How & Why Should We Do It?
• Personal Hygiene Tips for Food Service Staff

The post How to Set a Table: Basic, Casual and Formal Dining appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.