The Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB) scheme is a practical approach to food safety management for smaller businesses which the Food Standards Agency designed. Along with HACCP, which is intended for use by larger businesses, like food manufacturers or larger-scale catering businesses, SFBB forms part of the food safety regime in the UK.
What is Safer Food, Better Business?
SFBB is the system which is in place to help smaller food businesses comply with legislation requirements. The SFBB system is described as:
”“An innovative and practical approach to food safety management developed to help small businesses put in place food safety management procedures and comply with food hygiene regulations”
Food Standards Agency
Safer Food, Better Business is a scheme for small businesses which provides comprehensive advice and guidance by outlining relevant procedures for the entering of information and completion of required records. Similarly to HACCP, it helps such businesses adhere to best practice and also to demonstrate due diligence – read our blog here – should the need arise.
The Foods Standards Agency (FSA) developed SFBB in partnership with small catering businesses and more than 50 local authorities, although it is not mandatory: food businesses can use their own system if it meets the HACCP principles legislation requirements.
Who is Safer Food, Better Business for?
SFBB is designed to help small food businesses, such as cafés, takeaways and restaurants, comply with food hygiene regulations and ensure food safety. Here are some more examples of relevant businesses:
- Hospitality and catering: Restaurants, takeaways, pubs and bars, cafés and coffee shops, hotels and mobile catering
- Retail: Corner shops, supermarkets, butchers, bakeries and delicatessens
- Care and education settings: Childminders, nurseries and schools, and care homes
- Community and voluntary groups: Community kitchens, charity food providers and church groups
- Specialised food providers: Fishmongers, farm shops, street food vendors
The flexibility of SFBB makes it suitable for many businesses that prepare or serve food to the public, especially small to medium enterprises. It helps them maintain high hygiene standards and comply with UK food safety laws.
What is involved in Safer Food, Better Business?
There is an emphasis on the need to constantly review and update procedures when changes are made; for instance, when new suppliers are used or recipes are improved. This means each change is recorded into the system with details of the changes and the hazards identified, thus ensuring the food produced is safe for customers to consume and at the same time complying with food safety and hygiene law.
Two of the core elements of SFBB are food safety management and training for staff members.
- Food safety management: Every business handling food must have a recorded food safety system in place based on the HACCP principles. The food safety system is not required to be a written paper-based system.
- Training for every staff member: The comprehensive training follows the guidelines given by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to meet food hygiene and safety compliance.
Food safety management
One of the core elements of compliance is having a written food safety management system in place. Information packs from Workforce Training (see below) have information and pre-printed documents to complete for a variety of different businesses. These documents outline the required “safe methods” and must all be completed. Daily diary sheets are also in the packs and again should be completed every day to ensure compliance.
As a business serving or supplying food directly to the public the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme will apply to the business.
The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme
An inspection is carried out by an authorised officer, normally a food safety officer or environmental health officer, from the food safety team at your local authority. The inspector will inspect the business premises to check the law is being complied with. Give examples of what they will do/look at/questions they will ask.
The Food Hygiene Ratings:
The business rating received as a result of an inspection is based on what is found on the day.
Here are what the ratings mean:
| Rating | |
| 5 | Hygiene stands are very good. |
| 4 | Hygiene standards are good |
| 3 | Hygiene standards are satisfactory |
| 2 | Hygiene standards require some improvement |
| 1 | Hygiene standard requires urgent improvement |
How do I prepare for my first food safety inspection?
Look at your business overall with the knowledge an inspection will consider;
How hygienically is the food handled?
How is the food handled?
How is the food prepared? Is it cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored correctly? Do you record the required information? For instance, what temperature is used during the cooking process?
Consider the physical condition of the business, including the layout. Does it flow from dirty to clean? The design, cleanliness, lighting, ventilation, pest control and other facilities.
Consider how you manage keeping food safe, and look at processes, training, and systems to ensure good hygiene is maintained. During the inspection, the officer will assess the confidence level in the standards being maintained in the future (after the inspection but before the next inspection).
Training for every staff member
All staff handling food must be supervised, instructed, and trained in food hygiene in a way that is appropriate for their job role. For example, a waiter may complete the Level 2 Award in Food Safety for Catering, whereas a supervisor may complete the Level 3 Award in Food Safety for Catering.
The food business operator (FBO) is responsible for ensuring a food safety system and requirements are met. This can be delegated to a “responsible person” who is responsible for maintaining food safety management procedures. Those involved in doing so must have adequate training to enable them to do this, such as the Level 4 Award in Food Safety Management for Catering.
There is no legal requirement to attend a formal training course or get a qualification, although many businesses prefer their staff to do so. As a result of the training, a certificate is issued which then becomes a convenient record for the food safety system and in addition can be displayed to demonstrate to customers the training has been completed.
The courses offered by Workforce Training are comprehensive in meeting the Food Standards Agency guidelines in order to meet food hygiene and safety compliance. Courses can be delivered directly to multiple employees at one business at a convenient time outside of food service or manufacturing shifts, although courses are also scheduled throughout the year across East Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and North-East Lincolnshire.
Follow up advice and guidance is also available to ensure the system has is being implemented correctly. It is a compliance requirement that an up-to-date record of all training staff complete is readily available.
SFBB information packs for your business
Workforce Training offers a choice of SFBB information packs, tailored to the differing needs of a variety of business types. These packs are only available when attending training courses.
These are designed to meet the specific needs of different food businesses. These include:
In conclusion…
The law requires all food handling businesses to put in place a written food safety management system based around the principles of HACCP. It is an offence not to have food safety management system in place and could lead to legal action being taken against the food business operator (FBO).
Our comprehensive Safer Food, Better Business information and training, although based on HACCP, does not refer to HACCP as some of the jargon is unnecessarily complex for smaller businesses. To help you comply with the law, we will help you complete information sheetsso you can demonstrate clear food safety practises are in place and being used.
To see how courses offered by Workforce Training can help you comply with food safety regulations, contact us via the link below.