This week the Food Standards Agency (FSA) launched their national food hygiene rating scheme nationwide. Finally, there’s no need to be concerned about the standard of food from that dodgy burger van in town, your local Chinese takeaway or that grotty-looking greasy cafe in your village! Instead, you’ll be able to see the ‘scores on [...]
Tags: Food Hygiene, Food Safety, food standards agency, FSA
This week an EU-survey found that Britons are more worried about animal welfare than food safety. The survey was conducted for the European Food Safety Authority and it polled the opinions of nearly 26,700 people from Europe. This included 1,300 individuals from Great Britain. In the study, more Britons announced concerns for the poor treatment [...]
Tags: EU, European Food Safety Authority, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, report
This week the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assessed 808 “general function health claims”, including opinions on probiotic yoghurts, such as Yakult. To date, the EFSA has assessed over 1,700 claims from a list of 4,637 that have been sent to the European Commission and Member States, which are responsible for authorising such claims.. The [...]
Dead cockroaches, mouse droppings and filthy kitchen equipment lead to a failed inspection for T.G.I Friday’s flagship branch in Covent Garden. The Covent Garden branch was closed down for six days last year, and in August the branch was ordered to pay a £30,000 fine after Environmental Health Officers found mouse droppings in a bag [...]
Tags: Bartender, Cockroaches, Environmental Health, Food Hygiene, Mice, Mouse Infestation, T.G.I Fridays
Study shows that ‘bags for life’ could pose a threat to shoppers’ health. Earlier this year a joint study by the University of Arizona and Limo Loma University found that although reusable shopping bags were better for the environment, they’re not better for shoppers’ health. //
Unsafe levels of harmful bacteria were found in over half the clothes tested in a recent study by the Health Protection Agency (HPA). Dirty dishcloths can lead to severe cases of food poisoning if they’re not regularly changed or disinfected. High levels of bacteria on dishcloths can indicate poor food hygiene practices. //
Tags: bacteria, cloths, Food Hygiene, HPA, Listeria
This week Starbucks has revealed plans to offer a range of NVQs to baristas working in their outlets in the UK. The training scheme, which will cost the company several million pounds, will improve customer experience, boost morale and help ease high levels of staff turn over, plus give staff a range of transferable skills [...]
Tags: Food Hygiene, NVQ, Starbucks
Food production giants, Premier Foods have been fined nearly 17,000 after a mouse was found baked into a loaf of its Hovis ‘Best of Both’ bread. Stephen Forse, a father of three young children, found the mouse crushed into the loaf while buttering bread to make sandwiches for his children. The animal’s tail was missing, [...]
Tags: Contamination, Food Hygiene, Food Safety, Hovis, Mice, Pests, Premier Foods
If you’re just starting out, the idea of ‘food hygiene’ can be a little daunting, perhaps even off-putting! There’s a shed load of laws, rules and regulations that you (and your staff) need to know. Get things right, and your business could be very successful – but get it wrong and you could face legal [...]
Tags: basic food hygiene, catering industry, Food Hygiene, the 4Cs
The Chinese government is cracking down on food safety crimes and the worse offenders will face the death penalty. This news comes from the official Xinhua news agency, which has cited a joint notice from the Public Security Bureau, The Supreme Court, the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate. All have agreed that [...]
Tags: China, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, food safety laws