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Food Safety for Market Stalls

Food Business Operators must ensure that they and their stalls comply with the provisions of Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004, enforced by the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006, which also contain Temperature Control requirements, and the Food Safety Act 1990.

Each food business operator must take a Risk Based Approach toward food safety and implement a food safety management system.  This involves assessing the risk to food safety at all stages of the business from receipt to sale, and where possible removing the risk or at least reducing the risk to a minimum.  The food safety management system should be based on the HACCP principles (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point).  You must now keep up to date documents and records relating to your procedures. The Safer Food Better Business food safety management pack has been developed to help small businesses comply with the regulations. These packs can be obtained, free of charge, by telephoning the Food Standards Agency on 0845 606 0667 or emailing foodstandards@ecgroup.uk.com

There is a requirement that the person responsible for developing and maintaining the food safety management system has received adequate training in the application of the HACCP principles.  This may be gained through experience and previous knowledge, however if this is not sufficient, a formal training course should be taken.  A training course is available called Implementing Food Safety Management Procedures.

All food handling staff should have received adequate training, or be instructed and supervised to ensure that food is handled safely.  If your business is involved in the handling of high-risk foods such as meat products, dairy products, fish or shellfish, we recommend that the staff obtain the Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering.  The following points should be adhered to:-

1. Cross contamination between raw and ready to eat foods must be prevented at all times.

2. Food must be properly cooked e.g. to a minimum temperature of 70^oC for 2 minutes and preferably served immediately; otherwise it must be kept at or above a temperature of 63^oC.

3. Chilled foods must be kept at or below 8^oC, this includes times when the food is transported or stored.

4. If you handle foods to which points 2 and 3 above are applicable you must have an accurate temperature probe to use at all times, or some equally effective means of assessing temperature compliance. Probes must be kept clean, preferably by disposable sanitising wipes.

5. Stall holders preparing or handling open high risk food must have adequate hand washing and equipment washing facilities at all times. This will include separate bowls for hand and equipment washing, a supply or means of heating water and supplies of detergent, disinfectant, soap and drying towels.

Guidance Notes and Further Information

The Council has produced guidance notes covering various topics on food safety, these are listed in the Publications area of the site (prefixed by Food & Hygiene Safety or Food Poisoning) from where they can be downloaded.

For further information please contact the Food and Health & Safety Team or telephone 01993 861060.

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