Safer Food Better Business is a free food safety management system developed by the Food Standards Agency and Salford University.
It is designed to help small food businesses comply with food safety law.
Who is it for?
There are versions of Safer Food Better Business available for:
- Caterers - English
- Caterers - Chinese Cuisine (available in both English and Chinese)
- Caterers - Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan Cuisines
- Childminders
- Retailers
Order a pack
You can download and print the Safer Food, Better Business pack or diary refill from the Food Standards Agency website.
- Safer Food, Better Business - Food Standards Agency website
Using the packs
Each of the Safer Food Better Business packs provides an outline of typical activities for that type of food business.
The packs are in 2 parts:
1. Safe Methods.
You need to complete the blank sections in the Safe Methods to say how you do these things in your business.
In many cases you will just need to tick a box to confirm that you use the method that is given as an example.
Once you have completed your Safe Methods you need to be sure that all your staff know these and follow them at all times.
2. Diary.
The Diary section is used daily to confirm that the Safe Methods have been followed.
If anything goes wrong on the day, you need to make a note in the diary of what happened and what you did about it.
How long will it take?
To work through the whole pack and complete all the sections takes about 5 hours.
You will not need to do this again unless your business changes a lot.
Once the Safe Methods are completed, the diary is the only daily record most businesses will need. This should only take you one minute a day to complete, unless you have something special to write down.
Every four weeks you need to look back through the diary to see if there are any problems that need to be resolved.
Extra records
Safer Food Better Business does not require any records other than the diary.
However, it is recommended that businesses such as Care Homes or Child Care Settings that cater for vulnerable groups still keep their fridge and cooking temperature records.
Visits from a Food Safety Officer
Your Food Safety Officer will want to see your written procedures and will check that all your staff are following them.
Any business that does not have Safer Food Better Business or an equivalent system will be required to produce one and may be prosecuted if they fail to comply with this part of the law.