Food Safety Management System (FSMS)

As part of routine local authority inspections, an enforcement officer will check that any food business has an appropriate HACCP based food safety management (FSMS) in place.

A FSMS is a systematic approach to controlling food safety hazards within a food business in order to ensure that the food is safe to eat.

As part of a food safety management system, good hygiene practice must be considered which includes; personal hygiene, staff training, cleaning, good structural fixtures and fittings, equipment and surfaces, waste disposal, stock control and pest control.

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Training

At least one person in the business must be adequately trained in how to operate the FSMS.

The FSMS should address the quality and legal requirements in addition to safety protection from contamination from physical, chemical and biological hazards  

The type and extent of the FSMS needed will be dependent on the size and type of business. A large business or food manufacturer may need a detailed written system, a smaller catering establishment may only need a simple system. 

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has developed a system called ‘safer food, better business for caterers’ especially for all small food businesses including retailers and child minders to make it easy for self regulation.      

http://www.food.gov.uk/business-industry/caterers/sfbb/sfbbcaterers/#.UpMpjJZFDIU