Introduction - Advice to businesses - Telford & Wrekin Council

Our role in business advice is to enable local businesses to comply with current legislation.

Our business advice pages will cover many of the questions that you have.

If you would like to make an enquiry or complaint, please use our online form:

Registration of premises used for a food business (including market stalls, delivery vehicles and other moveable structures) is required by law and should be made 28 days prior to the intended opening date. Some businesses also required approval, more information on this can be found in the “approvals” section below.

Registrations cannot be refused and there is no charge.

Once registered, an officer will carry out an initial inspection within 28 days of the opening date.

Inspectors will look at the operation of a food business to identify potential hazards and to ensure they are following the law. If problems are identified during the inspection, inspectors can take enforcement action to protect the public.

The frequency of inspections thereafter will depend on the potential risk posed by the type of business and its previous record. Some premises might be inspected at least every six months, others less often.

During inspections a Food Hygiene Rating is given to the business, more information on this can be found in the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme section below.

Telford and Wrekin council do offer a gain and retain service to help businesses understand what's needed to achieve a five star national food hygiene rating score, more information on this can be found in the Gain and Retain section below.

Other things to consider are:

Health and Safety Requirements - please be aware of the need to ensure you cover health and safety requirements for your food business.
Food labelling - do you describe food and drink accurately?
Do you need street trading consent? - if you plan to trade within the Telford area you may require a street trading licence. This will mean that street trading on any public parts of any of the designated streets will need to apply for consent to trade. View more information about street trading.
Premises licence - do you need to apply for a licence to sell alcohol?
Have you got a trade waste agreement? - all business are required to have proper arrangements for the collection of their trade refuse. Collection can only be carried out by a person legally authorised to do so. You will also need to consider how to correctly dispose of fats, oils and grease produced by your business.
Is planning permission required? - the local authority will be able to help if there are any issues with regard to planning permission or change of use.

If you intend to make, prepare or handle food of animal origin (e.g. meat, fish or dairy) for supply to other businesses, then the food business and its activities in most circumstances will require what is known as approval.

Food premises that need approval must meet additional requirements above the general requirements for food premises, as they usually involve more high-risk operations. If your food premise needs to have approval you will need to meet the hygiene standards set out in the following regulations:

If any part of your business requires approval you will not be able to operate this part of your process until you have completed the application form and you have received confirmation of your approval or conditional approval for a certain time period.

Exemptions to approval

If there is an element of retail involved in your business and you intend to supply any other retailers or caterers you may be exempt from approval if the supply of the food of animal origin is marginalised and localised and restricted.

Marginal - a small part of the establishments business meaning up to one quarter of the business in terms of food.
Localised - sale within the supplying establishments own county plus the greater of either the neighbouring county or counties or 30 miles from the boundary of the supplying establishments county.
Restricted - concerning only certain types of products being made or establishments being supplied.

Should your food business be exempt from the approval process then you will still need to register your food business with the Council, contact the Food, Health and Safety team if you are not sure whether your intended business activity needs approval.

Next steps

Your application form(s) will need to be returned to this office together with the necessary documentation.

Download the approved premises guidance

Once your application has been received an officer will be in contact with you and arrange to visit you at your premises. The officer will look in depth at your process and documentation and discuss any work you need to do in order to comply with the regulations.

If your business has achieved the required standards, approval will be granted and you will be issued with a unique approval number which makes up part of the of the identification mark that you will need to apply to your products.

Officers from Environmental Health carry out regular inspections of all food premises trading within the district to ensure that the public is protected; that high standards of food hygiene are maintained and ultimately that food is safe to eat.

All businesses that manufacture, pack, store, supply or sell food (including drink) will be subject to an inspection.

The purpose of an inspection is:

to ensure that the food is being handled and produced hygienically
to ensure that food is safe to eat
to look at the potential risk for food poisoning or injury as a result of food consumed
to ensure that the food handling staff are trained in food hygiene and handling
to inspect the condition of equipment and the premises
to insure there are precautions to prevent pest infestation
to ensure that staff are aware of personal hygiene.

How often are these inspections undertaken?

This varies depending on a number of things including:

type of food prepared at the premises
the number of customers supplied
the track record of the business
confidence in management
compliance with food hygiene and safety procedures (food handling practices)
structural repair and cleaning.

The frequency of routine inspections can range from a minimum of every 6 months to 5 years.

Revisits may also be made in between these routine inspections to check that any works required have been completed to a satisfactory standard.

What happens during an inspection?

Officers from Environmental Health have a right to enter the premises at any reasonable time with or without prior notice; or when they suspect there may be a particular problem. Occasionally, we may make appointments for visits, particularly for home caterers. When officers call they will show you their identification and authorisation, which you are entitled to see.

Officers are entitled to assistance and to have their questions answered. During the visit they are legally entitled to talk to employees, take samples, photographs and if necessary seize or detain food. Obstructing a food safety officer is an offence.

An officer may ask to see documentation on HACCP or SFBB, temperature records, training records, pest control records or cleaning schedules etc, which should be kept available at the premises for inspection.

Visit the Food Standards Agency website for more information on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) or visit the Food Standards Agency website for more information on Safer Food Better Business (SFBB).

At the end of the inspection

The officer will inform you of their findings and what further action, if any, they will be taking and what you need to do. They will discuss with you the time allowed for complying with the law. Generally, you will be given a reasonable period of time to improve standards although some requirements may demand your immediate attention. A report of the inspection will be left on site at the time.

Following the inspection

The officer has several options available:

they may write to you informally asking you to put right any problems they find or with advice
when breaches of the law are identified, which must be put right, officers have the power to serve a Hygiene Improvement Notice
officers can detain or seize suspect food
in serious cases, officers may decide to recommend a prosecution: if the prosecution is successful the Court may impose prohibitions on processes, the use of the premises or equipment, as well as fines and possibly imprisonment
if there is an imminent health risk to consumers, officers can serve a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice which immediately forbids the use of the premises or equipment, such a notice must subsequently be confirmed by the Court.

Food businesses within the Borough have been scored on the Food Standards Agency's National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme. Visit the Food Standards Agency website to view the published scores.

The scheme is run by the Council in partnership with the Food Standards Agency.

Each business is given a ‘hygiene rating’ when it is inspected by our food safety officers. The hygiene rating shows how closely the business is meeting the requirements of food hygiene law.

Visit the Food Standards Agency website for hygiene ratings for Telford and Wrekin.

It is extremely important for businesses operating in Telford and Wrekin to display the correct Food Hygiene Rating. The Consumer Protection Regulations 2008 specifically ban a trader from claiming that they have been approved, endorsed or authorised by a public body when they do not comply with the terms of the approval, endorsement or authorisation. Businesses should be mindful that a breach of the above regulations could result in prosecution.

Further information:

Visit the Food Standards Agency website for more information about food hygiene ratings.

View a selection of links from the Food Standards Agency website:

Requesting a revisit:

What should I do if I want to request a re-visit?

Download the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) request a re-visit form and then submit your form using our online form.

Telford and Wrekin will charge £250 for re-score visits. Your request for a re-score will be verified by an officer, and if your request is deemed to be valid, you will then be contacted to make the necessary payment. The re-score visit will not be undertaken unless the written request and the payment have been received.

In your written submission, you must explain what actions you have taken on the issues raised at your last inspection and you should include supporting evidence, for example, receipts or photographs to show that work has been completed. This is important as we could refuse your request if you do not provide sufficient information and evidence.

Our gain and retain package is aimed at business owners running catering or retail premises.

It's designed for them to understand what's needed to achieve a five star national food hygiene rating score.

Our gain and retain package is aimed at business owners running catering or retail premises.

It's designed for them to understand what's needed to achieve a five star national food hygiene rating score.

What we offer

An on-site visit delivered by an experienced and qualified Food Safety Officer. They will give you practical advice appropriate to the size of your business.
Advice for your business on how to achieve the highest possible standards. The officer will write this up in a simple and easy to understand report.
Includinglude an up to date "Safer Food Better Business" pack and diary for new businesses.

Who is it for?

For start-up businesses and newly registered food businesses. gain and retain is regarded as essential for people new to food businesses.
Existing businesses can also take advantage of gain and retain to ensure they maintain their existing rating or improve to the five star.

How will it help you?

Gain and retain can provide you with the following benefits.
Save you time by having professional advice tailored to your business.
Save you money through receiving advice on appropriate procedures and equipment you need. This is proportionate to the level of your business, avoiding over-spending on compliance.
Enhance your chances of receiving or retaining a high (five star) food star rating that you can use in your marketing. This gives your business a competitive edge.
Give you reassurance from a compliance perspective. It's good for your business and good for your customers.
Enable you to put in place the building blocks to grow your business in a sustainable way.

How much does it cost?

We have a variety of Gain and Retain Packages depending on your needs.

Please note: businesses that are a low risk to people's health might not get a 0-5 rating, but would benefit from a visit from one of our officers. If you're unsure, please contact us before purchasing the product.

How much does it cost?

We have a variety of Gain and Retain Packages depending on your needs:

This table shows the cost of each package.
Package	Cost
Basic Package Ideal for all business. Mock inspection with full debrief and report	£272 (Including VAT)
Advanced Packed Ideal for new or growing business Mock inspection with full debrief and report SFBB Pack and 6 months diary sheet	£315 (Including VAT)
Allergens Basic Ideal for all business Advice covering current key allergy management requirements Allergen matrix Full debrief and report	£280 (Including VAT)
Labelling Basic Ideal for all business Advice covering current key labelling requirements (e.g. Natasha's Law) Compliance check Full debrief and report	£300 (Including VAT)
Allergens and Labelling Advanced Ideal for all business Advice covering current key allergen and labelling requirements Allergen Matrix Compliance check Full debrief and report	£330 (Including VAT)
Bespoke Advice For advice on specific high risk practices for example: sous vide, vacuum packing, Less than thoroughly cooked burgers (LTTC).	£50 per hour (Including VAT)

A Food Safety Management System (FSMS) is not only a legal requirement of EC Regulation 852/2004, but a helpful tool to ensure safe practices are followed within your business.

What is a Food Safety Management System?

A FSMS is a systematic approach to controlling food safety hazards within a food business in order to ensure that food is safe to eat. All businesses are required to put in place, implement and maintain a FSMS based on the principles of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP).

What is Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point?

HACCP is an international method of ensuring that food is always safe to eat, set out in Article 5 of EC Regulation 852/2004. It involves identifying food hazards and working out what needs to be done to eliminate them, or to sufficiently control them.

How do I start?

You, or someone in your business needs to have sufficient training or knowledge of hygiene matters and the activities in the business in order to write up a suitable food safety management system, or adapt one that has been produced as a model template.

The type of system you need will depend on the size and type of business. Large businesses and manufacturers will need very detailed written systems and highly trained people to write them, but small caterers will only need a simple system.

Visit the Food Standards Agency website to view a range of food safety management packs for different sectors of the food industry to help food business operators manage their food safety management procedures.

Once you have registered with us you can start your business. It is your responsibility to comply with the law and provide safe food. If you are storing or preparing high risk foods such as buffets and hot meals then we will arrange an appointment to carry out an inspection shortly after you have registered.

If you are storing or preparing low risk foods then your inspection will not take priority and it may take several months before we make an appointment to inspect you.

Is your kitchen adequate for a catering business?

The kitchen must be designed, constructed so that it can be kept clean and maintained in good state of repair. Any surface that comes into contact with food must be in good condition and be easy to clean and disinfect.

A sink with hot and cold water must be provided to wash utensils and equipment.

If you have a dishwasher this will be acceptable. If the sink is to be used for food washing as well then it must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between uses.

Avoiding cross contamination

In a domestic catering kitchen there are likely to be greater quantities of both raw and cooked food than a normal domestic kitchen. More pots, pans, plates and utensils will be used. There will be more washing up and greater problems keeping worktops clean.

It is important to separate raw and ready-to-eat food at all times. If raw food is allowed to touch or drip onto ready-to-eat food, harmful bacteria can be transferred onto the ready-to-eat food.

Prepare raw and ready-to-eat food separately. Do not use the same knife or chopping board for raw meat/fish, ready-to-eat food and raw fruit/vegetables unless they are cleaned thoroughly between uses. All possible sources of contamination must be removed from the kitchen prior to it being used for food preparation. Possible sources of contamination include trinkets, paper clips, drawing pins and plants.

Keep people (including children) not involved in food preparation out of the kitchen during preparation time.

Visit the Food Standards Agency website for information about E.coli cross-contamination guidance

Keep pets out of the kitchen

Normal routine activities such as washing clothes must not be carried at such times. No one must smoke in the kitchen and at any other time when handling food. If anyone in the house is suffering from an infectious disease (such as food poisoning or colds) please consult your Food Safety Officer immediately for advice.

Hand washing

Hand washing is the single most important method of reducing the spread of infection. Hands must be washed frequently with warm water and soap. While preparing food, especially between handling raw and ready-to-eat foods, after using the toilet, after touching the dustbin and when they look dirty.

Domestic kitchens are not usually fitted with a separate wash hand basin, which is a major requirement of the law. Arrangements must therefore be made to enable food handlers to wash their hands. A wash hand basin in a downstairs bathroom will be acceptable.

Visit the CDC website for more information about hand washing

Enough cold storage space

Commercial food preparation at home means large quantities of cooked and uncooked food competing for limited amounts of fridge and freezer space. Inappropriate storage is one of the most common faults reported as contributing to food poisoning outbreaks.

High-risk food must be kept at or below 8ºC (recommend below 5ºC). It is recommended to keep commercial food in a separate fridge or freezer from your own food.

Cooking facilities

Domestic ovens may not have the capacity to handle the amounts of food that need to be cooked, particularly if large joints of meat and whole poultry are involved. Cooked food should reach a temperature of 75°C for 30 seconds therefore you will need a probe thermometer to help you check.

Transporting high-risk food

Once the food is prepared, getting it to where the customer is located can be a problem. It is extremely important when transporting food that it is protected from any risk of contamination and high risk food is maintained at a temperature that is less than 8°C. If you do not have a refrigerated vehicle you can use cool boxes, which must be cleaned and disinfected between use.

Safer food better business

All business that must have a documented food safety management system based on the principles of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP), and be relevant to the type of business.

To help domestic caterers we have produced advice on how to prepare a suitable food safety management system.

Food hygiene training requirements - all food handlers, before starting work must have written or verbal instruction in the essentials of food hygiene. If you are handling 'high risk' foods it is recommended you attend a level two course.

Visit the Food Standards Agency website for information about the food safety management pack

Other things you might need to consider

Planning permission - you may need planning permission to run a business from home, contact the Planning team for advice on whether you need planning permission for your business.
Being registered as a food business with Environmental Health does not constitute planning permission.

Business rates

You may have to pay increased rates if you use part of your property for a business. Contact the Business Rates team for advice on business rates for your business.

Insurance

Just in case things go wrong, you are strongly advised to take out insurance to cover claims against you. You should consult your insurance broker about this.

Consideration must be given to acquiring commercial premises if it is your intention to expand your business. Lots of establishments have large fully functional kitchens that are not being used daily such as churches, village hall or sports clubs.

Remember if you can't do it safely don't do it at all!

Street trading consent

All streets within Telford and Wrekin have been designated as consented streets; which means that street trading in any street is prohibited without first obtaining the consent of the Council.

View information about street trading consent

Do not buy a mobile and find a pitch later

The mobile food business is very competitive and we sometimes see situations where hopeful traders have spent lots of hard-earned cash on a good trailer and then realise that finding a site is very difficult. We strongly recommend that you look into the sites you potentially can trade from first.

Trading in another Council's area

Councils have different approaches but most councils restrict mobile trading. Some run a consent scheme, but the fees can be very high. We recommend that you contact the council who cover your proposed site and that you ensure you complete your business research before you commit to expenditure.

Food safety training

We recommend CIEH Level 2 award in food safety catering. If you would like some more food safety training we have a number of food safety training courses that will be able to help you. Please be advised there are other training providers available.

Visit the Telford Business Services website to search for food safety training courses

What to do next

See if you can find a suitable pitch. Prepare your business plan taking as much advice as possible and make sure you consult with planning.

Check you meet food safety requirements before you open.

Food labelling legislation ensures consumers are not misled about the nature of food products when they are sold to them. It also creates a level playing field for food producers, so they have clear requirements on the information that appears on the label and how this is presented.

The Food Information Regulations:

Food labelling helps consumers to get information about their food. It is important this information is accurate and not confusing so consumers can make informed choices about the food they buy.

Legislation sets requirements for food labels in the UK and aims to ensure food labels are an honest presentation of food. The requirements in place ensure consistency for the industry and for consumers.

Clear food labelling guidance

The labelling legislation requires that product information on food labels to be easily visible and clearly legible. Information from consumers suggests that some people find labels difficult to use. To help industry improve the way in which information is presented on labels, clear food labelling guidance was developed to highlight some of the factors that affect label clarity. The aims are to assist industry with designing food labels for pre-packed foods in a clear way that allow consumers to access the information they need more easily, and to be aware of the relevant UK food labelling legislation for pre-packed foods.

Visit the Food Standards Agency (FSA) website for guidance on food labelling

Adulterated foods, food alerts? - If there is a problem with a food product that means it should not be sold, then it might be 'withdrawn' (taken off the shelves) or 'recalled' (when customers are asked to return the product). The Food Standards Agency issues information about product withdrawals and recalls to let consumers and local authorities know about problems associated with food such as issues regarding the horsemeat scandal.

Further information

Responsibility for food labelling legislation and policy is split across:

Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) - responsible for food labelling legislation that is principally non-safety and for the co-ordination of labelling policy across Government.
Food Standards Agency (FSA) - responsible for legislation on labelling and standards that are principally safety based.
Department of Health (DH) - responsible for nutrition labelling policy.

Please use the following links to business companion guides for more information on:

Please use the following links to find out more information on:

From 1 October 2021, the requirements for prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food labelling will change in Wales, England, and Northern Ireland. The new labelling will help protect consumers by providing potentially life-saving allergen information on the packaging.

Any business that produces PPDS food will be required to label it with the name of the food and a full ingredients list, with allergenic ingredients emphasised within the list.

Businesses need to check if their products require PPDS labelling and what they need to do.

We have produced a business fact sheet to advise on the new changes, and what businesses are required to do in order to comply.

Further resources are available from the following sources:

Food Standards Agency - Introduction to allergen labelling changes. This includes links to sector specific guidance such as bakers, butchers, events catering, fast food outlets and schools. There is also an interactive 'decision tree' tool to help businesses identify PPDS foods.
Chartered Trading Standards Institute - Food allergen awareness. This includes an allergen awareness video presentation in a variety of languages and covers food labelling enforcement and reactions people can have to food hypersensitivities.
Business Companion - PPDS and non-prepacked foods. This contains further practical advice about labelling requirements and best practice.

The topic of allergens is rarely out of the news.

People with food allergies have to be extremely careful about what they eat. Food labelling is very important to these people because the consequences of eating the food they are allergic to could be very serious.

Currently, the rules for pre-packed foods establish a list of 14 food allergens, which have to be indicated by reference to the source allergen whenever they, or ingredients made from them, are used at any level in pre-packed foods, including alcoholic drinks. The list consists of:

celery
cereals containing gluten
crustaceans
eggs
fish
lupin
milk
molluscs
mustard
nuts
peanuts
sesame
soya
sulphur dioxide at levels above 10mg/kg, or 10 mg/litre, expressed as SO2.

New guidance has been launched to help the food industry understand and implement changes in EU legislation for allergen labelling on products.

The guidance, which has been put together by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) in partnership with the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), offers clear advice for retailers and manufacturers on how to implement new requirements on the provision of information to consumers.

Visit the Food Standards Agency's (FSA) website for guidance on the food allergen labelling.

From 1 October 2021, the requirements for prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food labelling changed in Wales, England, and Northern Ireland. This labelling helps protect consumers by providing potentially life-saving allergen information on the packaging.

Download the allergen labelling changes for more information on for pre-packed direct sales food.

The FSA has also prepared guidance sheets for allergens that can be downloaded in a number of different languages:

download the food allergy information in Traditional Chinese.

Advice for businesses

If you import food commercially there is a whole range of regulations that you need to be aware of.

Some are specific to certain foods, others apply more generally across the board. It is important that you, as an importer, understand that it is your responsibility to ensure that food you import into the UK from outside the European Union (EU), complies with relevant EU and UK hygiene and safety laws.

You must consider your suppliers. Are they reliable and honest? You will need to have contact details for them. If you import foods into the UK then you are responsible for ensuring it fully complies with UK and EU laws.

A range of controls exist for products of animal origin imported from outside the EU to protect both public and animal health. Products of animal origin from outside the EU can only be brought into the UK if imported through a designated Border Inspection Post (BIP) accompanied by specific documentation to prove that it has come from an approved establishment in an approved country, and marked with a traceable approval number.

You can find detailed guidance on importing food on the Food Standards Agency’s website.

Frequently asked questions about issues you will need to consider before you import can be found at FSA Importing food for commercial use FAQ.

If you wish to import food of animal origin (meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, eggs, honey) from outside the EU then you must also contact the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for advice.

Under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and associated regulations all employers have a duty to make sure that their workplaces are safe for their employees and members of the public.

You can find more information on Health and Safety from the Health and Safety Executive:

Last updated: 11/09/2024 11:03

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Advice to businesses

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How much does it cost?

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Cost

Food Safety Management System

Catering from home

Advice for mobile food businesses

Food Labelling and Packaging

Pre-packed for direct sale

Allergens

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