Most B&Bs aren't likely to have a professional kitchen and don't serve evening meals. This doesn't mean, however, that basic Food Safety Regulations don't apply. This article outlines the food health and safety requirements for bed and breakfasts in the United Kingdom.
Registering a Bed and Breakfast
A B&B is considered as a food business and needs to be registered with the Local Authority before opening up to paying guests. There is no fee for this registration and a form can be downloaded from the Local Authority's website. Alternatively, forms can be sent out in the post. Even if the bed and breakfast in question is an existing business, the new owner is required to register it in his or her name.
Once this registration has been processed the B&B will receive a visit from an Environmental Health Officer, who will come round to inspect the premises to ensure everything is up to standard.
Ensuring the Kitchen is Safe and Hygienic
A bed and breakfast owner can prepare for this visit by assuring that the kitchen is suitably equipped for safe working practices, in particular the separation of raw meat from cooked and ready to eat foods. There must be easily identifiable, separate work tops for preparing both of these foods. The structure of the kitchen has to be sound and the surfaces capable of being cleaned and kept clean. This also applies to any equipment used for the preparation of food, chopping boards for example. All work surfaces need to be smooth and non absorbent, likewise the walls, ceiling and floor.
In addition, the kitchen must be light enough, either through artificial or natural lighting, in order to see whether the food is cooked properly. The windows must open for ventilation purposes. If there is not enough ventilation from the windows, it has to be installed. A constant supply of hot water is required as well as good, drinkable cold water.
Food Storage and Cross Contamination
The storage of food in the kitchen is all important, especially when it comes to the fridge. Foods that need to be in the refrigerator should be in the refrigerator. Raw meats are stored at the bottom of the fridge to prevent cross contamination. Any opened tins or cartons of food must be decanted into suitable lidded containers. By law, high risk foods such as cooked meat and ready to eat foods have to be kept at or below 8°.
A supply of anti-bacterial soap should be next to the sink, so it is obvious that the kitchen staff wash their hands regularly. It goes without saying that anyone handling raw meat must always wash their hands afterward. Clean clothing and a clean apron must be worn at all times in the kitchen.
The Importance of a Food Safety Management System
The Environmental Health Officer will ask to see written evidence of the bed and breakfast's food safety management system. How simple or detailed this system is depends on the size of the business. The Food Standards Agency website offers ready made packs, which will make any B&B fully compliant with this requirement.
After the owner has made sure of all the above points, the cooking of foods must not be overlooked. All food needs to be cooked thoroughly before serving. The visit will also include an examination of the cooling and reheating of foods in the kitchen.
General Food Safety Procedures
There are other general requirements to think about. No pets are allowed in the kitchen and any personal laundry should be washed at different times than when food is being prepared if the washing machine is in the kitchen. If the person who prepares the food has suffered from sickness and diarrhea, they must not cook at all until they have recovered.
Frozen foods should always be defrosted in the fridge, not in the open air. The freezer must be defrosted regularly. It is recommended that eggs are stored in the fridge.
Last, but not least, anybody who runs a kitchen needs to keep an eye out for pests. The kitchen should be designed to prevent access by pests, but if there is evidence of them immediate action must be taken to eradicate them.
Obtaining a Food Safety Certificate
There are courses available to bring bed and breakfast owners up to speed with all the food hygiene requirements and, although a food safety certificate is not generally required by law, it is highly recommended and an excellent way to make sure the premises meet the Environmental Health Officer's approval.
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