Health and Safety Guidance for Providing Food at Community and Charity Events

07/12/2021

The University recognises however that it has a duty to inform organisers and supporting volunteers of charitable events of the basic food safety and hygiene standards required

 

  • Food supplied, sold or provided at community and charity events, including those hosted at the University, must comply with EU food law and be safe to eat.
  • The Food Standards Agency (referred to as the FSA from herein) is an independent government department, and it’s their job to use expertise and influence so that people can trust that the food they buy and eat is safe and honest. The FSA has ruled that those who occasionally prepare foods for charitable events do not need to possess a food hygiene certificate before they are allowed to offer their wares for sale. The University recognises however that it has a duty to inform organisers and supporting volunteers of charitable events of the basic food safety and hygiene standards required.

  • Adhering to this guidance will help to ensure that products are safe to eat and will help ensure the event’s overall success. 

As identified above, those who handle, prepare, store and serve food occasionally and on a small scale, do not need to register. Should food be provided on a regular and organised basis then there may be a requirement to register with the local authority as a food business. Further guidance on the application of EU food hygiene law can be found at the following link including the provision of practical examples of community and charity events selling or supplying food to help you to decide whether you require registration: https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/register-a-food-business.

The FSA have identified effective cleaning, chilling, cooking and avoiding cross-contamination (also known as the 4C’s) as key in preparing, making and storing food safely.

Here are some general, practical tips for when you're making food for large numbers of people as associated with the 4 activities referred to above:

  • prepare food in advance and freeze it, if you can, but ensure the food is properly defrosted before you use it;

    • when freezing cooked food, cool it quickly at room temperature then place it in the fridge within 1 to 2 hours.

  • always wash fresh fruit and vegetables thoroughly;

  • keep raw and ready-to-eat foods apart;

  • do not use food past its use-by date (see section no. 6 below for more details);

  • always read any cooking instructions and make sure food is properly cooked before you serve it

    • Before serving white meat and minced meat (including kebabs, sausages and burgers), make sure it is steaming hot and cooked all the way through. When cutting into the thickest part of the meat, check that none of the meat is pink and that any juices run clear;

    • Most frozen vegetables, including sweetcorn will need to be cooked before you can eat them, even if they are then going to be served cold as part of a salad for example.

    • Food that needs to be chilled, such as sandwich fillings served as part of a buffet, should be left out of the fridge for no more than four hours. After this time, any remaining food should be thrown away or put back in the fridge. If you do put the food back in the fridge, don't let it stand around at room temperature when you serve it again.

  • ensure that food preparation areas are suitably cleaned and sanitised after use and wash any equipment you are using in hot soapy water; and

  • keep chilled food out of the fridge for the shortest time possible:

Those handling food should observe the highest possible standards of personal hygiene to ensure that food does not become contaminated. The following practical tips should therefore be followed as a minimum:

• Wash your hands before preparing food and at regular intervals with soap and water.

• Wear clean clothes.

• Before preparing or handling food remove excess jewellery e.g. ornate ring as they harbour dirt and bacteria and could fall into food.

• Tie long hair back or cover it.

• If you have a cut make sure you cover it with a waterproof dressing and not a gauze dressing.

• Do not attempt to prepare food for consumption by others if you have:

o Sores, boils, septic lesions or any other type of skin condition;

o An acute cough or cold; and/or

o Symptoms of vomiting or diarrhoea (within the last 24 hours).

Some foods such as raw milk, raw shellfish, soft cheeses, pâté, foods containing raw egg and cooked sliced meats are more likely to cause food poisoning than others. If you intend to serve any of these foods, consult the FSA’s guidance on “Foods that need extra care”:

https://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/media/document/foods-that-need-extra-care.pdf

Use-by dates show how long the food remains safe to eat or drink. Check and follow the use-by dates of the food you serve. Food cannot be supplied in any circumstances if its use-by date has passed.

You can serve home-made cakes at community events. They should be safe to eat as long as the people who make them follow good food hygiene advice and the cakes are made, stored and transported safely.

In addition to the practical tips referred to in sections 3.2 and 4.1 above, the following additional advice is provided in relation to cakes:

• use recipes from reputable sources;

• don't use raw eggs in anything that won't be thoroughly cooked, such as icing or mousse;

• keep cheesecakes and any cakes or desserts containing fresh cream in the fridge:

o on the day ensure such cakes are left out of the fridge for the shortest time possible, ideally not longer than four hours;

• store cakes in a clean, sealable container, away from raw foods. You can keep cakes and baked goods with high sugar content in:

o airtight containers - this will prevent mould growth through absorption of moisture from the atmosphere;
o the fridge - cakes will last for longer, but their quality may be affected
o Any cakes with high moisture additions, such as cream, added after baking, should not be left at room temperature. They must be stored chilled (in the fridge) and eaten within the shelf-life of the added product.
o There are some types of icing, such as ganache and butter cream, that can be kept outside the fridge. It’s best to store them somewhere cool and dry. Check the guidelines for storage of the particular icing product you will be using.

• when handling cakes use tongs or a cake slice.
• Label the cakes if they contain allergens or at least be aware of the type(s) of allergen(s) present and which cakes contain them, should you be asked. See section 9 below for more information on Allergens.

Using jam jars

It is safe to re-use glass jam jars occasionally to supply home-made jam or chutney as long as the jars are properly washed. If jam jars are re-used, they should be free from chips and cracks, and should be sterilised prior to each use. Well-fitting lids will also minimise any hygiene risks to the food in the jars.

 

The regulations on food contact materials, which may limit the re-use of jam jars, apply to businesses. These regulations are highly unlikely to apply to the use of jam jars for occasional community and charity food provision. If you have any concerns however about the re-use of jam jars, contact the University Catering Manager for advice.

 

EU Food Information for Consumers Regulation (EU FIC) set stringent rules on food businesses in relation to information on allergens present in both pre-packed and non-pre-packed food and drink including their adequate handling. Whilst this guidance is aimed at those who handle, prepare, store and serve food occasionally and on a small scale, the University recognises that it would be best practice to adopt those standards set for food businesses where at all possible for the management of allergens.

For the purpose of this guidance, “allergens” are defined as certain ingredients that customers need to avoid because of a food allergy or intolerance.


You need to tell your customers if any food products you sell or provide contain any of the main 14 allergens as an ingredient. The 14 allergens are:

    • Celery;
    • Cereals containing gluten – including wheat (such as spelt and Khorasan), rye, barley and oats;
    • Crustaceans – such as prawns, crabs and lobsters;
    • Eggs;
    • Fish;
    • Lupin (found in flour);
    • Milk (including cream, butter, yogurt, crème fraiche);
    • Molluscs – such as mussels and oysters;
    • Mustard;
    • Tree nuts – including almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts;
    • Peanuts;
    • Sesame Seeds (including oil, halva);
    • Soybeans; and
    • Sulphur dioxide and sulphites.

For those making cakes, those allergens most commonly associated with the production of cakes and biscuits have been highlighted above.

The presence of allergens also applies to the additives, processing aids and any other substances which are present in the final product. For example, sulphites, which are often used to preserve dried fruit, might still be present after the fruit is used to make chutney. If this is the case, you need to declare them.

  • Allergens in pre-packed and non-prepacked food

 

  • Different rules apply to pre-packed and non-prepacked foods. Prep-packed refers to any food put into packaging before being placed on sale. Pre-packed food must have an ingredient list with allergenic ingredients emphasised (usually in bold font) every time they appear in the ingredient list.
  • Non-prepacked (loose) foods include:
  • foods sold loose in retail outlets, for example cold meats or cheeses sold from a salad bar;
  • foods which are not sold pre-packed, such as meals served in a cafeteria and food from a takeaway.

If you provide non-prepacked (loose) foods, you will need to supply allergen information for every item that contains any of the 14 no. allergens. This includes food provided in the form of a buffet. The form this information takes could be full allergen information on a menu, chalkboard or in an information pack or a written notice placed in a clearly visible position explaining how your customers can obtain this information. An example allergy and intolerance sign is provided in appendix A to this guidance. When allergen information is provided as part of a conversation with a customer, this needs to be backed up by the written information to ensure it is accurate and consistent.

Foods pre-packed for direct sale are foods prepared on the premises where they are sold. For these products, allergen information can be provided in the same way as for non-prepacked (loose) foods. 

  • Handling food allergens in the kitchen

 

  • There are different things you can do to prevent cross-contamination with allergens. These include:
  • having separate work surfaces, chopping boards and utensils for foods prepared free from one or several allergens and cleaning utensils before each usage, especially if they were used to prepare meals containing allergens;
  • storing ingredients and prepared foods separately in closed and labelled containers;

  • keeping ingredients that contain allergens separate from other ingredients; and

  • washing hands thoroughly between preparing dishes with and without certain allergens.
  • Allergen cross-contamination can happen through using the same cooking oil. For example, to cook gluten-free chips, you can’t use the same oil which has been previously used for cooking your battered fish. If you can’t avoid cross-contamination you should tell you customers that you can’t provide an allergen-free dish.

Free-from claims, including gluten-free

Making ‘free from claims’ for meals require strict controls of ingredients, how they are handled and prepared. This is because a free-from claim is a guarantee that the food is suitable for all with an allergy or intolerance. For instance, if you are handling wheat flour in kitchen and you cannot remove the risk of cross-contamination through segregation by time and/or space, you should let the customer know and not make any gluten-free or wheat-free claims.

Further sources of internal and external associated information are available as follows:

  • Internal (Health and Safety Department website:

     https://www.wlv.ac.uk/staff/services/hsd/policies-procedures--forms/):

 

  • H&S Guidance for Events
  • Planning a Charitable Bake Sale “How to…” Guidance
  • External:

 

  • “Safer Food, Better Business” (food safety management guidance aimed at small catering businesses):

 

https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/safer-food-better-business-for-caterers

  • Allergen guidance for food businesses:

https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/allergen-guidance-for-food-businesses

 

 

Please use the following:


FOOD ALLERGIES and INTOLERANCES

Please speak to our staff about the ingredients in your meal,

when making your order.

Thank you.