Food hygiene legislation

On 1st January 2006, changes were made in the food law that apply to food businesses in Wales. The main laws now in force are:

• The Food Hygiene (Wales) Regulations 2006
• Regulation (EC) 852/2004

These replace the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995 and the Food Safety (Temperature Control) Regulations 1995. They set out the basic hygiene requirements for all aspects of a food business including the responsibilities of food business operators to produce food safely.

Almost all of the requirements in the new regulations are the same as the regulations they replace. The main new requirement is that food business operators must put in place, implement and maintain a Food Safety Management System, or procedures, based on the HACCP principles. The legislation is structured in this way so that it can be applied flexibly in all food businesses regardless of their type or size.

The Neath Port Talbot guide to ‘Starting a New Food Business’ gives advice on structural requirements, types of equipment, facilities and some food hygiene practices you will need to adopt to comply with the legislation.

Further information is also available on the Food Standards Agency Website http://www.food.gov.uk/ or contact us: