Torbay Council

Advice for Businesses

This section is designed to help food businesses understand some of the food safety/food standards issues that are applicable to their businesses.

Industry Guides to Good Hygiene Practice

Industry Guides to Good Hygiene Practice are voluntary documents which are written by the industry to help businesses comply with current food safety legislation. They are recognised by the Food Standards Agency and the Local Environmental Health Department are required by law to have regard to them when carrying out food hygiene inspections.
View the Industry Guides to Good Hygiene Practice page for more details.

Food Hygiene Law

A brief summary of the main rules that apply to most food businesses in Torbay is available on the Food Hygiene Law page.

Food Standards

The Food team can provide information to businesses on food labelling, food composition and quality matters. View the Food Standards for more details.

Controlling Food Temperatures

One of the most important things that any food business must control is food temperature. Good temperature control will stop harmful bacteria growing in the food that you serve. View the Controlling Food Temperatures page fore more information.

Healthy Catering

The Agency is working with caterers to help them take steps to ensure that their customers can make healthier choices when eating outside the home. As part of this work, in January 2008, the Agency published voluntary commitments from some of the major workplace caterers in the UK. See the links to Agency work with catering businesses on the external links panel on the right.If you want practical advice about how to give your customers the choice to eat more healthily, or to help your staff or students learn about healthy catering, check out the other sections within external links.Whether you want to offer some appetising healthy specials, make simple but effective changes to all the food you offer, or give your students the tools to make these choices, these are practical tips and explanations for the reasoning behind them. You will also find some sample recipes showing how dishes can be made healthier, for example by changing the fat or calorie content.
This advice is for you if:

Pest Control in Food Businesses

Pests are one of the worst problems that a food business can encounter. Most Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notices (temporary closures) that are served on businesses in Torbay are due to mouse, rat and cockroach infestation. Don't let pests destroy your business, view the Pest Control in Food Businesses page and follow our advice!

Keeping your Business Clean

Do you know the difference between detergent and sanitiser? If not then read the advice on practical cleaning in food businesses on the Keeping your Business Clean page.

Advice on Vacuum Packing

Vacuum packing is a popular method of extending the shelf life of food products without adversely affecting their quality. Vacuum packing is an effective way of reducing food spoilage, but also creates conditions which enable the growth of anaerobic organisms (organisms that grow better in the absence of oxygen), such as clostridium botulinum, which is able to multiply and produce dangerous toxins even at temperatures as low as 3.30C. view the Advice on Vacuum Packing page for more information.

Advice on Dish Cloth Hygiene

Dish cloths offer the perfect environment for bacterial growth which can lead to food poisoning. This leaflet offers tips on how to keep dish cloths clean and to prevent cross contamination. Please see our advice leaflet in Related Documents.

Food and Drink Devon Scheme

Food and Drink Devon – ‘Love the Flavour’ represents a membership of like minded businesses, dedicated to providing good quality local food & drink. The association is committed to continuously achieving its mission – ‘To make Love the Flavour a nationally recognised brand for outstanding sustainable food and drink and promoting Devon as a foodie county.’
Food & Drink Devon offers a range of benefits designed to promote and support the producers, service providers and retailers in its membership.
We welcome new members who wish to be part of a network, which has a commitment to sell, serve or produce good quality local food & drink and contribute towards a healthy local economy and environment.
For more information contact AdministrativeCoordinator on 01803 712393 or admin@lovetheflavour.co.uk or visit www.lovetheflavour.co.uk opens in a new window. Please see our Food and Drink Scheme document in Related Documents.
This section will be updated from time to time so keep an eye on it regularly to ensure you stay up to date.

Related Documents

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Related Websites

Contact Food Safety

Related Pages