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Local authorities exchange
best practice on SFBB
www.food.gov.uk February 2008
NEWSLETTER
The south east of England seminar discussed sustainable implementation of SFBB
Local authorities and FSA regional
teams are sharing best practice and
developing Safer food, better business
(SFBB) through regional seminars.
SFBB is a key initiative in the FSA
regional teams’ work with local
authorities (LAs).
Over the past year, the teams have
supported SFBB, assisting in
workshops for enforcement staff
around the UK and feeding back
suggestions from local food groups
to the SFBB team in London.
The regional teams also support
local authorities in their regulatory
work and promote other key
Agency priorities.
The Agency hosted a regional
seminar in the south east of England
in November to highlight good Gavin Steadman, Medway Council, coaching work with the Agency.
practice and sustainability in on SFBB and cultural diversity ‘We have had 1,580 delegates
implementing SFBB. Almost 60 Adam Spencer, Winchester City through the training courses in 26
officers from over 40 LAs attended. Council, and Mark Hewett, chef at months, with some absolutely
Topics covered different approaches the cathedral refectory Winchester brilliant feedback,’ she said.
to projects, the successes and Cathedral, on ‘A chef’s experience’ Julian Blackburn introduced the
problems. Practical tips were given, Alex Lisle, Reigate and Banstead, on multi-language SFBB DVD,
such as the value of communicating Delivering SFBB through partnership and adaptations for particular
with businesses via newsletters. ‘This event benefited from some sectors, such as care homes and
Julian Blackburn, head of the high quality speakers, not only from childminders.
Agency’s SFBB Team, provided local authorities but also from a One of the major questions was
background and news of its work. thriving food business,’ seminar how SFBB can be sustained after the
LA representatives discussed in chair Alan Harvey, FSA South East end of grants. Delegates looked into
small groups the future Regional Co-ordinator, said. The ways of ensuring that SFBB work
sustainability of SFBB. Ideas from message was that, ‘ensuring food was embedded in LAs’ approaches
the session included: adding SFBB safety will always remain a to their enforcement responsibilities.
into current food hygiene training paramount concern for the FSA. It There was discussion about
programmes of local catering also demonstrated the valuable role alternative resources, such as
colleges/schools, incorporating SFBB local authority colleagues have in economic development units and
BETTER BUSINESS
SAFER FOOD
in economic advice through Business relation to SFBB.’ further education colleges.
Link, and engaging community The most recent SFBB seminar, for At the end of the day, Sarah
East Midlands’ participants discussed how to
embed SFBB in enforcement responsibilities
groups. The delegates said that it was the East Midlands, was held in Moule from Nottingham City
important to keep the SFBB packs Nottingham in December. Forty-five Council commented: ‘I have found a
free and suggested a central register LA delegates looked at delivering renewed commitment to SFBB and
of coaches with language skills. SFBB in ways that would meet the will investigate pooling resources
The seminar featured needs of local enforcement with other LAs in the county to
presentations from a variety of communities and food businesses. sustain success.’
projects including: The speakers included Sarah Commenting on the seminars,
Cairns, from Mansfield, who shared Sharon Young of the FSA’s regional
the experience of targeting ethnic unit said: ‘Inviting to regional events
businesses, and Graham Cox and LAs that have not received SFBB
Michelle Rudkin from Rushcliffe, grant funding has provided them
who discussed their project, which is with an excellent opportunity to find
linked to their ‘Scores on the Doors’ out what others have been
scheme for food establishments. developing and delivering.
Owen Green, owner of The ‘LAs do not always have the
London Road Bakery in Bolsover, resources to deliver training in other
spoke on SFBB both as a training languages but working at regional
tool and to ensure compliance with level can provide the economies of
food safety requirements. scale to make it viable.
Kirstie Trasler, of Highfield Ltd, ‘Such an approach to SFFB is
emphasised the input of participants being currently piloted in the north
in a presentation on the company’s west of England.’
Bristol: local coaches
crucial for catering
Interactive DVD
Safer food, better business
to complement
Safer food,
better business
2
Training local business leaders in minority city’s Chinese and Bangladeshi associations.
ethnic communities has been crucial in ‘Our plan to train members of the local
implementing SFBB in smaller food community as coaches has been the key to
establishments across Bristol. our success,’ said Tony Creasy, Senior
The city’s Food Safety Team bid for FSA Environmental Health Officer in Bristol,
funding, emphasising the recruitment of who co-ordinated the South Asian and
C-rated catering businesses and using SFBB Chinese part of the project. ‘Our
to engage with minority ethnic food Bangladeshi coach is a restaurant owner,
concerns. The team also wanted to develop ex-chair of the local Bangladesh Association,
capacity to help the project continue once and a food safety trainer. He can speak
current funding had ended. Bengali, Urdu and Punjabi, and his
The safer food, better business interactive Bengali, Urdu, Cantonese, Somali, Turkish knowledge of South Asian cuisines and
DVD is nearing completion and is due to and Kurdish are the predominant languages practices has proved invaluable in making
be launched in February 2008. in over two-thirds of C-rated premises. SFBB relevant.’
It is designed to be played on a An experienced contractor took on most Businesses began completing the safe
computer or DVD player and is available of the work with English-speaking method sheets in workshops. Some
with voiceovers in 16 languages, common businesses. The food safety team then Bangladeshi businesses needed additional
to small catering and retail businesses, focused on minority ethnic businesses and coaching to become familiar with the
reflecting the need to train people from supporting community partners. Links with pack, so extra group workshops were
diverse communities. community partners were used to tackle arranged between seminars and one-to-one
The DVD content will also be available high levels of enforcement in businesses coaching visits.
on the web and the videos can be serving Chinese, South Asian and Somali Tony Creasy added: ‘My health promotion
watched live online or downloaded for cuisines. One team member co-ordinated experience has made me appreciate the
future use when a connection to the these parts of the project. All the team and barriers that some businesses experience
Internet is not available. three community participants were trained when dealing with the council. I thought it
The SFBB interactive DVD package as SFBB coaches. was important for people to meet me and to
consists of an A4 leaflet and a disc with Sustaining the project beyond its funding be honest about their thoughts on SFBB.
an insert explaining how to use the DVD; was approached using the Chinese and I’ve been encouraged by the response, and
these are contained in a wallet that is South Asian packs, and by developing my initial impression is that our relationship
designed to fit in the SFBB pack. capacity within the team and its community with the local Chinese, Bengali, and Somali
The A4 leaflet is called ‘Working with partners, especially through links with the business communities has improved.’
Stong visuals stress the main messages
food? What you need to know before
you start’.
It is aimed at staff in catering and retail
businesses and is designed to cover
personal hygiene basics such as ‘How to
wash hands’.
The key messages are shown in a strong
visual format using minimal text.
Safer food, better business coach Saleh Ahmed, standing, with, left, Amit Lakhani, one of the owners of the
Myristica restaurant in Bristol, at one of the group coaching sessions
Care home diary peeps into future
Safer food, better business 3
Bootle school’s shining example
Voluntary mentoring
works well if the LA has
the resources to target
particular types of
catering businesses
When North Kesteven District Council’s
environmental health officers wanted to
spread the word about SFBB, a small
group of local businesses were invited to
lead the way.
Hazel Carelton, left, and Teresa Cross, saving time, money and paper
Among them was Holmleigh Care Home,
which provides residential, respite and day
care for 35 people. Holmleigh had followed
a diary system for several years but it was in
need of an update.
Training on SFBB was delivered in two
sessions held at Holmleigh. Hazel Carelton,
the home’s manager, said: ‘Teresa Cross, our
chef, and I, were taken through the format,
and we were shown the type of things that
we should be entering in the diary. By the
end of the first session we felt comfortable
with the new concept.’ Teresa Cross said:
‘The support that we have had has been
very, very good.’
easier and is less costly in the long run’. It well if the local authority has the
also saves her and Teresa a lot of surplus resources to target particular types of
paperwork as everything is in one place. catering businesses.
Outstanding sections and training records Hazel calls the whole system her ‘kitchen The local authority EHO has since shown
were completed at the second session. ‘It care plan’ as ‘all the residents require a plan the staff at Holmleigh the draft version of
saves time and money and it’s jargon free,’ of care – so does the kitchen.’ the additional pages that have been designed
says Hazel, adding: ‘Now there is no excuse North Kesteven District Council has asked specifically for residential care homes and
for new members of staff to claim that they Hazel to attend roadshows on SFBB Hazel feels this will ‘give a complete picture
do not know what goes on in the kitchen.’ targeted at similar enterprises. This of how they tackle food safety in a high
Hazel believes that staff training is ‘made voluntary mentoring approach works very risk environment’.
When Bootle High School decided to Karen Beer, Principal Environmental
provide its school meals in-house, catering Health Officer at Sefton Council,
Norma Owens, above left and in action, has used the SFBB pack to train her kitchen staff
manager Norma Owens and her team took commented: ‘Norma and her team have
up the challenge using SFBB. been really enthusiastic about SFBB. They
Norma completed the advanced food have implemented it really well and
hygiene course, demonstrating the completed the pack and use the diary to
underpinning knowledge needed to run a manage food safety in their kitchen. I’m
school kitchen. really pleased with what they have done
SFBB gave a structure for assuring safe and it shows that SFBB really works.’
catering, and Norma found that the
toolkit complemented her style of
cooking perfectly.
Many of the school’s 700 pupils come
from socially deprived backgrounds and
one in three pupils are on free school meals,
so a healthy lunch in the middle of the day
is essential.
Norma guarantees this by cooking from
scratch. She has developed safe methods for
each dish and has used the pack to train her
kitchen staff.
‘I’m not the brightest bulb in the pack but
SFBB is all common sense and so easy to
use,’ she said.
SFBB training
– a real catch
for Norfolk
fish shop
4 Safer food, better business
No present like time for fenland caravan park
SFBB pack provides ‘refreshment’ in tea rooms
Officially certified as an SFBB Champion Business – one piece of paper that won’t end up as chip wrapping
SFBB has led to a major increase in
turnover for one Norfolk concern.
Landamore’s Fish Shop, in Coltishall,
was the first business in Broadland to
complete the SFBB evaluation process and
to receive a certificate of compliance.
Mark Landamore and his sister, Jane
Ballard, run the business – a family
concern that started 44 years ago – serving
traditional fish and chips to regular local
customers and passing trade.
Their time in charge of the shop has not
been without incident: among the early
setbacks was a gas explosion that
demolished the building next door and
severely affected their own business.
After attending one of the first seminars
on SFBB in 2006, Landamore’s became an
SFBB Champion Business for the fish and
chip sector.
Mark Landamore said: ‘Safer food, He added that they found the subsequent which generated a great deal of interest
better business is a simple and highly coaching visit very helpful in implementing from the local population and brought
effective way for small businesses to the SFBB pack. new customers to the shop. They estimate
implement food hygiene regulations and The Landamores talked about their that turnover has risen by 20% as a result and
develop best practices.’ involvement with SFBB in local papers, they have retained their new customers.
The SFBB pack has helped one caravan records of her fridge and freezer members of staff understand the control
park manager save 30 minutes a day. temperatures but was always aware that measures specifically relevant to the food
Diane Griib opened the Virginia Lake this was a time-consuming procedure. operation at the park. She finds the
Caravan Park in Norfolk, in 1990. When Since she started using SFBB earlier this language of the pack particularly useful as
the site began serving food in the clubhouse year Diane reckons that she has saved 30 it is in such a plain and straightforward
in 1996, it was Diane’s first experience of minutes a day on temperature recording style. Asked if she could find any
Ashwood Nurseries’ Tea Room: small shoots of
running a food business. alone – or at least 15 hours most months. drawbacks with the pack she said: ‘No. I
SFBB have blossomed into better teamwork
She had always kept meticulous daily Diane uses the pack to ensure that new think it’s brilliant!’
Implementing SFBB can mean increased workshops and individual coaching sessions
confidence in the business’s food safety to help businesses to implement SFBB (with
approach, better training and more efficient a grant of more than £44,000 from the FSA).
use of resources. The daily diary, used for record-keeping,
That is the experience of one of the first only takes Ruth a few minutes each day. She
businesses successfully to implement SFBB, and her team enjoyed completing the pack
Ashwood Nurseries’ Tea Room in and recommend it to other business
Ashwood, South Staffordshire. operators. ‘It is nothing to be frightened of,
The tea room catering manager, Ruth it has taken a lot of pressure off me and
Cartwright, said that she had worried about given me the confidence that our systems are
complying with the new EU requirement to working to ensure food safety.’
document food safety management: ‘I was Ruth had read about the SFBB pack in
concerned about where to start and how previous editions of the Food Safety
long it would take me,’ she said. Newsletter issued by South Staffordshire
Her view was changed by support and District Council. She said it took only a few
training provided by South Staffordshire hours to complete the pack, it encouraged
District Council. The council provided everyone to work as a team and it was very
Training sounded too good to be true
East Northants: Pizza 2 Go goes ‘all the way’
Safer food, better business 5
Introducing ‘Scores on the Doors’ first The college partner was chosen because it: we went straight to coaching, following
would have made it easier to implement specialises in business training solutions agreement with the FSA. Local authorities
SFBB, according to a Shropshire food and uses locally based trainers, which enhances also contacted businesses to encourage
safety manager. the local skill base bookings – with some success.’
‘I believe it would have been easier to used coaches with a catering background He outlined some of the other difficulties
recruit businesses because Scores on the already provided food safety training, they had encountered: for example,
Doors would give caterers the added which could lead on to sustainable inevitably, some caterers did not continue to
incentive to improve their performance,’ training opportunities at the end of the maintain the workbook and they were given
said Ron Muirhead, food and safety project funding. further guidance; administration of the
manager for Shrewsbury and Atcham The local authority partners provided a project was more time-consuming than
Borough Council. database of eligible businesses and the college anticipated because of the coordination
He was reflecting on the experience of arranged workshops and coaching visits. needed with four partners; many businesses
introducing Safer food, better business After a good start, the numbers of postponed coaching visits, causing problems
training to caterers in the northern half delegates at workshops fell away. The with milestone completion.
of Shropshire. college had difficulties selling free training All of these difficulties were overcome in
The initiative is being delivered locally in a because businesses either considered it a the end.
joint project between Shrewsbury and marketing ploy or assumed the training it Evaluation of SFBB in coached businesses
Atcham, Oswestry, and North Shropshire offered would be of poor quality. has shown that they welcomed especially the
councils, all working with Walford and Ron Muirhead said: ‘Attendance improved practical approach from trainers with a
North Shropshire College. with a switch to more desirable venues; then catering background.
Mr and Mrs Yilmaz, the owners of the Pizza new practices but were not sure how to make really helped us to be more organised.
2 Go takeaway, found out about Safer food, it work for their business. Previously, it was all in my head, the
better business when a pack was delivered to Mr Yilmaz said: ‘The seminar was really suppliers, delivery dates and times etc, but
their business by an environmental health good as the businesses learnt a lot from each now it is written down so that everyone
officer from East Northamptonshire District other. It put our minds at rest too as most knows what is happening in the business.
Council and they had a letter telling them people were experiencing the same problems Mr and Mrs Yilmaz commented that if
there was a change in the law and offering so I didn’t feel so alone.’ Safer food, better business was not available,
free training. Safer food, better business has been they would have really struggled to organise
They said: ‘Small businesses like us can’t extremely helpful to Pizza 2 Go, as without it themselves and it would have taken a long
afford to pay for consultants so we were they felt it would have been very difficult to time for them to comply.
happy that we could attend a seminar and get comply with the new legislation. Mrs Yilmaz They said they could not have complied
coaching at no cost.’ commented: ‘It is good that it is all in one fully with the new legislation without it.
The seminar took about half a day and then pack, as it means you don’t have temperature They are happy to recommend the pack to
they received one-to-one coaching sessions – records in one place, suppliers’ details in other businesses and to advise others to ask
the first one took place about two months another place and other checks on bits of their local environmental health teams to
after the seminar and lasted about two hours. paper all over the place, and it can be support them to fill out the pack.
The second visit was a month after this and tailored to suit your business.’ ‘Safer food, better business helps you to
lasted for about 30 minutes. They consider Mr Yilmaz said that it has helped his make sure that you are making food safely
that the coaching visits were very important, business by ‘using the pack as a training tool and it also helps to protect your business
because after the seminar they felt that they and knowing that our staff can follow the from allegations that you are not cooking
understood why they had to implement the instructions. The layout of the pack has your food properly.’
Catering manager Ruth Cartwright, centre, with pastry chef Steven Walker and head chef Stephen Brinicombe
useful for staff training, especially highlighting
issues where retraining was necessary.
‘SFBB made us think about what we were
doing and what changes we could make to
improve food safety. Good food safety is
vitally important to me and this business,
and the pack provided a useful refresher.’
Throughout the year, operators of small to
medium-sized catering businesses are being
invited to attend an SFBB workshop in
South Staffordshire.
At the workshop, participants signed up
to the individual follow-up coaching
sessions, which take place at each business’
premises. At these sessions, the trainer
spends up to three hours helping the
business to adapt the SFBB pack to cover
the particular hazards associated with food
preparation and handling processes in
that setting.
The professional approach to
making SFBB work
Safer food, better business
Implemention – a trainer’s tale
6
Training consultancy CMi has been involved closely with the company during the have asked CMi to continue supporting their
with the national roll-out of SFBB since its business recruitment activities. businesses by providing small, interactive
development and has worked with more Attendance rates have also increased workshops with follow-up coaching or direct
than 150 local authorities (LAs), supporting wherever authorities have actively promoted coaching visits where required.
in excess of 20,000 businesses, writes Julie SFBB through local publicity and during As the FSA’s contracted framework
Munn from CMi. routine inspections, have contacted seminar provider, CMi will continue to be involved
The CMi team of 140 SFBB coaches delegates two days before the seminar and in the grant-funded roll-out of SFBB
provides nationwide cover. The use of have followed up promptly on any ‘no-shows’. nationally. Additionally, we are running
coaches who are from a catering background What has been found, however, is that several trials with local authorities whereby
and who do not have enforcement once the businesses are at the seminar, 93% businesses can purchase a direct coaching
responsibilities provides immense benefits in of them are signing up for a follow-up session at subsidised rates. CMi is also
that businesses tend to be far more open when coaching session. embarking on a project with a national pub
questioned about their business operations. Another major factor in increasing the company, offering coaching support to
One of the biggest challenges faced during the interest in SFBB seminars has been linking tenanted houses not only in SFBB but in
operation of the SFBB grant-funded scheme the implementation of a documented food other areas of catering development.
has been ensuring the required number of safety management system with Scores on In January, CMi started a series of
businesses attend the SFBB seminars. the Doors schemes. Those authorities that seminars and coaching on behalf of Welsh
We have experienced a large variation in have launched, or are in the process of local authorities, funded by FSA Wales.
seminar attendance across areas of the launching, their schemes are seeing that an
country and while business distribution and increased star-rating is a powerful driver for Further information
demographics certainly play a part in this, seminar attendance. For more details contact Julie Munn,
the better seminar attendance rates have Some of the local authorities that received tel: 07801 039024;
been where local authorities have worked funding from the first tranche of grant money email: julie.munn@cmi-plc.com
In June 2005, Highfield.co.uk Ltd was many questions raised as to the enforcement
awarded a contract by the FSA to provide of non-compliance in relation to food
courses to train environmental health premises. Many saw the system as a
practitioners (EHPs), technicians, trainers retrograde step to hazard analysis (and its
and others who might be involved in the associated paperwork). Did SFBB actually
coaching of businesses to implement Safer comply with the regulations?
food, better business (SFBB). The trainers often felt like target practice!
Initially, the main content of the course However, using coaching skills, we turned
Above: a trainer working on behalf of training
was to give attendees the full picture of around the concerns with a positive
company Hygiene and Safety Management Ltd,
why SFBB was needed, the background to approach. After a few months, as experiences
takes Bengali speakers through the benefits of
SFBB. The company also offers sessions in Urdu,
this, familiarisation with the content of the were passed on, and with solid support from
Punjabi, Hindi, Tamil, Cantonese, Mandarin, Polish
packs and, very importantly, how to take a the FSA team, the trainers were able to
– and English. For more details go to:
www.hsmanagement.co.uk
coaching approach to its implementation, answer questions with positive experiences.
writes Kirstie Trasler, lead SFBB trainer The course has changed over the past two
from Highfield. and a half years, primarily in response to
When putting the course materials together feedback from delegates, but also to keep up
it struck me that no matter who you were and to date with what EHPs required, as the
what your role was with regards to SFBB, implementation projects moved on. For
you really could help a business to make a example, we were able to provide an
difference in their approach to food safety. evaluation exercise after six months, as this
Environmental health staff who are regularly was being carried out by some authorities.
inspecting food premises are already using There has also been a huge change of
their communication skills to get messages opinion with regards to SFBB and its
across to food business operators. The course implementation. This is now very positive;
needed to facilitate the attendees to recognise the examples of successful businesses helps
this fact, but also how to channel the skills everyone to understand why SFBB works. It
in a slightly different way in order to was written to help food business owners to
‘coach’ SFBB. understand food safety and how they could
There was a fair bit of negativity towards help themselves to comply in easy steps –
the SFBB pack in the beginning from EHPs. with a little help from their environmental
The pack was new; it was not known health practitioner or coach.
whether it would be successful. Local
authorities had to bid for project resources; Further information
many did not feel they had the staffing For more details, go to:
resources to give to the project. There were www.highfield.co.uk
SFBB to benefit vulnerable groups
Safer food, better business 7
A booklet has also
been developed for
registered childminders
who provide meals
and/or snacks for
young children and
babies in a home
environment
The FSA website – working for you
Older people in residential care should benefit from the hygiene methods outlined in SFBB for Care Homes
The Food Standards Agency is in the process
of developing two new Safer food, better
business (SFBB) products based on SFBB for
caterers – a supplement for care homes and
a booklet for childminders.
The ‘Safer food, better business for care
homes’ supplement has been developed with
involvement from a working group that
included representatives from Local
Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory
Services (LACORS), the Commission for
Social Care Inspectorate (CSCI), the
Department of Health (DH) and local
authorities.
The supplement includes a revised
introduction ‘How to use this supplement’
and three new safe methods that have been
developed specifically for small residential
care homes, for older and younger people
and those with learning difficulties.
they should be used with SFBB for caterers changing facilities and pets in the kitchen
and not on their own. while food is being prepared
The ‘Safer food, better business for Foods that need extra care – making sure
childminders’ booklet has been developed certain foods receive special attention, for
Safer food, better business for
with a working group that includes example, infant formula and honey.
different cuisines
Smiles all round: looking out for children in care
representatives from the National The anticipated launch date for the care
Childminders’ Association (NCMA), homes material is spring 2008, with the
Safer food, better business for retailers
National Association of Childminders childminders’ booklet following after that.
Information Services (NACIS), the Pre-
school Learning Alliance, Ofsted, LACORS
and local authorities.
The guidance was originally developed for
childminders and nurseries, but feedback
Bacteria Bite Business Safer food, better business in
from the working group strongly indicated
other languages
The new safe methods cover specific the childminders’ and nurseries’ booklet
Safer food, better business for caterers
activities that occur in the care home should be split into two as it was felt
environment. They include: the booklet could possibly be overwhelming
Extra care – protecting food from other for childminders and insufficient for
activities in the care home, for example, nurseries.
cleaning up accidents and laundry The booklet has now been developed
Gift Food – food from family and friends specifically for registered childminders who
and donations from supermarkets provide meals and/or snacks for young
or charities children and babies in a home environment.
Mini-kitchens – food preparation areas It is adapted from SFBB for caterers and
and storage away from the main kitchen. includes new guidance on:
To ensure these safe methods provide a Extra care – protecting food from certain
complete food safety management system, child care activities, for example, nappy
The Food Standards Agency is continually takeaways, comply with regulations
developing its websites to ensure that they introduced in January 2006.
meet the needs of all stakeholders. This section describes Safer food, better
A Safer food, better business page for business packs adapted for small catering
retailers and caterers can be found on the This section has details on the safety businesses, such as restaurants and
Agency’s food.gov.uk website at: management pack developed to help retail takeaways, that serve either Chinese
www.food.gov.uk/sfbb businesses across the UK comply with new cuisine or Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi
The page, see below for more details, regulations introduced in January 2006. and Sri Lankan cuisines.
provides information of interest to a range
of businesses.
The FSA’s Bacteria Bite Business video
demonstrates the importance of good food Safer food, better business for Chinese
This section includes information about hygiene, focusing on the 4 Cs (Cleaning, cuisine is available in traditional Chinese
the food safety management pack Cooking, Chilling and Cross- and both Safer food, better business for
developed to help small catering contamination). This is also available to caterers and Safer food, better business for
businesses, such as restaurants, cafés and view online. retailers have been translated into Welsh.
Food
safety
is good
business
8 Safer food, better business
Local authority
feedback shows that
progress is particularly
effective where links
are made with local
stakeholders such as
trade bodies and local
community
Businesses say that they are safer, more that implementing SFBB had led to 75 per cent industry compliance in food
profitable and more effective following the improved food safety practices, 70 per cent safety management procedures by the end
introduction of improved food safety said that their businesses were more of 2010.
procedures. effective commercially as a result, and 45 Particularly hard to reach sectors, such as
That is the conclusion of research into the per cent reported increased profits, largely takeaways, small hotels and bed and
impact of Safer food, better business (SFBB). because of improved consistency, better breakfast accommodation, will need
The results provide strong evidence that stock control, less wastage and better staff attention. LAs say that the approach must
having effective food safety management training. ‘It has given me peace of mind also address ways of reaching communities
improves performance, demonstrating the knowing everything is running well and where there are language and other
‘better business’ angle of SFBB. staff are well trained,’ one respondent communication issues, and there must be a
The vast majority of businesses reported commented. shared understanding of different cuisines.
The evaluation, which was reported to the
FSA board in December 2007, looked at the
programme from three perspectives.
In the first, the Central Office of
Information investigated the effect of
implementing a food safety management
system from the perspective of 1,143 small
catering and retail businesses in the UK.
The evaluations will help prioritise future work
This found that nine out of ten businesses
felt that the time spent on implementing a
food safety management system was
‘about right’.
Next, an independent academic review of
final reports from local authority (LA)
projects, using the first tranche of grants, LAs and businesses themselves are clear
showed that where support is provided to that, together with the guidance packs, one-
businesses through the SFBB grant to-one coaching in the business premises is
programme, 66 per cent of businesses were the most effective support.
broadly compliant and the remainder were LA feedback shows that progress is
generally making progress towards particularly effective where links are made
compliance. with local stakeholders such as trade bodies
Finally, LAs completed a questionnaire and local community groups.
exploring compliance among food Many projects established and developed
businesses in implementing food safety effective local partnership working, which
management. It found that this had has helped to build capacity for future
improved from 30 per cent in 2002 to 48 collaborative work.
per cent in 2007. The findings from the three evaluation
The evaluations also highlighted those exercises will help the Agency analyse
sectors of the industry that require more progress so far and decide on priorities for
effort if the Agency is to reach its target of the future programme.
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