Environmental Health Officer - registration?

[Grif]

After reading the advice from the "FOOD SAFETY AND YOUR HONEY" document (from the NLB webpages), I was wondering how many small honey producers, like myself, who sell direct to the public "throughout the year" actually register with their local environmental health officers? So far, I have not contacted them as I sell on a very small scale (less than 10 hives).

For those that have registered, what was the experience like?

http://www.beekeeping.org.uk/food_safety.pdf

 

[JWF]

I'm registered as a small scale food producer as I run a tiny bakery business from home. Generally the EHOs are really helpful - they want you to do things right, rather than trying to catch you out. The main thing we need to document is start up and shut down cleaning.

I'd guess the same approach would be taken with honey producers too. I am not sure who is responsible for enforcing the requirements of the Honey Regs, is that EHOs too?

 

[Geb]

Thanks for posting the link. Useful information.

Where it says that 2 sinks are required, in my kitchen we have a double sink (2 bowls next to each other) but with a shared tap. Would this pass as ok to an EHO ?

 

[mpenn]

For those that have registered, what was the experience like

Very helpful- Not like a lot of the tosh in that link

 

[protheroe]

The EHO that called to my house was great.she didn't really look around as she could see the house was clean and tidy.Write down the extraction process from collecting supers to jarring for their records(from covering supers for transport to sterilisation).she filled a form in and that was it.They are helpful and there's no problems as long as you follow basic food hygiene

 

[Grif]

The EHO that called to my house was great.she didn't really look around as she could see the house was clean and tidy.Write down the extraction process from collecting supers to jarring for their records(from covering supers for transport to sterilisation).she filled a form in and that was it.They are helpful and there's no problems as long as you follow basic food hygiene

Thanks for that Protheroe. Did you request a visit or were you swooped upon?

 

[Jimmys Mum]

I had an EHO round last October at my request. It is a requirement of the farmers market that I sell honey at.

It was her first time with a beekeeper so I don't know if it was a typical visit or not but this is what I experienced.

She wanted to see the various places involved in the process, where I store the honey, where it is processed and also my bee shed! ....and the 2 sinks!

I was advised by another EHO on the phone prior to the appointment that producing a HACCP document would be a good idea (although not compulsory) so I did and talking through this formed the basis of our chat. She also took a copy away for the files.

She wanted to see my receipts for my honey jars and lids purchased, my extractor and my honey storage buckets.

She was really nice and gave me a few helpful tips. She gave me a rating of 5 and its a nice thing to be able to say that I have this rating to prospective buyers.

I was quite worried about it at the time but as has already been said, it is basic cleanliness and common sense that they are checking for.

 

[JWF]

1 and a half sinks meets the 2 sinks requirements.

 

[protheroe]

Thanks for that Protheroe. Did you request a visit or were you swooped upon?

We were in contact for about a year before she finally made an appointment to meet at house.
One sink was fine.she didn't mention separate sinks,didn't check any extraction equipment or where I keep it all.
Honey doesn't get handled or touch any work surfaces so unless you freeze cut comb they don't usually give a rating.
They do seem to prefer you to have a dishwasher for jars.

 

[Grif]

Does anybody know of any instances of beeks getting unrequested visits from an EHO ?

 

[Thymallus]

Thanks for posting the link. Useful information.

Where it says that 2 sinks are required, in my kitchen we have a double sink (2 bowls next to each other) but with a shared tap. Would this pass as ok to an EHO ?

It's fine as long as one is designated for food processing and the other for hand washing.
BUT there are variables in the strictness of the EHO visits depending on area.

 

[Grif]

With the financial cutbacks in local government it would seem that the chance of being swooped upon by an environmental health officer is pretty low then. Those registering for a visit are maybe only those beeks selling via shops and markets ?

 

[For want of a better word]

With the financial cutbacks in local government it would seem that the chance of being swooped upon by an environmental health officer is pretty low then. Those registering for a visit are maybe only those beeks selling via shops and markets ?

Ignorance of the law is no defense.

Best practice is to conform to current legislation.. all easily found via the interweb!

Unfortunately there are still too many " two Hive owners" as Finnie calls them who sell at small farmers markets etc who do not comply... and stupidly leave them selves wide open for prosecution by the authorities when some one dibbs 'em in or something goes horribly wrong with their incompetent honey processing or packaging!

I think !!


Yeghes da

 

[PaulCarroll]

I found the visit to be extremely helpful and I am now registered and comply with the law. I found the visit to be both supportive and after inspecting my kitchen, summer house and talking through my extraction and processing methods, he advised that as a small scale producer, it was unlikely that I would be visited again, given that honey is a natural product and that I was not adding to it other than using other natural products such as creaming. One very useful tip offered was to ensure that one tries to keep a record of who/where you sold honey, as this is a good reference as to where honey enters the food chain. In the unlikely event of some sort of food related incident, it helps in the tracking process and of course being registered offers legal compliance that the premises have been suitably inspected. I realise that the chances of honey causing problems is very small, but if somewhere in the process poor hygiene has been allowed then of course unregistered producers do leave themselves vulnerable in my view.

 

[Geb]

I suppose extracting in a typical shed is a no no from the EHO

 

[PaulCarroll]

I extract in my Summer House. As long as you have clean plastic trays for cappings and utilise plastic buckets and have a clean stainless steel extractor the EHO seemed quite content for me to utilise this area. Obviously he was keen to ensure that any further process such as bottling was done in the kitchen where clean work surfaces were available together with runner get water and the use of the oven to sterilise jars!! If your shed is reasonably clean of muddy tools and the like I don't see why it can't be used.

 

[Grif]

Do seasonal bee inspectors ever advise on this type of thing (food regulations and suchlike) or is it purely a local government thing?

 

[dpearce4]

I want them to come to my extraction as I do it outside in the apiary sometimes. Would love to see what they do with all the bees flying round them.

 

[Quis Custodiet]

I want them to come to my extraction as I do it outside in the apiary sometimes. Would love to see what they do with all the bees flying round them.

A superb suggestion! One wonders how the blighters monitor hygiene standards in China - jars of Chinese honey are/were common on the shelves?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I want them to come to my extraction as I do it outside in the apiary sometimes. Would love to see what they do with all the bees flying round them.

Like this chap, then