Regulatory Services

[Poly Hive]

Dear Heather,

Both of us have on line hygiene certs and we carry a top hygiene star rating from the local council.

Dinna look down your nose at on line learning. It works.

PH

 

[MuswellMetro]

you better get an on line certificate then

http://www.train4food.co.uk/

That is appalling to think you can get online. So open to pulling correct answers from internet. It does actually involve learning good hygiene standards- temperatures etc- any old grot could pass at this rate!!
I got mine the old way- learning!!

well your local council environmental health service will probably to the same C&G ertificate for about £50 in a one day course, having been down that route, the pass level needed was low as it was 20 correct on multiple choice 30 tick box questions,

Some passed the 60 % only with help and prompts from the examiner "were would you store fresh meat with cooked ham in a food chill cabinet= answers A Above ham, B same shelf as ham, C below ham,.......what's a chill cabinet'''''FRIDGE

 

[Dishmop]

Most of these regulations come from the EU.

They make a law which is 3 pages long and by the time we get it its 300 pages long.

Several years ago..... Local family country butcher....

Told if he didnt update his shop he would have to close.

His cold store was at the rear of his shop but not connected to it. They said he was not allowed to carry carcases in the open from store to shop. The fact that the carcases had to get to the cold store by the same route made no difference...

In the UK I bet they wouldnt let you have a lorry which has one side converted so that it has several rows of chickens cooking on spits at a local market... seen in Belgium...

or 220volt cables all over the ground where traders have plugged into power points...

Belgium supermarket..... buy a loaf of bread and you can put it thro the slicer yourself.
The EU countries make these laws and them ignore them, and complain if we dont.

 

[BeePee]

I don't know what all the fuss is about. I was told if I sell honey to any member of the public I will have to register with the local authority....... so I did.

Firstly I had a Health and Safety Officer come round and looked at my Honey House. He asked me to provide him with a written proceedure of how I handle my honey from Hive to jar........... which I did. He told me that my premises are ok and I would not see him again!!.

I then had a visit from the local environmental health Officer who took a jar of honey.......... which he paid for, checked my scales and the only fault he could find was with my labels that did not have my post code or 'made in uk' on them. Both were pleasant, helpful and said I was doing a good job. By the way, the honey came back as Clover.

They are looking for cleanliness first and formost, then a competant attitude..........we are producing a food product and selling to the public, so we must abide by their rules.

This was in Herefordshire.

 

[Dishmop]

Sell the jars and say the honey is free.

 

[AMAE]

The visit wasn't bad, in fact she was very reasonable. Suggested a basic food hygiene course, asked for a flow diagram of honey extraction process( if anyone has one it would save me reinventing the wheel!). She accepted a jar of honey...stating she would have to declare it (maybe/maybe not!).

At least having had the inspection I am now entitled to sell through third parties. apparently any one producing food needs an inspection ( as of 3 yeas ago) but being very low risk, I won't hear from them again for 5 years and then only to complete a form, if no change in conditions then unlikely to see them. I can live with that.

She took a sample of my labeling for the Trading Standards, but was at pains to point out that in this very specialised area, the info from BBKA and similar was probably superior. I was her first honey producer inspection.....

AMAE

 

[VEG]

Why people think it is a bad thing for them to visit is beyond me, I called and asked them to visit my house to check all was ok and had no problem at all. They cant be more helpfull and are there to help and I would welcome them back anytime. I would be more worried if I hadnt got in touch with them.

 

[Chris B]

Why people think it is a bad thing for them to visit is beyond me, I called and asked them to visit my house to check all was ok and had no problem at all. They cant be more helpfull and are there to help and I would welcome them back anytime. I would be more worried if I hadnt got in touch with them.

The point is it's a massive sledgehammer to crack a tiny nut. They know little about honey and are usually unaware of the relevant regulations (i.e 99% of beekeepers are exempt). And a food hygiene certificate has little relevance to honey processing because it's focus is high risk foods.
Veg, you say they were helpful. Can you explain how they actually helped you to improve what you were already doing?

 

[VEG]

They put my mind at ease that, what I had put in place was in fact what they needed. i.e risk assesment of the honey extracting process from the hive to the jar.

I did a great amount of research on the matter before I started selling my honey so I knew that I would be ok. I think the biggest mistake people make is not contacting them in the first place. It is easier for them to make a visit by request rather than them turn up on your doorstep.

Can they stop the shop from selling if you are not registered with them this is something I didnt ask.
They did say that honey is way down on their priority, but have to investigate if any turns up that is not from a registered person.

Oh and the lady that visited me was 100% up to date on all the honey regs.

 

[Dishmop]

Does all this apply only if you are selling thro another person?

 

[VEG]

Lots of the rules apply even if you give it away.

 

[Saradan]

Well, the nice lady from the Council arrived for our pre arranged meeting (see start of this thread).

and......

she was very pleasant. Reassured me there was nothing to worry about. I'd already filled in the form she previously left with my wife. She was looking to see where I extracted and jarred my honey and an overview of the process.

Nothing 'heavy', didn't press me on how I clean my extractor, containers and jars etc.

As I would be "considered a low risk the chances of me seeing anyone from the council again in the near future would be slim."

She did ask if she could come back next September to watch me do some extracting out curiosity (although I don't suppose she'd be able to leave the day job behind).

So all in all I feel quite relieved....

 

[Rosti]

Does all this apply only if you are selling thro another person?

Yep, it does (and so it should!). The food hygiene regs, food safety act (and parts of the honey regs) also apply even if you give it away for free - the bits that relate to food safety and hygiene. The leg is referenced to the producer / manufacturer and the owner of the brand. "For Free" gear gets round some aspects of labeling and weights and measures (provided its not a promotional campaign).

Your name on it sole food safety liability. A secondary sellers name on it joint liability but they seller will almost certainly be able to claim due dilligence (if they have their head screwed on) and pass it back to the producer (the beek).