Food Hygiene Regulations 1974 (FHR)
The Food Hygiene Regulations 1974 contain a summary of requirements for the registration of food premises. The Regulations provide a standard for management practices in a food business and in the First Schedule to the regulations the required physical structure of the premises is laid out– see basic setting up requirements.
Changes in regulating local food businesses
A new domestic food regulatory system has been designed following several years of consultation and policy development. Instead of the responsibility for food safety being placed on an environmental health officer to find any problems, responsibility is moved to the person in charge of the food operation who must be proactive in the way they manage food safety.
While the new Food Bill is being developed to enshrine the system in law, some parts of it are being implemented under the current Food Act 1981 on a voluntary basis. Although it is envisaged that all food premises will be required to be regulated under the new system at some time in the future.
The Voluntary Implementation Programme allows food business operators to opt out of the prescriptive requirements of the Food Hygiene Regulations 1974 provided they implement a templated Food Safety Programme (more commonly known as an off-the-peg Food Control Plan.)