An updated version of a hygiene standards guide for the catering sector has been published by UKHospitality, who represent more than 730 companies operating around 85,000 venues across the sector in England, Scotland and Wales.

The document contains advice and guidance for caterers on how to comply with food hygiene laws in the UK, which helps environmental health officers with enforcement and inspection of caterers. The guidance was developed by industry and is recognised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS).

The guide covers a range of topics, from cleaning and disinfection, pest control, food hygiene, food waste, illness of food handlers, HACCP. Allergens, cold storage and temperate control. The updated version has four new areas, with detail on food crime, donating leftovers to charity, freezing and defrosting food and the shelf life of chilled vacuum-packed meats.

Kate Nicholls, UKHospitality chief executive, said the consistent approach should make complying with legislation easier.

“Maintaining our high standards of food safety and hygiene is a top priority for all hospitality venues and this industry guide is the gold standard for the industry to get their advice and guidance on complying with legislation. It is essential reading for everyone in hospitality with a catering offering and as the rules and regulations continue to change, it was important for us to review, update and relaunch the guide,” she said.

Katie Pettifer, director of the strategy and regulatory compliance at FSA, said: “We want to make it as easy as possible for businesses to do the right thing for consumers, so we were pleased to work with UKHospitality and Food Standards Scotland on the latest update to the industry guide. It will provide up-to-date, accurate, and understandable guidance to help food businesses across the UK achieve good food hygiene compliance.”

To view the revised guide, click here.