Guidance on Compliance with Food Hygiene and Health and Safety Requirements for Food Stalls and Marquees at Events

This brief guide will provide you with information when selling food at a market stall, mobile trailer or tented structure in Worcestershire.   These food vending operations could be sited on a road side, at markets, or at events such as shows or fetes, or anywhere food is being prepared or sold as a commercial operation.

It covers the main requirements of Assimilated Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 and The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013, and also recommends a number of good hygiene practices to help ensure you serve safe food to your consumers.

Allergen management advice is also included

This information should not be taken as a comprehensive guide to food and health and safety compliance..   It is the responsibility of the Food Business Operator to ensure all legal requirements suited to food being prepared/sold are met when trading.

You may receive a visit from a food safety officer at any event.  

 

1. Registration as a Food Business

To sell/serve food you must be registered as a food business with the Local Authority where you are based. This includes food vending stalls, market traders and mobile food units.  If you are booking a third party event organisers will usually ask for name of your registered authority..

If you are not registered your booking may not be accepted.  There is no fee to register and it can be done on line at  https://register.food.gov.uk/new/

If you are based in Worcestershire you can download a form from www.worcsregservices.gov.uk.

 

2. Licences

Contact the WRS Licensing Department on 01905 822799 for licensing information relating to street trading and events.  TENs [Temporary Event Notice] licences need to be applied for at least 10 days before event.

 

3. Weather Factors

Never underestimate the impact weather conditions can have on the safe running of your operation, including the equipment you need to take.

We recommend you check the long term weather forecast to help you plan for sun, wet or cold.

 

4. Training

All staff working at an event should have been given relevant-to-their-role food and health and safety training to enable them to produce safe food, work safely and not cause a risk to the public.  This includes knowledge of allergen management.

 

5. Food Hygiene Rating Scheme

When trading in Worcestershire compliance officers expect to see current FHRS rating (or equivalent) displayed.

 

6. Food Safety Management Procedures

Food law requires you to have an appropriate written food safety management system based upon the principles of HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point).  This might be the Food Standards Agency Safer Food Better Business or a simpler system if you are producing/selling low risk food.  

You should have your system, or appropriate records, to demonstrate safe food is being offered for sale, available at every event. 

 

7. General Food Safety Requirements

People working with food must maintain a high level of personal cleanliness and wear suitable, clean clothing.

Staff should keep hair tied back and, where necessary, wear suitable head covering. Do not wear watches or jewellery when preparing food (except a wedding band).

Staff should not touch their face and hair, smoke, spit, sneeze, eat or chew gum when they are handling food.

Cuts, etc must be covered using coloured [blue] plasters. 

Nail varnish and false nails should be avoided by those preparing food. Modern gels are less likely to contaminate food.

Staff should not handle or prepare food if they are suffering from, or carrying, a disease likely to be transmitted through food, have infected wounds, skin infections, sores or have been ill with diarrhoea or vomiting within the past 48 hours.

Food units must be in good repair and condition to minimise the risk of contamination, particularly from access by customers, animals and pests.

Surfaces on which you prepare or place/display food must be in a good condition and easy to clean and to disinfect.  In practice this means they must be made of materials that are smooth, washable, corrosion-resistant and non-toxic.

A suitable hand wash facility with hot and cold water must be provided and immediately accessible to all food handlers offering/preparing open high risk foods, e.g. pies, meats, wraps, curries, unwrapped cheeses, etc. Portable units suitable for events are available for purchase/hire.  There must be adequate supplies of soap, and paper towels (good practice) or other means of hand drying.  For low risk traders, i.e. those handling bottles, jars or pre-wrapped items, a washing-up bowl of frequently changed water and/or anti-bacterial hand wipes/spray may be an acceptable option.

It is accepted it is not always possible to provide toilet or changing facilities but suitable arrangements should be available nearby.

If only food is washed at the stall, one sink (in addition to the wash hand basin) may be appropriate, but if pieces of equipment or utensils are washed as well, then two sinks may be required if the risk of cross contamination is high.  

There must be a supply of hot and/or cold water that is of drinking quality. If you use plastic containers to store water they must be sanitised regularly, internally and externally; this ensures the potable quality of the water.

Suitable and sufficient storage, including refrigerators and freezers, must be provided.  Use trays with ice packs especially in warm weather.

Food (raw and cooked) must be stored at suitable temperatures.  Chilled food must be kept at 8*C or below at all times (good practice is 5*C); hot food should be held at 63*C or over. If reheating food, make sure that it is piping hot (at least 75*C) all the way through (good practice is to use a probe thermometer to make occasional temperature checks and write these down).   

Ensure that foods displayed at ambient temperatures are covered or screened to prevent cross contamination.

Raw foods, like raw meat and chicken, must not be allowed to contaminate work surfaces on which ready to eat foods are prepared.  Where possible separate areas/boards, tongs, forks or other utensils should be used when handling.

Food should be stored so it is not easily accessible to pests.

Adequate facilities for cleaning and disinfecting (including sanitisers), utensils and equipment must be provided.

There must be adequate lighting, either natural (daylight) and/or artificial (electric light).

Tents/marquees should be of cleanable materials and, where necessary, the food preparation areas should be provided with washable wall linings.

Stalls should be adequately screened at the sides and back to prevent risk of contamination.

Any table coverings must be of appropriate material that can kept in clean condition during trading hours.  Bare wood surfaces should be avoided. 

Delivery vehicles and/or containers must be kept clean and only used to transport foods.

Containers used to hold food (e.g. boxes) in vehicles and/or containers must not be used for transporting anything other than foods.

Water containers should be emptied and sanitised inside and out daily (particularly around the cap area).

Wrapping materials must be stored so they are not exposed to risk of contamination. Food grade packing must be used.

There must be adequate arrangements and/or facilities to store and dispose of waste (whether liquid or solid). 

 

8. ALLERGEN CONTROL

Inspecting officers will closely look at how you manage allergen safety.  You must comply with the Food Information Regulations 2014 and have appropriate allergen information available for everything you sell.  

We recommend that allergen information is clearly displayed in full view of customers, e.g. on a board or laminated sheet affixed to the stall,  not just kept in a folder behind the service area – at busy times you may have less time to answer queries and could put an allergic customer at risk.

We recommend all staff undertake the free FSA On Line Allergen Course

All pre-packed products sold must include full allergen information on labels.  The PPDS [Pre-Packed for Direct Sale] Regulations ‘Natasha’s Law’ now require that any pre-packed foods have labels that clearly identify all ingredients, including allergens, in products being sold. See ppds@food.gov.uk

For more detailed information on allergens also see Home | Business Companion

 

9. SINGLE USE PLASTICS

From 1 October 2023 there has been a ban on a wide range of plastic items.  This includes all single use plastic cutlery, trays, plates, bowls, and balloon sticks, as well as use of certain types of polystyrene cups and food containers used to supply food which is ready to consume.   For detailed information https://www.gov.uk/guidance/single-use-plastics-ban-plates-bowls-trays-containers-cutlery-and-balloon-sticks

 

10. HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK ACT, 1974

Food vending vehicles and stalls are subject to the Health and Safety at Work, etc Act 1974 and Regulations made under the Act.

The most important thing is to make sure you have assessed any risks which might arise from your activity.

Areas which may need particular consideration for events are weather (hot or cold working conditions), slips and trips, manual handling, hot equipment, emptying and filling fryers, lone working, violent and aggressive customers, gas and electricity installations and the use of chemicals for cleaning.

Make sure you have a suitable first aid kit which is maintained and easy to reach at all times. Waterproof plasters (preferably coloured blue) are required.

Always Keep LPG Cylinders in a Fire Resistant Compartment

Cylinders, regulators or change-over valves must be kept in a separate, ventilated, lockable fire resistant (½ hour fire resistance) compartment.  Access should only be from outside the vehicle. Compartments must be ventilated at high and low level.  Safety certificates for some equipment may be requested by inspecting officers.

Ensure that any pre-event safety testing is done by an appropriately qualified gas engineer. 

 

11. Fire Safety

Ensure you have at least a 1kg or 2.5kg dry powder extinguisher plus fire blanket. 

If a fire breaks out, turn off all cylinder valves and if possible remove all cylinders from the vicinity of the fire. Clear the area of all unnecessary persons and call the Fire Brigade.

Fire extinguishers should be serviced regularly (recommended at least every twelve months).

 

12. Inspection Reports

Inspecting officers will not leave a written report unless there are major non-compliances, e.g. no FSMS, poor hand washing facilities, no hot water, lack of cleanliness, lack of knowledgeable staff, unsafe LPG.  If you need a report to present to your Local Authority for FHRS review, please ask and this will be provided.

For a business registered outside Worcestershire we send a copy of any report and our FHRS score on the day to your registering Local Authority.

 

Further Advice

 

CD/Events/V7/Oct25 Issued by Community Environmental Health Team, Worcestershire Regulatory Services.  Contact us on 01905 822799 or email enquiries@worcsregservices.gov.uk.