Archived press release

Date Published: 13/09/06

A group of councils in Buckinghamshire has won a grant of more than a quarter of a million pounds from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to help train local catering businesses in food safety. Aylesbury Vale District Council is part of a consortium...

A group of councils in Buckinghamshire has won a grant of more than a quarter of a million pounds from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to help train local catering businesses in food safety.

Aylesbury Vale District Council is part of a consortium of five councils who have secured £264,000 in funding to improve consumer protection and make it easier for caterers to implement and manage good hygiene practices. More than £40,000 of the grant will be targeted at businesses in Aylesbury Vale.

The grant award will help 1200 small catering businesses across the county implement ‘Safer Food, Better Business’ (SFBB), the FSA’s food safety management system toolkit. The Agency has developed SFBB to help catering businesses, particularly smaller ones, comply with EU food hygiene regulations introduced in January this year.

Two hundred businesses in Aylesbury Vale will benefit from the grant award. Premises which meet the selection criteria will be contacted over the next 12 months and invited to attend a training seminar. They will also get a free coaching session within their premises.

The new regulations require businesses to draw up and follow new risk-based procedures to control hygiene hazards. Every food business also has to keep records to show how any hazards to food safety have been identified and properly handled.

Councillor Michael Edmonds, Cabinet Member for Housing, Environment and Health, described the grant as great news for the council and especially for catering businesses in the district. He said: “We are committed to helping local catering businesses improve their food hygiene standards, not only to protect the public but also to help our businesses flourish. Small businesses will get free practical help and advice in managing food safety successfully and complying with the new rules.

“We strongly urge businesses to take advantage of this opportunity.”

For further information about the Safer Food, Better Business scheme, catering businesses can contact AVDC’s environmental health team on 01296 585605 or email envhealth@aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk