Food hygiene

Food hygiene/food safety standards are overseen by the Food Standards Agency and not HSE. Local Authority Environmental Health Officers enforce these standards in their local food factories and food retail premises.

HSE does however have a role in ensuring food machinery is designed and manufactured to standards which take into account food hygiene and ease of cleaning. If an Environmental Health Officer comes across a machine poorly designed as regards food hygiene, HSE officers are able to pursue this with the machine manufacturer. Hygiene requirements for food machinery are set out in European Standard BS EN 1672-2