FOOD SAFETY GUIDANCE FOR FARMERS’ MARKET TRADERS

This will explain how to meet the food safety laws that apply to you while trading at our farmers’ market.

It covers the basic areas that apply to typical farmers’ market stalls that prepare, handle or sell (including giving free samples) food or drink, whether open or wrapped. To make it readable and straightforward to understand, it is not a detailed guide - but you should find information here about how to obtain further advice on some of the more complicated food safety

issues.

Farmers' markets are the subject of routine checking by food safety officers from your local Environmental Health and Trading

Standards Department, who may visit you on the day a market is held. In addition, the farm or other premises from which you

operate may also be subject to inspection.

THE RULES OF HYGIENE – CONTROLLING - HAZARDS

The law requires you to identify possible hazards to food safety, know which of these is actually important for the type of food that you prepare or sell and to provide suitable controls to stop problems occurring. While this can be complicated for

some businesses, simple measures are all that is required for most traders at our markets.

The most important of these are described below.

Transportation

Food transported to a market must be wrapped, covered or placed in suitable containers to prevent contamination.

Vehicles and containers must be kept clean and in good repair and the food should be kept separate from other items. For example, if you transport dogs, game birds or containers of diesel in the back of your vehicle you must avoid tainting or directly contaminating fruit, vegetables and other food.

Simple cardboard boxes and paper-lined crates are fine for most agricultural produce but you will need higher-grade materials, such as metal or plastic crates, that can be easily cleaned for bakery products and meats.

Some foods must be kept cold (below 8° C) to prevent the growth of dangerous bacteria. These include soft or semi-hard cheeses, most other dairy products, cooked meat and vegetable products, most smoked or cured meat, and fish and shellfish. Insulated containers with icepacks and a thermometer are usually sufficient and the temperature must be checked from time to time (and preferably written down in a log book). Larger volume traders should consider using refrigerated vehicles.

Preparation 

The surface that you lay out or prepare food on must be smooth and impervious so that it can be thoroughly cleaned. If you are using wooden tables, you must provide plastic sheeting or other suitable

Covering material.

You will need to wash and dry your hands from time to time and if facilities are not provided on site, you must bring your own. For stallholders selling open foods, such as meats, or high risk unwrapped foods such as cooked meats, dairy products and

seafood, there must be handwashing facilities at the stall.

These should include a supply of hot water, towels, bowl and soap. For hot water, insulated flasks should be sufficient in most cases. If you are using knives or other serving implements you will need washing facilities for these, which must not be the same as those used for handwashing – separate bowls or sinks must be used.

Clean protective overclothing must be worn whilst handling unwrapped food.

Allergen contamination  

During preparation you must look critically at your controls because of the risk that any food you produce for sale could have cross contact allergen contamination. Clean hands and overclothing and use of clean and segregated utensils, equipment and surfaces are important.

Display and service

To avoid possible contamination, food must not be placed directly onto the floor. It is best to keep all unwrapped food off the ground by at least 45cm.

Make sure that high risk and low risk foods are well separated - for example; keep raw foods away from cooked foods. High-risk foods should be protected from the public touching, coughing or sneezing in the display area. This could be achieved by sneeze guards or covering foods.

Check the temperature of chilled foods from time to time and preferably keep a record of this in a logbook. Make sure you know the correct temperature for the food that you are selling and decide what you will

do if the food is not at this temperature.

Regularly wipe down surfaces with a clean (preferably disposable) cloth using a food safe cleaner and disinfectant (e.g. Dettol spray).

Waste food must be disposed of correctly for example; waste food containing animal

proteins (or meat) must not be used as pig feed.

Cooking

Raw ingredients and cooked food must be adequately separated from each other to avoid cross contamination. You must also wash your hands after handling raw meats and before touching other foods or equipment.

Food must be thoroughly cooked to 75C or above. A food probe thermometer with food safe disinfectant wipes should be used to confirm this.

DO I NEED TO BE REGISTERED?

All businesses that prepare, handle or sell food or drink need to register as a food business. To register, contact your local authority.