We have produced a generic pack for home bakers to ensure that you comply with all the necessary legal requirements - it may therefore not cover all the activities you do. If this is the case you should alter the pack accordingly and add any extra safety points which are required for your business.
Registering your business
All food businesses must be registered with the council. If you are a home baker or caterer and you regularly provide food to friends or members of the public, your home will have to be registered with the council as a food business.
If you do not regard yourself as a food ‘business’ but you still advertise your baking services and make food on a frequent basis, you are still required to register. It doesn’t matter whether the products you make are for profit or not. It is a legal requirement to register. Registration is free and can be done online - visit our registering a food business page for details.
How to complete a food safety plan
All food businesses are required by law to have a documented food safety management system in place to show how they are producing safe food and the system contributes towards the scoring for the food hygiene rating scheme. If you do not have a documented food safety management system in place, this may adversely affect your Food Hygiene Rating.
This pack can be used to produce a food safety plan to meet this requirement for small scale home bakers.
If you are catering and handling more high-risk foods you should follow the Safer Food Better Business guidance issued by the Food Standard Agency.
Download the food safety pack (pdf / 298 KB).
You should look at each safety point and complete the right hand column to explain how you, as the business operator, ensure the food you produce is safe. You should also examine the flow chart to see if you follow the same steps and you should amend it if necessary so that it fits how you work.
Monitoring, traceability and records
A few documented records will need to be kept on the days you bake, to record that certain checks and activities have been carried out. Some aspects of your food preparation will require checking, for example ensuring your fridges are running at a temperature below 8 degree Celsius.
This information can be recorded in a simple daily diary or on the production day check list - see annex I in the food safety pack (you can photocopy the blank copy and use one on each day of production).
Where you sell products to other businesses you must be able to trace them, so keep a record of who, when and what you supplied to them. If any issues are found with the products you have used such as the supermarket recalls a product that you have used, you will also need to withdraw the food you sold to the business.
Allergens
Changes to the labelling required for certain foods were introduced from 1 October 2021.
The foods affected are those that are ‘pre-packed for direct sale’ (PPDS). These are products that are packed on the premises from which they are sold and are placed in packaging before being offered for sale. Foods packaged and then sold elsewhere by the same operator at a market stall or mobile site are also classed as prepacked for direct sale.
Pre-packed for direct sale items must now be labelled with the following:
- the name of the food
- a list of ingredients - this list needs to be headed by the word 'ingredients' followed by a list of all the ingredients in descending order by weight when they were included in the product. This does not include herbs, spices, additives, sweeteners and any other ingredient that makes up less than two percent of the finished product which can all be placed at the end of the list
- allergenic ingredients must be emphasised in the ingredient list by using bold lettering - this applies to any of the 14 prescribed allergens which are: celery, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, sulphur dioxide and soya
The Food Standards Agency website has a handy online tool that can be used to determine whether the products you sell are affected by the new requirements.
If you are not sure of the requirements please contact North Yorkshire Council Trading Standards Food Officers for further advice and clarification.
Food hygiene rating scheme
Home bakers may be included in the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme. This will depend on how regular your activities are and who you supply your products to.
Following your food hygiene inspection you may be awarded a rating from five (very good) to zero (urgent improvement necessary). Food hygiene ratings are published on the Food Standards Agency food hygiene ratings web page.
Other considerations
Planning permission
Depending on the type and amount of food you prepare you may need planning permission to run a business from home, so take advice from our planning team.
Business rates
You may have to pay increased rates if you use part of your property for a business. Visit our about business rates page for further information.
Insurance
Depending on the type and amount of food you prepare you might need to inform your home insurance provider to ensure you are covered for business use. You should get advice from your solicitor or insurance company. You also need to consider public liability insurance in case there is an issue with one of the products you supply.
Labelling
You will need to consider information on allergens and a suitable shelf life - trading standards will be able to offer advice on this.
Trade waste
If you produce large amounts of waste you may have to consider getting a trade waste contract with a licensed trade waste carrier.
Further information
For information on running a food business and what to expect during a food hygiene inspection visit our food safety and hygiene page.
The Food Standards' starting your food business safely web page provides a range of food business advice.