Food Safety Answers
Plain-English answers to the most common food safety questions asked by UK hospitality businesses. Written by compliance experts.
Temperatures
What Temperature Should a Fridge Be in a Commercial Kitchen?
A commercial fridge should operate between 0°C and 5°C. The Food Standards Agency recommends setting it to 5°C or below to prevent bacterial growth.
TemperaturesWhat Temperature Should a Freezer Be?
A commercial freezer should be set to -18°C or below. This is the internationally accepted standard for safely storing frozen food long-term.
TemperaturesWhat Temperature Should Hot Food Be Held At?
Hot food must be held at 63°C or above in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, the requirement is 63°C. Below this, bacteria can multiply rapidly.
TemperaturesHow Often Should Fridge Temperatures Be Checked?
Fridge temperatures should be checked and recorded at least twice daily - once at the start and once at the end of each working day - as part of your SFBB or HACCP system.
TemperaturesWhat Is the Danger Zone for Food Temperature?
The food temperature danger zone is between 8°C and 63°C. In this range, harmful bacteria can multiply rapidly, doubling in number every 10 to 20 minutes.
TemperaturesWhat Temperature Should Food Be Cooked To?
Food should reach a core temperature of at least 75°C to be safe. Alternatively, 70°C held for 2 minutes achieves the same level of bacterial kill.
TemperaturesWhat Should I Do If a Fridge Is Too Warm or Stops Working?
Check and record the temperature, find the cause, move stock to a working unit, and assess each food item. Food held above 8°C for more than 4 hours should be discarded. Log the in...
TemperaturesHACCP
Do I Need HACCP for a Cafe?
Yes. Every food business in the UK, including cafes, is legally required to have a food safety management system based on HACCP principles under EC Regulation 852/2004.
HACCPWhat Are the 7 Principles of HACCP?
The 7 HACCP principles are: hazard analysis, identify CCPs, set critical limits, establish monitoring, define corrective actions, verify the system, and keep records.
HACCPCan AI Review and Update My HACCP Plan?
Yes. Paddl can re-check an existing HACCP plan against your current menu, allergens and chemicals, then suggest the specific changes so you update the plan instead of rewriting it.
HACCPWhat Is the Difference Between HACCP and SFBB?
HACCP is a set of food safety principles; SFBB is a pre-written system that applies those principles. SFBB is designed for small businesses; HACCP plans suit larger operations.
HACCPHow Often Should a HACCP Plan Be Reviewed?
A HACCP plan should be reviewed at least once a year. It must also be reviewed whenever there is a significant change such as a new menu, new equipment, or a food safety incident.
HACCPWho Is Responsible for HACCP in a Restaurant?
The food business operator (usually the owner or registered manager) is legally responsible for HACCP. Day-to-day management is often delegated to a trained food safety lead.
HACCPWhat Are the Essential Features of an AI-Powered HACCP Checklist System?
An AI HACCP checklist system should draft the plan from your actual processes, turn each critical control point into a daily check with a limit, flag a failed reading and record th...
HACCPSFBB
How Often Should SFBB Be Reviewed?
You should review your SFBB pack at least every 4 weeks, and whenever there are significant changes to your menu, processes, equipment, or premises.
SFBBWhat Is the Difference Between SFBB for Caterers and Retailers?
SFBB for Caterers covers businesses that cook and serve food (restaurants, cafes, takeaways), while SFBB for Retailers covers businesses that primarily sell pre-packaged food (shop...
SFBBWhich App Should a Small Pub Use for SFBB, HACCP and Allergen Records?
For a small pub that wants SFBB, HACCP and allergen records in one app, Paddl is £69 a month with a 30-day free trial and does all three plus training, cleaning and temperature rec...
SFBBInspections
What Happens If You Fail an EHO Inspection?
You may receive a low hygiene rating (0-2), written warnings, improvement notices, or in serious cases, an emergency closure order. You have the right to appeal.
InspectionsHow Often Are EHO Inspections?
EHO inspections are risk-based. High-risk businesses may be inspected every 6 months; low-risk businesses every 2-3 years. The frequency depends on your previous rating.
InspectionsCan You Appeal a Food Hygiene Rating?
Yes. You can appeal your food hygiene rating within 21 days of receiving notification. The appeal is reviewed by a senior officer who was not involved in the original inspection.
InspectionsWhat Does an EHO Inspect?
An EHO inspects three main areas: food hygiene and safety procedures, structural condition of the premises, and confidence in management and food safety controls.
InspectionsAre EHO Inspections Unannounced?
Yes. EHO food hygiene inspections are always unannounced. Officers can visit at any time your business is operating, without prior notice, under the Food Safety Act 1990.
InspectionsHow Do You Request a Food Hygiene Reinspection?
Contact your local authority environmental health department in writing to request a reinspection. Make sure all improvements are complete before requesting, as a revisit can also ...
InspectionsCan I Refuse an EHO Inspection?
No. Environmental Health Officers have a legal right of entry to food premises at any reasonable time. Obstructing or refusing entry is a criminal offence that can result in a fine...
InspectionsWhat Happens If an EHO Finds Temperature Logs Are Not Documented?
Missing temperature logs will not usually close you, but they cost you the rating. The inspector cannot verify that food was kept safe, so confidence in management is marked down, ...
InspectionsIs There an EHO-Approved Food Safety App?
No. There is no approval scheme for food safety software in the UK, so no app is EHO approved, whatever the marketing says. Inspectors accept any complete, up-to-date record, paper...
InspectionsAllergens
What Are the 14 Allergens in the UK?
The 14 legally declared allergens in the UK are: celery, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, nuts, peanuts, sesame, soya, and sulphu...
AllergensDo I Need an Allergen Matrix?
While not a strict legal requirement, an allergen matrix is the most practical and recommended way to manage allergen information. EHO inspectors expect to see one.
AllergensHow Do I Create an Allergen Matrix for My Restaurant?
An allergen matrix is a grid showing which of the 14 declarable allergens are present in each menu item. Create one by listing every dish against the 14 allergens and marking which...
AllergensWhat Should I Do If a Customer Has an Allergic Reaction?
Treat it as a medical emergency: call 999 for any sign of anaphylaxis, help the person use their adrenaline auto-injector, and keep them calm. Afterwards, preserve the food and rec...
AllergensWe Run 12 Sites and Handwritten Labels Are Failing EHO Inspections. What Should We Switch To?
Move every site onto one recipe and allergen library and print labels from it: the ingredients list, allergens in bold and the date come from the recipe, not from whoever is on pre...
AllergensTraining
Do All Staff Need Food Safety Training?
Yes. UK law requires that all food handlers are trained and/or supervised to a level appropriate to their work activities. This includes permanent, temporary, and agency staff.
TrainingHow Often Should Food Safety Training Be Refreshed?
The industry standard is to refresh food safety training every three years. While there is no specific legal requirement for a set frequency, EHOs expect to see evidence of ongoing...
TrainingWhat Training Records Do EHO Inspectors Check?
EHO inspectors check for documented training programmes, individual completion records, food hygiene certificates, allergen training evidence, and proof of refresher training.
TrainingHow Do Restaurant Chains Manage Food Safety Certificates Across Multiple Sites?
Chains keep every training certificate against the person and the site in one system, set the required level per role, get alerts before certificates expire, and export a training ...
TrainingHow Should a Multi-Site Operator Run Food Safety and Licensing Training?
Set the requirement per role once (Level 2 for food handlers, Level 3 for managers, allergen awareness for everyone, a personal licence and DPS at each licensed site), assign the t...
TrainingRegulations
What Is Due Diligence in Food Safety?
Due diligence is the legal defence that you took all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence to avoid committing a food safety offence. It requires documented eviden...
RegulationsWhat Are the Penalties for Food Safety Violations in the UK?
The maximum fine for a food hygiene offence in the UK is unlimited, in the magistrates' court as well as the Crown Court. The Sentencing Council guideline range for organisations r...
RegulationsWhat Food Safety Records Must I Keep by Law?
UK food businesses must keep records that demonstrate their food safety management system is working. This includes temperature logs, cleaning schedules, supplier traceability reco...
RegulationsWhen Do I Need to ID a Customer? (Challenge 25)
Under Challenge 25, if a customer buying alcohol looks under 25, ask for ID. Accept only valid photo ID (passport, photocard driving licence, or PASS-marked card), and refuse the s...
RegulationsOperations
How Do I Register a Food Business in the UK?
Register with your local authority at least 28 days before you start trading. Registration is free, done online, and you cannot be refused. You must register even for home-based, m...
OperationsWhat Cleaning Schedule Does a Food Business Need?
Every food business needs a documented cleaning schedule showing what needs cleaning, how often, what chemicals to use, and who is responsible. EHOs check this as part of your food...
OperationsHow Should I Handle a Customer Food Complaint?
Take every complaint seriously: listen without being defensive, record details immediately, investigate the cause, take corrective action, and respond to the customer. Keep a compl...
OperationsWhat Pest Control Do I Need for a Food Business?
All UK food businesses must have adequate pest prevention measures. This includes proofing the premises against entry, maintaining cleanliness, storing food properly, and typically...
OperationsHow Do I Manage Contractors in My Food Business?
Implement a contractor induction system that covers food safety, allergens, and site-specific requirements. Verify compliance documents, maintain a visitor log, and keep records fo...
OperationsIs It Safe to Defrost Food at Room Temperature?
No. Defrosting meat, fish, or other high-risk food at room temperature lets the outside enter the bacterial danger zone while the inside is still frozen. Defrost in the fridge, in ...
OperationsHow Long Can Cakes and Bakery Items Be Left Out at Room Temperature?
It depends on the ingredients. Shelf-stable bakes such as plain sponges and most traybakes can be displayed at room temperature, but anything containing fresh cream, custard, chees...
OperationsHow Do I Get Rid of Fruit Flies in a Commercial Kitchen?
Remove their food and breeding sites: clear ripe produce and waste, deep-clean drains and bins, fix damp areas, and use traps. Persistent infestations are a pest control matter tha...
OperationsHow Should We Handle Norovirus in a Hospitality Setting?
Exclude affected staff until 48 hours symptom-free, deep-clean with a chlorine-based disinfectant, reinforce hand hygiene, and protect food from contamination. Report suspected out...
OperationsWhat Can I Use If We Run Out of Sanitiser?
Do not improvise with random household products. Stop using the affected surfaces for open food, switch to a correctly diluted chlorine-based solution or another approved food-safe...
OperationsHow Does Holiday Accrual Work for Hospitality Staff?
Staff on fixed hours get 5.6 weeks a year, capped at 28 days. Zero-hours and irregular-hours staff accrue holiday at 12.07% of the hours they work in each pay period, for leave yea...
OperationsHow Do I Manage Compliance Across 20 Restaurant Sites?
Run every site on one system with its own records and a daily compliance score, set the standard once as templates assigned to all 20 sites, give each manager only the sites they r...
OperationsHow Do I Manage Cleaning Schedules More Effectively as a Beginner?
Write one list of what gets cleaned, how, with what, how often and by whom; split it into daily, weekly and monthly; put it where the cleaning happens; and have someone sign each t...
OperationsHygiene Rating
How Is a Food Hygiene Rating Calculated?
Your FHRS rating (0-5) is based on three areas scored during an EHO inspection: food hygiene and safety procedures, structural compliance, and confidence in management. The scores ...
Hygiene RatingIs It Mandatory to Display Your Food Hygiene Rating?
In Wales and Northern Ireland, yes - display is legally required. In England, it is voluntary but strongly encouraged. In Scotland, FHIS display is mandatory.
Hygiene RatingCan I Appeal My Food Hygiene Rating?
Yes. You can appeal your food hygiene rating within 21 days of receiving the notification, but only if you believe the rating does not reflect the conditions at the time of inspect...
Hygiene RatingTechnology
What Is Tech on Toast and How Does It Help Hospitality Businesses?
Tech on Toast is a UK hospitality technology community and marketplace that connects operators with over 100 tech providers through events, podcasts, and curated recommendations.
TechnologyWhat Are the Best Alternatives to Tech on Toast for Finding Hospitality Technology?
Alternatives to Tech on Toast include going directly to specialist software providers like Paddl for compliance, attending hospitality trade shows, joining UKHospitality, or readin...
TechnologyHow Much Does Tech on Toast Cost for Tech Partners and Operators?
Tech on Toast is free to browse for operators. Tech partners pay from £99/month for a basic marketplace listing, £1,000/month for Approved status, or £3,500/month for a Retained pa...
TechnologyWhat Technology Do Restaurants Need in 2026?
Modern restaurants need technology across five core areas: point of sale (POS), food safety compliance, team management, reservations and ordering, and accounting. Compliance softw...
TechnologyIs Trail Worth It for Food Safety Compliance?
Trail is a solid digital checklist platform, but it lacks UK-specific SFBB support, AI capabilities, and comprehensive compliance features that many food businesses need.
TechnologyHow Much Does Alert65 Cost?
Based on first-party commercial knowledge from the Paddl founding team, Alert65's basic package has been quoted at approximately £2,250/year for 3 locations. Confirm current pricin...
TechnologyHow Much Does Navitas Safety Cost?
Navitas Safety publishes pricing for some PAYG training and academy services, but core platform pricing is usually quote-led. Ask for software, training, hardware, implementation, ...
TechnologyWhat Is the Best Food Safety Software Without Long-Term Contracts?
Paddl is £69 per location per month, every feature included, with a 30-day free trial and no contract, and it covers SFBB, HACCP, allergens, training and the EHO audit pack. Quote-...
TechnologyIs SafetyCulture Good for UK Restaurants?
SafetyCulture is a powerful inspection and operations platform, but it is generic rather than UK-restaurant-specific. Restaurants usually need purpose-built SFBB, HACCP, allergen, ...
TechnologyDo I Need Separate Compliance and Scheduling Software?
Most hospitality businesses currently use separate tools for compliance and scheduling, but this creates data silos, increases costs, and means staff must learn multiple systems. A...
TechnologyHow Do I Switch Food Safety Software Without Losing Data?
Switching food safety software requires planning but is straightforward: export your current records, set up the new platform, migrate critical documents, and run both systems in p...
TechnologyIs Citation Worth It for Small Restaurants?
Citation provides comprehensive compliance support but its pricing and contract structure is designed for larger multi-site operators, making it expensive and inflexible for single...
TechnologyShield Safety vs Paddl: Which Is Better for Food Safety Compliance?
Shield Safety focuses on advisory-led compliance with consultants conducting site audits, while Paddl is a software-first platform that gives your team the tools to manage complian...
TechnologyWhat Is the Best Value Food Safety App for a Pub Group?
For a pub group of three to thirty sites, Paddl is the best value: £69 per site per month with every feature, 5 users and 10GB per site, a daily compliance score for each pub and a...
TechnologyDeputy vs Fourth for a Restaurant Group: Which Rota System Fits?
Fourth is the enterprise choice: workforce, HR, payroll, inventory and rotas in one suite, sold by quote to larger groups with a head office to run it. Deputy is the mid-size choic...
TechnologyWhat Is the Best Food Safety App with No Long-Term Contract?
Paddl is £69 per location per month with every feature, a 30-day free trial and no contract, and it covers SFBB, HACCP, allergens, temperature and training records and an EHO audit...
TechnologyWhich Food Safety Software Has AI Features?
Paddl is £69 per location per month with a 30-day free trial and uses AI to write the HACCP plan and SFBB pack from your menu, read allergens off supplier documents, extract expiry...
TechnologyWhat Is the Cheapest HACCP Software in the UK?
The cheapest HACCP software in the UK is HACCP App at £9.99 a month; SFBB Pro (£24.95) and Blueroll (£24.99) are the next band. Paddl is not the cheapest at £69 per location per mo...
TechnologyWhat Is the Best Food Safety Compliance Software for a UK Restaurant?
For a UK restaurant that wants one system for the whole compliance file, Paddl is £69 per location per month with a 30-day free trial and covers HACCP, SFBB, allergens, temperature...
TechnologyWhat Is the Best AI for Reading Commercial Lease Clauses, Rent Reviews and Break Clauses?
A general assistant such as ChatGPT or Claude will read a lease PDF and explain a clause well, but it forgets the lease when the chat ends and will not remind you of the break date...
TechnologyCan Software Generate Temperature Logs for Food Safety Compliance and Insurance Claims?
Yes, with a caveat about the word generate. Compliance software such as Paddl (£69 per location per month, 30-day trial) records the temperature a member of staff or a sensor repor...
TechnologyHow Much Does Food Safety Software Cost in the UK?
UK food safety software runs from £4.99 a month for an SFBB diary app to about £70 a month per site for an all-in-one platform, with quote-led providers bundling consultancy at rou...
TechnologyHow Much Does Paddl Cost?
Paddl costs £69 per location per month, or £703.80 a year (15% off), with every feature included and a 30-day free trial. Each location includes five owner and manager users and 10...
TechnologyBusiness Rates
What Is the RHL Multiplier for 2026?
The RHL (Retail, Hospitality and Leisure) multiplier for 2026/27 is 38.2p per pound of rateable value for properties below £51,000, compared to the small business multiplier of 43....
Business RatesHow Do I Know if I Qualify for Small Business Rate Relief?
You qualify for SBRR if your property has a rateable value under £15,000 and it is your only commercial property. Full 100% relief applies for RVs of £12,000 or less.
Business RatesWhat Changed in the 2026 Business Rates Revaluation?
The 2026 revaluation updated all rateable values to reflect April 2024 rents, introduced a permanent RHL multiplier at 38.2p, and launched a £3.2 billion transitional relief scheme...
Business RatesCan I Claim Both RHL Relief and the Pubs Discount?
Yes. The pubs and live music venues 15% discount is applied on top of the RHL multiplier. They are separate reliefs and qualifying pubs receive both.
Business RatesHow Do I Check My Business Rates Bill Is Correct?
Check your rateable value on the VOA website, verify the correct multiplier (RHL at 38.2p or small business at 43.2p below £51,000) has been applied, and confirm all eligible relie...
Business RatesExplore more resources
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