Food Safety Legislation Advanced Flashcards
6 cards from real Level 3 Food Safety Certificate practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Food Safety Legislation Advanced flashcards as text
What is the legal framework hierarchy for food safety in the UK following Brexit?
Answer: EU regulations retained in UK law (such as Regulation 178/2002 and 852/2004) form the primary food safety framework, supplemented by domestic legislation (Food Safety Act 1990, Food Hygiene Regulations 2006) and FSA guidance, with the power to diverge from EU law through the Retained EU Law Act 2023
Post-Brexit, the UK food safety framework includes: retained EU regulations (now 'assimilated law' under the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023) including Regulation 178/2002 (general food law), 852/2004 (hygiene of foodstuffs), 853/2004 (animal origin products); domestic primary legislation (Food Safety Act 1990); domestic secondary legislation (Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006/2013); and FSA guidance. The UK now has the power to amend or replace retained EU food law.
What are the enforcement powers available to local authority Environmental Health Officers under UK food safety legislation?
Answer: EHOs can issue Hygiene Improvement Notices (requiring specific improvements within a set time), Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notices (immediate closure for imminent health risk), Remedial Action Notices (for approved premises), and can seize, detain, or condemn unsafe food, as well as prosecute businesses
EHOs have a graduated range of enforcement powers: informal action (advisory letters, verbal guidance), Hygiene Improvement Notices (specifying contraventions and required actions with a compliance deadline), Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notices (immediate prohibition when there is imminent risk to health — must be confirmed by a court within 3 days), Remedial Action Notices (for approved premises under EC 853/2004), detention and seizure of food suspected to be unsafe (under Food Safety Act 1990, Section 9), and prosecution for offences.
What are the requirements of Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 (retained in UK law) regarding allergen information for non-prepacked food?
Answer: Food businesses must provide information about the presence of any of the 14 specified allergens in non-prepacked food, either through written information (menu, chalk board, information pack) or by directing customers to where they can obtain this information, with staff trained to provide accurate allergen information
The Food Information Regulations 2014 (implementing retained EU Regulation 1169/2011) require food businesses to provide information about 14 specified allergens (including cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, nuts, celery, mustard, sesame, sulphur dioxide, lupin, and molluscs) for non-prepacked food. This can be provided via written means or verbally if signage directs customers to ask. Staff must be trained, and systems must be in place to prevent allergen cross-contamination.
What is Natasha's Law and what does it require?
Answer: The UK Allergen Labelling (Prepacked for Direct Sale) Act 2019 requiring that food prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) — such as sandwiches made and wrapped on the same premises — must carry a full ingredients list with the 14 allergens emphasised, in effect from October 2021
Natasha's Law (named after Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died from an allergic reaction to a Pret A Manger baguette in 2016) requires that Prepacked for Direct Sale (PPDS) food must carry a label listing all ingredients with the 14 allergens emphasised (bold, italics, or contrasting colour). PPDS food is food that is packaged on the same premises from which it is sold, before a customer selects or orders it (e.g., pre-made sandwiches, salads). This closed a previous gap in allergen labelling law.
What obligations does the Food Safety Act 1990 place on food businesses regarding the training of food handlers?
Answer: Food business operators must ensure that food handlers are supervised, instructed, and/or trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their work activities, and maintain training records as evidence of compliance
Regulation EC 852/2004, Chapter XII (retained in UK law), states that food business operators shall ensure food handlers are supervised, instructed, and/or trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their work. The Food Safety Act 1990 and the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 reinforce this. The level of training must be proportionate to the food handler's role — a dishwasher needs different training from a chef. Training should be ongoing, not a one-off event, and records must be maintained.
What is the legal significance of 'use-by' dates versus 'best before' dates under UK food labelling legislation?
Answer: Use-by dates are a safety indicator — it is a criminal offence to sell food past its use-by date as it may be unsafe; best before dates indicate quality rather than safety — food past its best before date may be sold if it remains safe, though quality may be reduced
Under the Food Labelling Regulations and Regulation 1169/2011, use-by dates are applied to perishable foods and indicate the date after which the food may be unsafe due to microbial growth. Selling or using food past its use-by date is a criminal offence under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013. Best before dates indicate the date until which the food retains its expected quality — selling food past its best before date is not illegal provided it remains safe and is not misleadingly presented.