Food Safety, Hygiene & Health and Safety

• Food Standards Agency (UK)
• Health & safety at work
• Scotland, Europe and the US
• Allergies, nutrition and ingredients

Food Standards Agency (UK)

• Food Standards Agency (opens in a new tab)The UK regulator for food safety and hygiene in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its guidance now lives on GOV.UK.gov.ukNew tab
• Food hygiene for businesses (opens in a new tab)FSA guide to the 4Cs (cleaning, cooking, chilling, avoiding cross-contamination) and HACCP for food businesses.gov.ukNew tab
• Cleaning in a food business (opens in a new tab)Cleaning schedules, two-stage cleaning and disinfecting surfaces after raw food.gov.ukNew tab
• Avoiding cross-contamination (opens in a new tab)Keeping raw and ready-to-eat food, equipment and staff apart; E. coli O157 controls.gov.ukNew tab
• Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB) (opens in a new tab)The FSA’s free food safety management packs for caterers, retailers and childminders.gov.ukNew tab
• Allergen guidance for food businesses (opens in a new tab)The 14 allergens, labelling (including Natasha’s Law for prepacked-for-direct-sale food) and allergen information for customers.gov.ukNew tab
• Food hygiene ratings (opens in a viewer on this page on wide screens, otherwise a new tab)Look up the 0–5 food hygiene rating of any restaurant, takeaway, café or shop in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.ratings.food.gov.ukOpens here

Health & safety at work

• HSE: catering and hospitality (opens in a viewer on this page on wide screens, otherwise a new tab)Health and Safety Executive guidance for kitchens: slips and trips, knives, hot oil, gas safety, manual handling and COSHH.hse.gov.ukOpens here
• Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (opens in a viewer on this page on wide screens, otherwise a new tab)The professional body for environmental health officers; food safety training and qualifications.cieh.orgOpens here

Scotland, Europe and the US

• Food Standards Scotland (opens in a new tab)Scotland’s food safety regulator (it runs the Food Hygiene Information Scheme: Pass / Improvement Required).foodstandards.gov.scotNew tab
• European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) (opens in a new tab)The EU’s scientific adviser on food risks, additives and nutrition.efsa.europa.euNew tab
• US Food and Drug Administration: Food (opens in a new tab)US food safety rules, the FDA Food Code and consumer advice.fda.govNew tab

Allergies, nutrition and ingredients

• Allergy UK (opens in a new tab)The national allergy charity: factsheets on food allergy and intolerance (now incorporating Anaphylaxis UK).allergyuk.orgNew tab
• British Nutrition Foundation (opens in a new tab)Evidence-based nutrition information, healthy eating guidance and resources for teaching food.nutrition.org.ukNew tab
• IFIC: food additives and ingredients (opens in a viewer on this page on wide screens, otherwise a new tab)US International Food Information Council round-up on additives and ingredients.ific.orgOpens here

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Links checked 1 November 2026. Spotted a broken link? Tell us via the Cookeryonline contact page.