Food Hygiene Advice for Businesses

Food Law Inspections and your business

The Food Standards Scotland (Catering & Retail) (Opens in a new window or downloads a file) website gives a brief overview that provides businesses with information about what to expect and be aware of when providing food for other people.

Starting Up a Food Business

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) provides guidance at Your First Steps to Starting a Food Business (Opens in a new window or downloads a file) for people setting up a restaurant, café or other catering business.  The FSA has also provide information about food law and explanations of good hygiene practice.

Registering Your Food Business

You must register your premises with the Comhairle at least 28 days before opening by completing our Food Registration Form (329.5kB) (Opens in a new window or downloads a file) and registration is free.

Training

Food business operators are required by law to ensure that food handlers receive appropriate supervision and instruction or training in food hygiene.

You may need to attend a food hygiene training course to comply with this requirement. One of the main requirements of the law is that all food handlers must know enough about food safety to allow them to work safely. This usually means passing a training course in food hygiene, at a level which is appropriate to the type of food being prepared.

There are several options available for Food Hygiene Training (20.1kB) (Opens in a new window or downloads a file) in the Western Isles.

You can also visit the Food Standards Scotland (Business & Industry) (Opens in a new window or downloads a file) website for advice on running a food business.

Further business advice is available from Business Gateway.