Food Guidance
The Agency regularly issues guidance to food industry representatives and other stakeholders on a range of topics, often as a result of new regulations coming into force.
We have listed some of the most popular reports here, which you can easily download.
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Undesirable substances in animal feed
Undesirable substances – more commonly known as contaminants – are defined in legislation as 'any substance or product, with the exception of pathogenic agents, which is present in and/or on the product intended for animal feed and which presents a potential danger to animal or human health or to the environment or could adversely affect livestock production'.
Guidance on producing, harvesting and importing terrestrial edible snails for human consumption
Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004 defines snails as meaning: terrestrial gastropods of the species Helix pomatiaLinné, Helix aspersaMuller, Helix lucorum and species of the family Achatinidae. This guidance outlines the regulations that apply to the production, harvest and import of the snails defined by the regulation.
Guidance On The Materials And Articles In Contact With Food (England) Regulations 2010
This guidance is aimed at all companies that manufacture, process, distribute, use, sell or import active and intelligent materials and articles that are intended for use in contact with food.
EU Official Feed and Food Controls regulation: Guidance for enforcement authorities
Q&A notes for enforcement authorities on the new EU Regulation on official feed and food controls (882/2004).
Guidance for food business operators on shelf life of ready-to-eat food in relation to Listeria monocytogenes
The shelf life of ready-to-eat food in relation to L. monocytogenes is a new best practice guidance document published by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and the Chilled Food Association (CFA) and endorsed by the Food Standards Agency.
Guidance on expenses arising from 'additional official controls'
The Food Standards Agency has issued guidance notes to provide advice in relation to Regulation 43 of the Official Feed and Food Controls (England) Regulations 2009. Parallel regulations apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Legislation controlling contaminants in food and food irradiation: Explanatory note
This note gives a general introduction to that EU harmonised legislation and describes its implementation in the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland has always had separate, but similar, provisions to the rest of Great Britain. Since devolution, Scotland and Wales also have their own provisions that reflect the measures in force in England that are described in the legislation.
Non-permitted colours in spices: Guidance note
Guidance to help food companies that use spices to minimise the risk of products adulterated with non-permitted colours entering the food chain is available. Controls on the import of chilli, chilli products, curcuma and palm oil fall under Regulation (EC) 669/2009 (as amended).
Contaminants in Food (England) Regulations Guidance note 2009
This Guidance Note provides informal guidance to The Contaminants in Food (England) Regulations 2009 (Statutory Instrument 2009 No. 1223) and should be read in conjunction with the pertinent EU legislation, including European Regulation (EC) No. 1881/2006 as amended, as well as Commission Regulation (EC) No. 124/2009 and the accompanying Regulation on Sampling and Analysis for Official Controls.
Food Safety Act 1990: a Guide for Food Businesses
The Agency has published revised guidance for food businesses on the Food Safety Act 1990. The guidance is applicable to all types of food business in England, Scotland and Wales.
Guidance on the Plastic Materials and Articles in Contact with Food (England) Regulations 2009
These guidance notes are for businesses (including SMEs, which may either use the guidance directly or learn about it via trade associations or enforcement authority contacts) that manufacture, use, import or sell materials and articles made from plastic that are intended for use in contact with food.
Vacuum packed chilled foods guidance
The Agency has produced guidance and a factsheet to help minimise the risk of Clostridium botulinum in vacuum and modified atmosphere packed chilled foods. The guidance is designed to assist small businesses and local authority environmental health officers assess the risks.
Principles for preventing and responding to food incidents
This guide has been developed by the Taskforce on Incidents, to aid food businesses and others and to prevent or deal efficiently with food incidents if they occur.
Sampling food and feed for genetically modified (GM) material guidance
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) supplementary guidance on the sampling of GM food and feed for enforcement officers, following a European Commission (EC) Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) Mission to the UK in June 2006.
Distance selling guidance for food businesses
The Agency has produced guidance for food businesses on selling food for delivery (distance selling).
GM food and feed, and traceability and labelling of GMOs: Guidance notes on the regulations
New rules concerning genetically modified organisms (GMOs) became legally binding across all Member States on 18 April 2004, one covering Traceability and Labelling of GMOs (EC No. 1830/2003) and the other, the GM Food and Feed Regulation (EC No. 1829/2003), dealing with authorisation procedures and labelling issues.
Mycotoxins in foodstuffs sampling advice
This sampling advice is intended to provide information to enforcement authorities and food business operators on the legislation regarding mycotoxins in foodstuffs and the official methods of sampling certain foods for mycotoxins.
Food Standards Agency Guidance Notes on Articles 14, 16, 18 and 19 of the General Food Law Regulation (EC) 178/2002
Regulation (EC) No. 178/2002 lays down general principles and requirements of food law and food safety procedures, and established the European Food Safety Authority.
Contaminants in Food (England) Regulations Guidance note
This Guidance Note has been produced by the Food Standards Agency with the aim of providing informal guidance and a general introduction to The Contaminants in Food (England) Regulations 2007.
Import of food from third countries: guidance for food authorities
The Food Standards Agency has issued guidance for the import of food from third countries (non-European Union countries) for enforcement officers at ports and inland local authorities.
Waste cooking oil from catering premises
Guidance issued jointly by the Food Standards Agency, Cabinet Office, Environment Agency, Defra, HM Revenue and Customs and LACORS.
Sampling guidance
These guidance documents on food standards and feedingstuffs sampling have been developed through the Sampling Co-ordination Working Group (SCWG) and has been endorsed by the Enforcement Liaision Group (ELG).
Sweeteners in Food (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2003 Guidance Notes
These Guidance Notes relate to the provisions of The Sweeteners in Food (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2003 (SI 2003 No. 1182). They came into force on 23 May 2003 and permit the marketing and use of the sweetener, salt of aspartame-acesulfame, for two years.
Food Additives Legislation Guidance Notes
The Sweeteners in Food Regulations 1995 (as amended), the Colours in Food Regulations 1995 (as amended), and the Miscellaneous Food Additives Regulations 1995 (as amended)