What you need to do as a small business
As a small low-risk food business, the Food Standards Agency’s Safer Food Better Business for caterers pack may be too in-depth and onerous for your needs.
However, you will still need to document some basic processes.
Cake Maker Food safety management system
We have devised an advice leaflet for cake makers and a cake maker food safety pack which you can use as your document system.
If you decide to use our cake maker food safety pack as your document system, you will need to:
- read the cake maker advice leaflet
- print the cake maker FSMS document
- provide a small diary or notebook which you can keep a record in every time you bake.
- work through the pack and fill in all of the blank boxes with the information specific to your business to demonstrate how you prepare food safely
- make sure you follow these safe methods every day
Every time you produce cakes for your business you will need to:
- complete opening checks:
- your fridge temperatures before you start baking
- your oven is working properly
- any staff are fit for work and wearing clean work clothes / overclothing
- food preparation areas and equipment and utensils are clean and disinfected
- all areas are free from evidence of pest activity
- you have sufficient handwash and cleaning materials
- hot running water is available at all sinks and wash hand basins
- allergen information is accurate for all items on sale
- confirm cleaning had been carried out effectively
- carry out the closing checks once you have finished
- all food is covered, labelled and put in the fridge / freezer (where appropriate)
- food on its use by date has been thrown away
- dirty equipment / utensils have been cleaned
- waste has been removed and new bags put into the bin
- food preparation areas, equipment and utensils have been cleaned and disinfected
- all washing up has been complete
- cleaning has been completed including floors
- note anything that went wrong
- sign to say that the records for that day are accurate and true
It is recommended that you keep a record of these checks in a small diary, or if you only bake occasionally a small notebook with the date of food production included.
It is a legal requirement to review your management systems, we recommend you do this when you introduce new recipes, when your suppliers change, if you take on new staff, or at least annually.
Write your own
You do not have to use the cake maker food safety pack, you can write your own simple procedures.
You can do this by writing a short paragraph about the areas detailing:
- food hygiene training and knowledge
- personal hygiene
- infection control
- pest control
- cleaning and sanitising (what types of chemicals cleaning cloths are used, how to clean and sanitise them)
- suppliers
- stock rotation
- temperature control
- traceability (using batch codes and keeping records)
- tamper evident seals and packaging
- equipment suitability, condition checks, cleaning and storage
- control of chemicals such as cleaning materials
- physical hazards particularly the risk of loose metal parts from mixers and control of glass in the kitchen
- microbiological hazards at all stages of processing.
- ingredient details including allergy information and edible glitter procedures
Food and Safety
Please note: The team work on an area basis. Please include the name and address of the business you are enquiring about (if known), alternatively please provide your home address if the business address is not yet known. If you are emailing the team please provide a contact telephone number as we often need more detail in order to provide a full response to your enquiry.
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