Environmental Health?

[bubbly]

I had no idea I needed to register with Environmental Health. I'm now in the process of finding out who and where to contact.

Can anyone advise me on what I need to have in place? I know I need to log my fridge and freezer temps on a daily basis and I'll need to buy a food probe.

Does anyone know where I can buy a decent food probe (if that's what they're called)?

Also, I understand I'll be inspected. What exactly will they do or ask when they come out? How much warning do you get? Will I be quizzed on my food hygiene knowledge and marked down if I'm a bit lacking in that dept.?

Hopefully I can do a food hygiene course at some point.

[sarah707]

The best information is in this folder ...

http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/regulation/hygleg/hyglegresources/sfbb/

You can order it for free, follow the link.

Once you are armed with this most of your questions will be answered. :D

[deeb66]

I had no idea I needed to register with Environmental Health. I'm now in the process of finding out who and where to contact.

Can anyone advise me on what I need to have in place? I know I need to log my fridge and freezer temps on a daily basis and I'll need to buy a food probe.

Does anyone know where I can buy a decent food probe (if that's what they're called)?

Also, I understand I'll be inspected. What exactly will they do or ask when they come out? How much warning do you get? Will I be quizzed on my food hygiene knowledge and marked down if I'm a bit lacking in that dept.?

Hopefully I can do a food hygiene course at some point.


As Sarah says check out the Safer Food Better Business pack.

I got my food probe from ebay at quite a reasonable cost.

[Jules12Wed]

We were sent on a food hygiene course and got a food probe, fridge/freezer thermometer, choppign boards, wipes for food probe, paper towels plus some other stuff.

[bubbly]

My mindees come with packed lunches but sometimes I have to warm up a tin of spaghetti in tomato sauce or a jar of baby food. Does that mean I definitely need to register, even if I'm not providing cooked meals?

[Pipsqueak]

My mindees come with packed lunches but sometimes I have to warm up a tin of spaghetti in tomato sauce or a jar of baby food. Does that mean I definitely need to register, even if I'm not providing cooked meals?

Fraid so Bubbly - even if we are just providing a glass of water!

[sonia ann]

Check with your Evironmental Health Officer first as not all districts are the same. See copy of e-mail ( 18/3/09) sent to me when I asked (I come under Poole ,Dorset.)

"Thank you for your enquiry into the necessity for child minders to register as food businesses.

I can confirm that the policy referred to in the letter dated 28th June 2006 has not changed and as such we do not require you to register.

However, if you do wish to register, we will be happy to do this"

[Donkey]

Check with your Evironmental Health Officer first as not all districts are the same. See copy of e-mail ( 18/3/09) sent to me when I asked (I come under Poole ,Dorset.)

"Thank you for your enquiry into the necessity for child minders to register as food businesses.

I can confirm that the policy referred to in the letter dated 28th June 2006 has not changed and as such we do not require you to register.

However, if you do wish to register, we will be happy to do this"

Environmental health don't require you to register, but it is part of the EYFS so legally we have to register.
They prob won't inspect as we will be classed as low risk

[sonia ann]

Now I am confused when I read this in the EYFS I read it to mean that we have to register with the local authority if that is what they require to meet local legislation.


Providers should be aware of their responsibilities under food hygiene legislation including registration with the relevant Local Authority Environmental Health Department.

[rickysmiths]

Environmental health don't require you to register, but it is part of the EYFS so legally we have to register.
They prob won't inspect as we will be classed as low risk


I am surprised at this local dept because we all have to register. The only way out is for your parents to provide packed lunches and nothing that needs heating up. You can provide drinking water without having to register.

You have to register if you reheat, cook, or prepare meals from fresh ingredients in your home, it is a legal requirement under the following legislation:

Application for the Registration of a Food Business Establishment Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 0n the Hygiene of Foodstuffs, Article 6 (2)

This has been brought in under EC Law.

A lot of local Environmental Health Depts have and are taking a while to impliment registration because it is such a huge job for most of them. We should have all been registered from at least 2006 but for a lot of councils, ours for example, by registering childminders have instantly doubled the number of food businesses in their area. Obviously they can not double their staff levels so it has taken them until now to do something.

They will probably do an inital inspection but as long as everything is ok we are put in a low risk part of the register so it is unlikely that you will see them again for a long while. They will ring and make an appointment to visit, they shouldn't turn up unannounced.

The Food Standards Agency web site had tons of information on what you will need to do. Nesbits are a good web site to buy probes, coloured chopping boards and coloured handled knives from without them costing a fortune.

[Cammie Doodle]

I had no idea I needed to register with Environmental Health. I'm now in the process of finding out who and where to contact.

Can anyone advise me on what I need to have in place? I know I need to log my fridge and freezer temps on a daily basis and I'll need to buy a food probe.

Does anyone know where I can buy a decent food probe (if that's what they're called)?
Also, I understand I'll be inspected. What exactly will they do or ask when they come out? How much warning do you get? Will I be quizzed on my food hygiene knowledge and marked down if I'm a bit lacking in that dept.?

Hopefully I can do a food hygiene course at some point.

...............................................Nis bets for probed fridge thermometers etc

[Donkey]

Now I am confused when I read this in the EYFS I read it to mean that we have to register with the local authority if that is what they require to meet local legislation.


Providers should be aware of their responsibilities under food hygiene legislation including registration with the relevant Local Authority Environmental Health Department.

I think you have read it wrong, the eyfs doesn't ask about local legislation, it says find out your responsibilities under food hygiene legislation (i.e depending on what type of meals/food service you provide) and it then goes onto say about registering...

all your local authority are saying is that they will register you if you wish. I advise you to do so!!

I hope this makes sense, hopefully someone will explain better than me, my head is still battered!

[sonia ann]

thanks I've printed off a form and I'll register any way that way I'll be covered.:littleangel:

[Pipsqueak]

there is some EU thing back in 2000 that required us to register with EH. Some environmental health authorities have been active in reinforcing it, others haven't. Under EYFS the onus is now on us to ensure that we are and have.

[mandysmonkeys]

I have a lady from eh coming out to inspect me on monday, so i will write up how it goes.
I phoned them up to register back in Jan, filled in a registration form. A couple of weeks ago they called me to ask what I was providing I said cold snacks and occasonally toast. She said she would just send me out a questionaire. Then just before she hung sheasked if I was going to serve hot meals in the future and yes if parents require it so shes coming out. Don't know what would have happened if she hadn't asked about the hot meals. lol
Anyways will report back on what happens. :)

[sonia ann]

Anyways will report back on what happens. :)

Thank you. I only provide fruit/veg snacks and the children bring packed lunches. however i will heat up baby food provided by mums as required.:)

[mandysmonkeys]

The lady came today, she was really nice and at first we just had a casual chat. She was very happy with what I was doing. Only thing I need to do that I am not is have a seperate towel downstairs for me to dry my hands on rather than use the tea towels :blush: i have seperate towels for each child but hay.

Most imporant points we discussed were
1. Plastic chopping boards should always be used rather than wooden and a different 1 for different types of food.
2. Keep a check on fridge / freezer temps
3. Make sure cooked food reaches 70 degrees
4. Food storage
5. Use antibacterial cleaner on sides
tea towels washed / cleaning clothes washed daily

She didn't really inspect the kitchen, mainly checked the fridge

[karenandsmile]

beleive me they are coming round and inspecting us in essex area and a lot of childminders have decided to stop doing meals for their childminding children

they where told fridge temp
proper storage of food
a food temp probe
a log of what they cooked every day and how they cooked it and the temprature of the food
and also how they prepared each meal and this must be logged daily

[Donkey]

http://www.nisbets.co.uk/products/ProductDetail.asp?SiteType=&productCode=S237

these are the boards I have!

[busylizzie]

My inspector was lovely,just checked round the kitchen,looked in the fridge at thermometer etc and asked me quite alot of questions (but they had sent out loads of info before they arrived and all the answers were there so it was worth reading it) Commonsense stuff really,not hard.She stayed about 45 mins.

Interestingly, she commented on my sore hands:blush: I thought she was going to tell me I had to wear gloves when preparing meals (I have dermatitis from the antibacterial soap and constantly washing them!) but she was really helpful and gave me loads of advice and said it was an occupational hazard (like hairdressers etc). She said I could use soap free soap in between the antibacterial washes etc and recommended some creams.Left me with loads of leaflets ( and gave me a 5 star certificate);)

[bubbly]

I emailed EH over the weekend about registering but haven't heard back yet.

Oh, is it ok to use the built-in temperature display on the front of the firdge and freezer or do I need to buy seperate ones to place inside?

[Playmate]

We only had to fill in a form and have been told as things stand at the moment, we would probably only receive a visit from EH if Ofsted were concerned about our practice. We found reasonably priced Food probes
(£8.51) and alarmed fridge thermometres (£7.50) at www.foodsafteydirect.co.uk. Only took a couple of days to deliver too.:clapping:

[bubbly]

I emailed EH over the weekend about registering but haven't heard back yet.
Environmental Health have just phoned to say I don't need to register unless I provide a proper sitdown evening/lunchtime meal using ingredients from my home.

I explained that the most I do is heat a jar of baby food or a tin of spaghetti, as the mindees come with packed lunches. The EH lady said that's fine and nobody needs to come and visit.

I've logged the conversation in my diary just in case Ofsted query it.

P.S. I'm in Cambridgeshire just in case anyone's wondering.