Home-based food vendors have become more prevalent since the Covid pandemic, but many of them have overlooked the fact that they are putting customers at risk.
This week’s column will cover the FSA’s most recent campaign, which attempts to encourage more food businesses—especially those operating from home and online—to register with their local authority. This comes after a spike in the number of new food enterprises during the epidemic.
An increase in food vendors operating from home
Food being sold from people’s homes has increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this kind of market is made easier by the internet. A third of newly registered businesses since the epidemic began in March 2020, according to our Register a Food Business digital service (RAFB), are operated out of private residences using household kitchens.
Since many of these independent vendors do not view themselves as food enterprises, they have not filed for local government registration. As a result, some recently formed home-based vendors may be endangering customers as they haven’t shown a strong understanding of food safety.
It is illegal for any food business to operate without first registering with the local government 28 days prior to opening. Companies who sell food through social media (Facebook Marketplace or Instagram store), e-commerce platforms like Amazon or eBay, from a physical location where customers are present, or even just from their home kitchen must register. If a business is taking over an established food business, it is also required to register with the local authority.
Local authorities will conduct a food hygiene inspection and become aware of the operation if a food business registers. A local government cannot evaluate the type of business and provide a Food Hygiene Rating if the business is not registered.
Concerning the FSA’s digital service, Register a Food Business
Since September 2018, the FSA’s digital service, Register a Food Business (RAFB), has been operational.
In the past, food registrations had to be filled out on paper and personally sent to the local government for processing. In order to streamline this procedure and benefit both local governments and food industry owners, the FSA launched the RAFB service. This allows business owners to register and obtain helpful advice at the time of registration.
At present, the service is being utilized by 70% of local authorities in England, Wales, and all District Councils in Northern Ireland. We have accomplished the noteworthy milestone of 100,000 digital registrations since the program’s inception.
The FSA can guarantee compliance, spot trends, and better understand the kinds of firms enrolling thanks to the data gathered by the RAFB service.