Reopening checklist for food businesses during COVID-19

By Food Standards Agency - 11th June 2020

A checklist to support food businesses to reopen safely during COVID-19 after a period of inaction.

Reopening your food business after a period of closure will require some extra checks alongside your ‘normal’ daily opening checks. These will help to make sure that your business can restart safely. You will need to maintain your basic hygiene standards and recognise the areas where greater attention will be required.

A review of your Food Safety Management System should be undertaken to identify risks. This should be recorded in your Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan, or your Safer food, better business pack (Safe catering in Northern Ireland). 

This review should consider all changes to your business’s processes and services connected to coronavirus (COVID-19). This could include changes to production, workflow management, staffing, customer interactions and any required control measures. 

Completing this reopening checklist will allow you to record progress when restarting your food business. This checklist is also available for download in table format.

 

The checklist covers details under the following headings:

Planning and preparation for start-up

  • Check your Local Authority is informed of current food activities

  • Update your Food Safety Management System for any new procedures

  • Check registered waste carrier services

Site checks

  • Check food preparation areas are clean and disinfected (this includes work surfaces, equipment and utensils)

  • Check all areas are free from evidence of pest activity

  • Check handwashing and cleaning materials’ availability (this includes soap, sanitiser and paper towels)

  • Check hot and cold running water is available at all sinks and hand wash basins.

Equipment checks

  • Check your fridges, chilled display equipment and freezers are working properly
  • Check your other equipment (e.g. oven) is working properly

Ingredient and product checks

  • Check raw materials and ingredients

  • Check allergen information is accurate and available for all products

Social distancing measures

  • Employee safety

  • Public safety

Man with a tablet