Food Legislation

Question 1

What is food legislation?

Answer 1

Laws about foods

Question 2

Give 3 laws that control legislation

Answer 2

Food Standards Act 1999

Food Safety Act 1990

The Food Safety Order 1991 (Northern Ireland)

General Food Law

Codes of Practice

Food Information Regulation

Question 3

Why was the Food Standards Act of 1999 put in place?

Answer 3

To protect public health in relation to food

Give the Food Standards Agency the power to act at any stage in the food production and supply chain

Question 4

Why was the Food Safety Act of 1990 put in place?

Answer 4

Provides the framework for all the foof legislation in Englan, Wales, and Scotland

Make it an offence for anyone to sell or process food for sale which is harmful to health

Places an obligation on businesses to ensure that their activities are carried out in a hygienic way

Question 5

What is the word food defined as?

Answer 5

Any substance or product, whether processed, partially processed, or unprocessed, intended to be, or reasonably expected to be ingested by humans. Food includes drink, chewing gum, and any substances, including water, intentionally incorporated into the food during its manufacture, preparation, or treatment. It includes drinking water after the point of compliance (generally when it comes out of the tap).

Question 6

What 5 things are GB and retained EU legislation areas based on?

Answer 6

Safety

Presentation and labelling

Traceability

Food Imports and exports

Product withdrawals and recalls

Question 7

Define food recall

Answer 7

Corrective action taken by a food company to remove from the sale, distribution, and consumption food that may pose a risk to consumers as a result of contamination, adulteration, or misbranding

Question 8

What happens when a food product is recalled?

Answer 8

Result of a report or complaint from a variety of sources i.e manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, government agencies, or the consumer

The result of a food company’s internal testing or auditing

Food recalls are conducted to ensure that potentially hazardous or unsafe foods are not consumed

Question 9

Name the 4 types of food hazards

Answer 9

Biological

Chemical

Physical

Allergenic

Question 10

Give 5 food allergens that are required to be declared in food products

Answer 10

Gluten

Peanuts

Tree Nuts

Celery

Mustard

Eggs

Milk

Sesame

Fish

Crustaceans

Molluscs

Soya

Sulphites

Lupin

Question 11

Why are food hygiene ratings given to businesses?

Answer 11

The food hygiene rating reflects the standards of food hygiene found on the date of the inspection by the local authority.

The food hygiene rating is not a guide to food quality

Question 12

Explain what a Use-by date is

Answer 12

Use-by dates are about safety

This is the most important date to remember. Never eat food after the use-by date, even if it looks and smells ok, as it could make you very ill.

You can eat food until midnight on the use-by date shown on a product unless the food has been cooked or frozen

For the use-by date to be a valid guide, you must carefully follow the food’s storage instructions

After the use-by date, don’t eat, cook, or freeze your food. And remember, you cannot smell the bacteria which makes you ill.

Question 13

Explain what the Best-before date is

Answer 13

Best-before dates are about the quality of a product

After the best-before date listed on a product, the food will be safe to eat but may not be at its best. Best-before dates appear on a wide range of foods including frozen foods (such as peas, chips, and ice cream)

Dried foods (such as pasta and rice)

Tinned Foods (such as baked beans and canned tomatoes)

Cheese