To assist exhibitors there will be chilled and frozen storage facilities within the exhibition hall, and a wash/prep area with running water adjacent to the exhibition hall. However, exhibitors will not be permitted to use any of the equipment in the kitchens at the venue.

If exhibitors are preparing food or drinks for consumption by visitors on their stand, they must comply with the Food Safety Act 1990 which stipulates that the food or drink must not be injurious to health; must be fit for human consumption; and must not be contaminated with harmful bacteria or foreign matter.

To achieve these objectives the exhibitor must also comply with the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995, which require the exhibitor to have hand-washing facilities on their stand; and the Food Safety (Temperature Control) Regulations 1995, which require the exhibitor to store food at the appropriate temperatures at all times.

It is in your interest to read this guidance carefully to ensure that you and your staff fully meet the standards as laid down by law. Failure to comply with the requirements of the relevant legislation may result in formal action by the local Environmental Health Office. A person found guilty of an offence under the act is liable to a fine or imprisonment or both. This information is intended as a guide only and not as a substitute for the specific Acts of Parliament or regulations.

Food hygiene certificate and method statement

Any exhibitor carrying out food sampling will need to provide a copy of their basic food and hygiene certificate (which must be dated within the previous three years) and a method statement.

THE DEADLINE FOR THIS AND ALL OTHER EXHIBITOR PAPERWORK IS FRIDAY 22 APRIL 2022.

Thanks for your co-operation - any queries please contact Sally Bartrum by email or on 01379 650112.

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TRAINING AND SUPERVISION
All staff should be properly supervised and instructed to ensure that they work in a hygienic manner. A greater degree of supervision may be needed for new staff awaiting formal training/less experienced staff and staff handling high-risk foods. Further information on required training can be found in the industry Guide to Good Hygiene Practice: Catering Guide.

SUMMARY OF LEGAL REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO A CATERING EXHIBITION
1. No food stand may be used if it is in a poor sanitary condition, or in such a condition as to expose food to the risk of contamination.

2. The stand/kitchen/food preparation and dispensing areas must be in good order and repair to enable them to be cleaned easily and properly. This means all the surfaces likely to be soiled during the event should at least be sealed or gloss painted. It is recommended that a suitable non-slip floor covering is provided on the service side of the counter and in the kitchen.

3. Any foods likely to support the growth of pathogenic micro-organisms or toxins shall be maintained at a temperature of 8°C or below.

4. Any article or equipment likely to come into contact with food must be kept clean and be constructed or materials that are not absorbent and can easily and properly be cleaned.

5. All food containers must be kept clean.

6. All food on a stand must be protected from risk of contamination likely to render the food unfit for human consumption, injurious to health or contaminated in such a way that it would be unreasonable to expect it to be eaten in the state.

7. Any food unfit for human consumption, unsound or unwholesome must be kept apart from any other food and labelled 'unfit food' - and disposed of accordingly, as soon as possible.

8. Open foods must not be placed less than 45cm from the ground.

9. All food handlers working with open food must:-
a) Keep their hands etc, clean
b) Keep their clothing clean
c) Cover all cuts etc, with a blue waterproof dressing
d) Not spit or smoke whilst handling, or in a room containing open food
e) Wear clean and washable over-clothing
f) Have their hair tied back if it is collar length or longer
g) Remove false nails before serving food

10. Personal clothing should not be kept within an area where open food is handled, unless it is stored in appropriate accommodation, ie, lockers/cupboards.

11. No one suffering from gastroenteritis, dysentery, any infection, boils or septic cuts etc, likely to cause food poisoning, shall be allowed to handle open food.

12. Rubbish and waste must be disposed of in suitable closed containers.

13. Each stand where open food is handled, prepared or dispensed must be provided with a supply of blue waterproof plasters and bandages for first aid. Where kitchen facilities are required to facilitate a catering operation, the higher standard of first aid box, complying with the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981, must be provided, or suitable arrangements made.

14. Allergens – exhibitors must outline allergens within ingredients, provide signage where appropriate and ensure separation of food items with allergens (if any).

WASHING FACILITIES
It is the responsibility of each exhibitor to assess the extent of their operation and ensure that adequate and suitable washing facilities are provided.

The washing facilities required are determined by factors such as the public health risks posed by the operation, the scale of the operation, types of food, equipment and serving container (disposable/reusable) used.

PREPARATION, COOKING AND DISPENSING OF FOOD

Storage Temperatures
A refrigerator is required for the storage of high-risk foods (fish, meat, rice and non-pasteurised dairy products). Recommended storage temperatures must be 8°C or below. It is the responsibility of each exhibitor to assess the extent of their own operation to ensure that adequate refrigeration/ frozen facilities are provided in conjunction with their operations. Where hot food is provided and not to be served to the visitor immediately, hot holding facilities (e.g. bain maries or hot food cupboards) must be provided to maintain a food temperature of 63°C or above. You must separate raw food from ready to serve food (high risk) stored in fridges.

Cooking appliances
Appliances that run on LPG or mains gas are not permitted - mains electricity must be used.

Where required by the Licensing Authority, units shall be provided with metal hoods fitted with grease filters, from which the extract shall be ducted direct to the open air. Fan motors shall be external to the air stream.

All cooking appliances must have an in date testing / inspection certificate (such as PAT certificate), which should be available for inspection on your stand.

Deep fat fryers
These must be provided with thermostatic controls, which will cut out at 200°C in accordance with BS5784: Part 2 (Electric) and BS 5314: Part 4 (Gas), thus preventing overheating of the oil and subsequent flashover. Appliances that do not conform to this standard must not be used. This requirement is not applicable to tabletop-type domestic fryers. All fat fryers shall be provided with suitable protective shields when positioned in close proximity to spectators and shall be installed and operated in accordance with the relevant standards. Deep fat fryers shall be located appropriately on a stand to prevent endangering anyone in gangway in case of flashover.