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Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}

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Food Hygiene Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that {{org_field_name}} complies with Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) regulations, food safety laws, and best practices in food hygiene when preparing, storing, and serving food to service users. This policy establishes clear guidelines for safe food handling, infection prevention, and risk management to protect service users from foodborne illnesses and ensure their nutritional well-being.

Our objectives are to:

• Ensure all food prepared and served to service users is safe, nutritious, and hygienically handled.
• Prevent foodborne illnesses and contamination through strict hygiene practices.
• Train staff in food safety, handling, and storage procedures.
• Comply with legal and regulatory food safety requirements.
• Support service users’ dietary needs while maintaining food safety standards.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

• All employees involved in food preparation, handling, or assistance with eating.
• The Registered Manager and Responsible Individual, responsible for regulatory compliance.
• Service users receiving meal preparation or assistance with eating.
• Family members, carers, and external suppliers providing food to service users.
• Healthcare professionals, where dietary or nutritional advice is required.

Where food is provided by family members or external suppliers, staff will support individuals’ choice while applying basic safety checks (condition of packaging, storage requirements, use-by dates, allergen risks recorded in the care plan). Staff will not serve or leave food they reasonably believe is unsafe; concerns will be recorded and escalated to the Registered Manager and, where appropriate, discussed with the individual/representative.

3. Legal and Regulatory Framework

This policy must be read and applied alongside current Welsh legislation and regulatory requirements, including:

• Food Safety Act 1990 (general food safety offences and duties).
• Regulation (EC) No. 178/2002 (general food law: traceability, withdrawal/recall, placing unsafe food on the market).
• Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 (food hygiene requirements) as retained in UK law, and the Food Hygiene (Wales) Regulations 2006 (as amended).
• Food Information for Consumers Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011 and The Food Information (Wales) Regulations 2014.
• The Food Information (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (PPDS allergen/ingredients labelling requirements – “Natasha’s Law” in Wales).
• Food Hygiene Rating (Wales) Act 2013 (Food Hygiene Rating Scheme duties where applicable).
• Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 and The Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2017 (as amended), including the 2024 Amendment Regulations.
• Welsh Government Statutory Guidance for providers of care home and domiciliary support services (last updated 27 March 2024) which CIW uses to inform regulatory decisions.
• CIW inspection framework (May 2024) and the inspection ratings regime effective from April 2025 (ratings must be displayed as required).
• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (staff safety while handling food).
• Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 (well-being, choice, dignity and outcomes).

4. Food Safety and Hygiene Standards

4.1 Personal Hygiene for Staff Handling Food

All staff involved in food preparation or assistance must:

• Wash hands before and after handling food, using antibacterial soap.
• Wear clean uniforms or aprons to prevent contamination.
• Tie back long hair and wear hairnets where required.
• Avoid handling food if experiencing illness (e.g., vomiting, diarrhoea, infections).
• Keep nails short and clean – no artificial nails or nail polish.

These arrangements are maintained in line with statutory guidance expectations that providers have hygiene policies/procedures that take account of current legislation and guidance, including those relating to food handling and handwashing, and that services are delivered in accordance with those policies.

How we manage this efficiently:

• Mandatory food hygiene training for all care staff.
• Regular hand hygiene audits and spot checks to ensure compliance.

4.2 Safe Food Handling Procedures

• Raw and cooked foods must be handled separately to prevent cross-contamination.
• All utensils and surfaces must be cleaned and disinfected before and after food preparation.
• Hands must be washed immediately after handling raw meat, eggs, or seafood.
• Food must be checked for freshness before preparation.

How we manage this efficiently:

• A food safety checklist is followed for each meal preparation.
• Disposable gloves are used where required and changed between tasks.

4.3 Food Storage and Temperature Control

• All perishable food must be stored in refrigerators at 5°C or below.
• Frozen foods must be kept at -18°C or below.
• Dry foods must be stored in sealed containers away from moisture and pests.
• Leftovers should be stored correctly and labelled with expiry dates.
• Use-by dates must be strictly followed to prevent foodborne illnesses.

How we manage this efficiently:

• Where food preparation is undertaken in an individual’s own home, staff will apply safe practice (date checks, separation of raw/cooked foods, prompt refrigeration, safe reheating) and will not routinely keep daily appliance logs unless this is specifically required by the person’s risk assessment/personal plan and is practical to do so.
• Where a risk assessment/personal plan requires temperature checks, staff will record temperatures at the frequency specified and report out-of-range readings to the office the same day.
• If staff identify that an individual’s fridge/freezer is not working safely (e.g., food not cold, persistent spoilage, visible contamination), they will stop and seek guidance, document the concern, and support the person/representative to take corrective action (e.g., contacting family/landlord/maintenance, replacing spoiled food) in line with consent and the personal plan.

4.4 Preparing and Serving Food Safely

• Food must be cooked to the correct temperature (e.g., 75°C for poultry and reheated food).
• Hot food must be kept above 63°C and served immediately.
• Cold food should be stored below 5°C until served.
• Allergen risks must be considered, and cross-contact avoided.

How we manage this efficiently:

• Food thermometers are used to check temperatures before serving.
• Service user care plans document specific food allergies or dietary needs.

4.5 Preventing Cross-Contamination

• Separate chopping boards and utensils must be used for raw and cooked foods.
• Staff must clean hands, utensils, and work surfaces immediately after handling raw food.
• Food must be stored in sealed containers to avoid contamination.

How we manage this efficiently:

• A designated food safety lead ensures compliance with hygiene protocols.
• Regular audits of food storage and preparation practices.

4.6 Domiciliary care and “food business” registration (local authority) and food safety management

In most cases, preparing food in a person’s own home for their private domestic consumption is not treated the same as operating a food establishment. However, where our service regularly prepares meals and/or provides meals for individuals as part of a care package (including where the person supplies ingredients but does not control preparation), this activity may meet the definition of a food business and may require registration with the local authority.

Where registration applies (or where we choose to adopt equivalent standards as best practice), we will ensure a documented food safety management system appropriate to risk (for example HACCP-based procedures), including:

• defined safe methods for handling, cooking, chilling, reheating and avoiding cross-contamination;
• allergen management and clear communication;
• cleaning/disinfection standards;
• staff training and competence checks;
• proportionate records/audits to demonstrate control measures are followed.

The Registered Manager/Responsible Individual will review whether our activities trigger registration requirements and will keep evidence of the decision and any registration details.

5. Managing Special Dietary Requirements

5.1 Service User Nutritional Needs and Allergies

• Each service user’s dietary needs must be recorded in their care plan.
• Staff must be aware of any allergies, intolerances, or religious/cultural dietary restrictions.
• Allergen information must be checked for all packaged foods.

Where our service provides food and/or drink, individuals will be offered choice that meets their needs and preferences so far as reasonably practicable, and we will promote healthy choices in line with personal plans and professional advice.

How we manage this efficiently:

• Service users are consulted regularly on dietary preferences.
• Care plans include detailed nutritional guidelines for each individual.

5.2 Assistance with Eating and Drinking

• Staff must assist service users with dignity and respect.
• Care must be taken to prevent choking, especially for individuals with swallowing difficulties (dysphagia).
• Thickened fluids and soft diets should be provided where required.

How we manage this efficiently:

• Staff receive dysphagia and choking hazard training.
• Regular communication with healthcare professionals ensures dietary adjustments.

5.3 Allergen management and labelling (including PPDS requirements in Wales)

We will comply with the Food Information requirements in Wales, including allergen information duties under the Food Information (Wales) Regulations 2014 and the PPDS amendments introduced in 2020.

• Care plans must clearly record known allergies, intolerances, texture modification needs and emergency responses (e.g., prescribed adrenaline auto-injector where applicable).
• Staff must check ingredient/allergen labels on packaged foods each time, as recipes and manufacturing processes can change.
• Staff must prevent cross-contact (separate utensils/boards, handwashing, cleaning surfaces) when preparing allergen-free meals.
• Where staff prepare and leave food for later consumption (e.g., a sandwich, plated meal, batch-cooked portion), the container must be labelled with: name of food, date/time prepared, storage instructions, and allergen warnings/ingredients where known.
• Where our service prepares and packs food for direct sale (PPDS) (for example, food prepared and packed in advance for supply), we will ensure the package/label contains a full ingredients list with allergens emphasised, in line with Wales PPDS law.

6. Cleaning and Waste Disposal

6.1 Kitchen and Equipment Hygiene

• All kitchen surfaces and utensils must be cleaned and sanitised after each use.
• Fridges and freezers must be cleaned weekly to prevent bacterial growth.
• Food preparation areas must be kept clutter-free and well-maintained.

6.2 Waste Management and Disposal

• All food waste must be disposed of in sealed, lidded bins.
• Recyclable packaging should be separated in line with local council guidelines.
• Bins must be emptied daily to prevent odours and pests.

How we manage this efficiently:

• A structured waste management system ensures compliance.
• Regular inspections maintain hygiene standards.

7. Staff Training and Competency in Food Hygiene

7.1 Mandatory Food Hygiene Training

• All staff involved in food handling must complete Level 2 Food Hygiene training.
• Annual refresher courses ensure staff remain up to date with best practices.
• Specialist training is provided for those supporting service users with dysphagia.

7.2 Competency Assessments

• New staff must demonstrate knowledge of food safety before handling food.
• Regular spot checks and competency assessments ensure compliance.

How we manage this efficiently:

• Training logs track staff qualifications and renewal dates.
• Supervisors conduct unannounced food hygiene inspections.

8. Reporting Food Safety Concerns and Incidents

Any suspected food-related harm (including suspected food poisoning, choking events linked to unsafe food provision, or allergic reactions) must be treated as a potential safeguarding/clinical risk and reported to the Registered Manager immediately.
We will:

• take immediate action to safeguard the individual (seek urgent medical advice/999 where required);
• preserve relevant evidence where safe to do so (food packaging, batch details, photos of labels, notes of what was consumed);
• complete an incident record the same day and begin management review/root cause analysis;
• where required, notify relevant external bodies (for example the local authority environmental health/food safety team, commissioning authority, and CIW notifications in line with applicable regulated service notification duties and our governance arrangements).

Learning from incidents will be documented and used to update risk assessments, care plans and staff training.

9. Related Policies

This policy aligns with:

• Infection Prevention and Control Policy (DCW22)​.
• Supporting Nutritional and Hydration Needs Policy (DCW19)​.
• Health and Safety Policy (DCW18)​.

10. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed annually or sooner if required due to legislative changes, business needs, or CIW updates. The Registered Manager and Responsible Individual are responsible for ensuring compliance.

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Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}
Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}
Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}
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