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Food safety

Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) Audit of Display and Business Survey 2021

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) is designed to help consumers make more considered choices about where they eat out or shop for food by providing ‘at-a-glance’ information about the hygiene standards of food businesses found at the time of their last inspection by a local authority’s food safety officer.

Qualitative research exploring community food provision

This report explores the journey that food takes from suppliers to end consumers in the community food provision sector in the UK, to understand what support community providers might need in relation to food safety. 

Kitchen Life 2: Literature Review

The aim of the Kitchen Life 2 project is to identify the key behaviours relating to food safety that occur in domestic and business kitchens, as well as the factors that may reduce the likelihood to enact recommended food safety and hygiene behaviours. This literature review was commissioned to inform the scope of the Kitchen Life 2 project.

FSA Consumer segmentation

Consumer segmentation is a way of grouping consumers based on common characteristics. It is used by organisations, including the FSA, to better understand different groups and how to reach them.

The effects of consumer freezing of food on its use-by date

The current Food Standards Agency guidance states that consumers can freeze pre-packed food right up to the “use-by” date and, once food has been defrosted, it should be consumed within 24 hours. The microbiological team at the FSA has drafted a strategic review to understand whether there is an increased risk to freezing foods on the use-by date compared to the day before the use-by date. The review has focused on how the shelf-life of a food is determined and the effects of freezing, thawing and refrigeration on common foodborne pathogens.

NHS (England) Hospital Food Review – FSA evidence package

This package of evidence was put together to support the NHS (England) Hospital Food Review Panel’s consideration of food safety as part of the “root and branch” review of the food provided in NHS facilities for patients, visitors and staff.

Levels of N-nitroso compounds (NOC) in UK consumed foods

The study investigated a range of foods to identify and quantify the level of N-nitroso compounds (NOC) formed during the manufacturing process. Measurement of apparent total nitroso compounds (ATNC) was used to screen for the presence of NOC and methodology developed to try and identify and quantity the NOC present. The levels of NOC found were low and unlikely to be a risk to health.