Main laws

United Kingdom Regulation

Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013

The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 sit within the food safety enforcement framework for England.

In forceUnited KingdomPlain-English guide4 practical checks

Plain-English explainers, not legal advice. Use the linked official source for section-level detail, and get advice for your situation.

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Quick read

  • This law matters for food premises, kitchens, manufacturers, caterers and market operators.
  • The business task is to run food safety as a daily system: hygiene controls, temperature checks, supplier records, training, cleaning and corrective action.

Likely relevant if

  • Restaurants, cafes and takeaways
  • Food manufacturers and dark kitchens
  • Caterers and market food traders

Check first

  • Maintain food hygiene and safety controls
  • Keep food safety management records
  • Train and supervise food handlers

What this means in practice

This law matters for food premises, kitchens, manufacturers, caterers and market operators. The business task is to run food safety as a daily system: hygiene controls, temperature checks, supplier records, training, cleaning and corrective action.

Key points

  • Inspection outcomes often reflect daily records and staff habits.
  • Temperature and cleaning logs should be meaningful, not back-filled.
  • Delivery-only kitchens still need the same food safety discipline.

When this law usually matters

Most businesses do not need to memorise the whole law. The useful starting point is to know when it is likely to affect a contract, customer journey, employee process, data flow or company decision.

Key points

  • Restaurants, cafes and takeaways
  • Food manufacturers and dark kitchens
  • Caterers and market food traders
  • Businesses operating food premises in England

What to check first

Sense check

  • Maintain food hygiene and safety controls
  • Keep food safety management records
  • Train and supervise food handlers
  • Cooperate with local authority inspections and corrective action

Documents and workflows to review

Key points

  • Food safety management system
  • Cleaning schedule
  • Temperature logs
  • Supplier records
  • Inspection reports

Related topics

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