Food safety

Can I run a food business from my home?

Yes, but you must be registered as a food business by completing and returning a food registration form which can be either downloaded from our website and mailed to us or by completing and return a form by post.

We also have information leaflets on running a food business from home as well as others on complying with the food laws. Some of these can be downloaded from our website.

Can the Council close down a food business that does not comply with hygiene standards?

There are powers for Environmental Health Officers working for Hounslow Council to close premises that are an imminent risk to health. The powers to do this are under the food laws and can only be applied in exceptional circumstances such as cockroaches being found or there being no hot water supply. The Council must apply to a local Magistrates’ Court within 3 days of closing the business for an Emergency Closure Order.

I want to start a mobile food business/stall - what do I have to do?

If you wish to trade inside the London Borough of Hounslow, you will need to trade in an appropriate designated pitch and require a street trading licence.

Contact the licensing team for further information on street trading licence. See right of this page, under related links for more information.

Once you have found a legal place to trade, you must register your business with the food safety team by completing a food registration form. To download the food registration form, see right of this page under documents to download.

You must register with the local authority at least 28 days before your start trading.

The premises address that you give should be the address where the vehicle or stall is kept overnight. If you are trading in this borough but the vehicle or stall is being kept at a different address in another borough, please contact the local authority, where the vehicle is being kept, and ask for a food registration form.

We will not charge you to register your food business and you do not have to wait for permission from the food safety team before you start trading.

Please note, a completed food registration form is not a street trading licence.

Once we receive your completed application we will enter your details on our database and you will receive a visit from one of our environmental health officers in due course.

How often do food businesses have to be inspected by Environmental Health Officers?

This depends on the risk score given to the business on the previous inspection.

The risk score is made up of a number of factors that include; the types of food handled, the numbers of customers, the physical condition of the premises, the extent of compliance with food laws and our level of confidence in the person running the business to comply with food laws between inspections. The inspection frequency varies between 6 months and 3 years.

I have become ill after eating at a local restaurant, what should I do?

You should see your GP and tell him or her that you think you may have food poisoning. Your GP may ask you to give a specimen to check that you have had food poisoning.

If other members of your family or other people are similarly ill and ate the meal or food at the same time, please telephone our office. We shall investigate immediately and ask questions as to what was eaten as well as taking samples from the food business concerned.

Please see information on our website and click on the food poisoning link for more information as the types and causes of food poisoning.

I live above a restaurant and the smell of cooking in my flat is so bad it is making me ill, what can I do?

This is probably due to a number of factors such as the type of food being cooked and the means of kitchen ventilation. Usually, a proper mechanical extractor with trunking taken up the building to above roof level will cure the problem. Please contact us by telephone and speak to a Customer Services Officer who will record your details of your complaint on to a database for investigation.

I want to start a food business in Hounslow, what do I have to do?

Before leasing or buying a commercial premise for the business, you need to check with our Borough Planning Department that it has the appropriate Planning Consent and that there are no restrictions on the types of business.

You also need be registered as a food business. The registration form is available on our website or by post. You have to comply with food laws and again we have detailed information leaflets available from the website or by post.

Is it illegal for a shop to have out of date food on display?

There are two types of date code; a “use by” or a “best before” date.

The “use by” date is for perishable foods that have a short storage life and have to be kept chilled. It is illegal for a shop to sell food past its “use by” date.

The “best before” date is for all other foods and it is not illegal for a shop to sell these foods past their “best before” dates provided they remain fit to eat. Of course it is bad practice for shops to sell food past its date and we would like to hear of any such instances.

The shop I use is not very clean or tidy – can the Council send someone round to inspect it?

We record all contacts by customers commenting about food businesses in the Borough and will try to follow these up with an inspection of the food business concerned. We may not be able to make an inspection the same day but will, depending on the nature of the comments, either inspect as soon as we can or write to the business to inform them that a customer has contacted us. We have a policy of never revealing the customer’s details unless the customer has given us their permission.

How can I make a complaint about an item of food I have bought?

You need to contact us by telephone, write, e-mail or visit us in person.

We will record all contacts but are unable to investigate all complaints. However we will speak to you about it, explain what can be done (or explain why we cannot do anything). We would like to see the food item and packaging concerned but if you have returned it to the shop already then we shall not be able to do anything other than note your complaint. If we have a history of complaints about a particular food business then we will investigate the reasons for this.

What should I do if I find an insect or foreign object in my food?

You need to contact us by telephone, write, e-mail or visit us in person.

We will respond to all such enquiries and assist in identifying the object or insect. If a customer has suffered physical injury because of biting or ingesting something found in the food then this is a serious matter and will dealt with by us as soon as possible.

What do all the 'E numbers' on a food label mean?

These are things added to the food to colour it, flavour it or preserve it. The food laws permit certain things to be added to certain foods and these are listed under E numbers. If you think a food should not contain certain E numbers then please contact us for more information.

What temperature should food be stored?

If it is chilled food or perishable food, the food law requires that it be kept at or below 8 centigrade at a food business. Certain allowances are made for foods being prepared or being displayed e.g. at a restaurant.

Food that is meant to be served hot must be kept at or above 63 Centigrade.

Perishable food kept between 8 and 63 Centigrade can allow harmful bacteria to grow to dangerous levels with the possibility of poisoning a customer.

How do I avoid food poisoning at BBQs and summer events?

We have an information leaflet provided by the Food Standards Agency. Please ask us to post it to you. The basic guidance is thorough cooking of the food and avoidance of cross contamination.

Does Hounslow have a food sampling programme?

We have a sampling programme that changes from year to year. You can see it on our website or request a copy by post. The results of some our food sampling can be seen on the website or posted to you.

Do staff that handle food in a food business have to be trained in food hygiene?

The food laws require everyone who handles food in a food business to be suitably trained or instructed in food hygiene.

Does Hounslow provide hygiene training for people working in food businesses?

We run courses leading to the CIEH Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering. For a copy of our booking form, costs and course dates please download application pack, see right of this page under documents for download. for more information, contact the course administator on 0208 583 5124.

How can I contact you for further information?

You can contact us at:

Food Team
Business Regulations
Environment Department
London Borough of Hounslow
Civic Centre
Lampton Road
Hounslow
Middlesex
TW3 4DN

Telephone: 020 8583 5555
Fax: 020 8583 5130

e-mail: foodsafety@hounslow.gov.uk