ACS releases new guide for retailers to comply with regulations

Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has released a new guide for managing food safety and hygiene in a bid to enhance food safety among convenience store retailers.

This new development follows its Assured Advice scheme, launched in March 2014 to help convenience operators comply with tobacco display ban.

The present ACS Assured Advice Guide offers guidelines for store retailers to meet the requirements of food safety and hygiene laws.

It contains procedures for temperature checks, chilled storage, hot foods, cross contamination, record keeping, waste, cleaning and more.

ACS chief executive James Lowman said: "Food safety and hygiene laws apply to all convenience stores as they cover the sale of food items, regardless of whether the food is pre-packed, wrapped, loose or prepared in store.

"The rules on food safety and hygiene are complex, which is why we have produced this detailed guidance and supporting materials for our members. We encourage retailers to sign up to ACS’s Assured Advice scheme to benefit from the legal assurance that our guides offer".

It instructs the retailers to have a documented food safety management system to comply with procedures in place and to list allergenic ingredients for customers’ notice.

These guidelines are intended for convenience store owners by ACS and Surrey County Council, ACS stated.

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Image: The guides primarily aimed at stores that are performing basic food preparation activities such as making sandwiches and heating pies. Photo: courtesy of ACS.