18, Jul 2024
Making biltong
There seems to be a lot of people popping on the SA sites making biltong all of a sudden and if you make great biltong that is amazing but my bug bearer is someone making from home, and then advertising how they are the greatest biltong maker due to their grand fathers recipe and feel that they can now sell biltong to people. But the problem is not so siimple. Companies like us, Best Biltong, Limpopo, and other shops have spent massive time and money and effort to be legally compliant.
I am not telling you not to buy from people, all I am saying is that there those selling and trying to make a profit from home also need to follow the guidelines of businesses that spend the money, time and effort to be legal or it will just be a total free for all s&& show….
Just because you can make biltong does not mean you can all off a sudden start making 4 KG a week and start selling on the sites
In the UK, selling biltong, like any food product, requires adherence to various legal and regulatory requirements to ensure food safety and compliance. Here are the key steps and legal requirements you need to follow:
1. Register Your Food Business
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Food Business Registration: You must register your food business with your local authority at least 28 days before you start trading. This is free and mandatory. Registration allows local authorities to keep track of food businesses and inspect them as needed.
2. Compliance with Food Safety Standards
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Food Safety and Hygiene Regulations: Comply with the Food Safety Act 1990, Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013, and other relevant legislation. This includes ensuring the premises are clean, well-maintained, and suitable for food production.
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Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP): Implement a food safety management system based on HACCP principles. This involves identifying potential hazards in your production process and establishing controls to prevent contamination.
3. Labelling Requirements
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Food Labelling: Ensure your biltong is correctly labelled according to the Food Information Regulations 2014. Labels must include the name of the food, list of ingredients, allergen information, net quantity, storage conditions, date of minimum durability (best before date), and the name and address of the manufacturer or seller.
4. Traceability
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Traceability Requirements: Maintain records of where you source your meat and other ingredients from and to whom you supply your products. This is essential for food safety and in case of a product recall.
5. Inspections and Hygiene Ratings
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Environmental Health Inspections: Your local authority’s Environmental Health Officer (EHO) will inspect your premises to ensure compliance with hygiene standards. They may issue a hygiene rating that must be displayed if you have a retail or catering business.
6. Food Hygiene Training
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Staff Training: Ensure you and any staff members handling food are adequately trained in food hygiene. Training can be done through various courses, many of which are available online.
7. Premises Approval (if applicable)
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Premises Approval: Depending on the scale of your operation, you might need approval from the local authority if your business is considered to be handling products of animal origin (POAO) on a large scale. This is more likely if you are supplying to other businesses rather than direct to consumers.
8. Compliance with Specific Regulations for Meat Products
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Meat Product Regulations: Ensure compliance with specific regulations for the processing, handling, and sale of meat products, including temperature controls, sourcing from approved suppliers, and specific hygiene standards.
9. Health and Safety Requirements
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Health and Safety at Work: Ensure you comply with health and safety regulations to protect employees and customers, including risk assessments and proper equipment maintenance.
10. Insurance
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Product Liability Insurance: Consider obtaining product liability insurance to protect your business in case of claims related to your product causing harm.
Additional Considerations:
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Export Requirements: If you plan to export biltong, you must meet the destination country’s import requirements and possibly obtain export health certificates.
It is advisable to contact your local authority’s environmental health department for detailed guidance tailored to your specific circumstances and to ensure you meet all local requirements.
Very informative piece. It seams there are a lot of people trying to sell rubbish out there. I have been going through the whole compliancy track and to say its not easy, is an understatement. I have noted though that some Environmental Health Officers are not quite sure what to advise or inspect, particularly when it comes to HACCPs for biltong. We are actually having to research together. There’s not a lot of information out there.