- What is SFBB (Safer Food, Better Business)?
- Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB) is a practical food safety management pack developed by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA). It helps small catering and retail businesses comply with food hygiene regulations through documented procedures across cooking, cleaning, chilling, cross-contamination, and daily opening/closing checks.
LOGFree Corrective Action Plan Template
Document food safety non-conformances, 5 Whys root causes, and CAPA actions. Free corrective action plan template for HACCP and EHO audits.
A corrective action plan (CAPA) template documents the systematic containment, investigation, and resolution of food safety non-conformances. In accordance with HACCP Principle 5 and ISO 22000, it establishes immediate quarantine of compromised products, 5 Whys root cause analysis, preventative corrective measures, product disposition decisions, and 14-day effectiveness verifications.
Corrective Action Plan
Real-time digital inspection log. Sign off checks and export directly for local authority inspections.
UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) regulations require kitchen surface sanitisers to remain visibly wet on food-contact counters for the certified dwell time (typically 30 to 60 seconds) to destroy 99.999% of bacteria.
1. Calibrated Probe Temperature Record
| Equipment / Product | Target Limit | Log Time | Probe Reading | Status | Initial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <= 4°C | |||||
| <= 5°C | |||||
| <= -18°C | |||||
| >= 63°C | |||||
| >= 75°C |
2. Mandatory HACCP & Food Hygiene Checks
How to Implement the Corrective Action Plan in Your Commercial Kitchen
Practical due diligence procedures, regulatory compliance steps, and EHO audit verification guidelines for UK hospitality businesses.
UK Statutory Due Diligence Framework
Under Section 21 of the Food Safety Act 1990, a food business operator has a defense of due diligence if they prove that all reasonable precautions were taken and all due diligence was exercised to prevent food safety offenses.
Documented logs like the Corrective Action Plan provide contemporaneous proof of monitoring required by Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 (retained UK law). Local council Environmental Health Officers (EHO) evaluate these records when scoring the "Confidence in Management" category of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS).
Official FSA Record-Keeping Guidance & Due Diligence
Under UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB) standards and Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, food business operators are required to maintain contemporaneous, accurate operational records.
- Contemporaneous logging: Kitchen logs must reflect actual checks performed during opening, active service, and closing rather than retrospective estimates.
- Corrective action logs: Whenever a critical limit is breached, document the specific corrective measure taken (e.g. food discarded, chilled, or reheated) with staff initials.
- Statutory due diligence defense: Retaining completed daily sheets for a minimum of 6 to 12 months supports the statutory defense under Section 21 of the Food Safety Act 1990. Official guidance is available at food.gov.uk.
Step-by-Step Operational Routine
Operational Step 1
Identify and log non-conformance: document the date, time, location, affected food batch, and specific safety limit breached.
Operational Step 2
Execute immediate containment: isolate and tag affected food inventory with bold red 'QUARANTINE / DO NOT USE' labels.
Operational Step 3
Conduct root cause investigation: apply the 5 Whys methodology to determine the underlying mechanical, operational, or human failure.
Operational Step 4
Assign corrective and preventive actions: specify exact remediation tasks, designate accountable personnel, and establish implementation deadlines.
Operational Step 5
Verify CAPA effectiveness: re-audit the affected process after 14 to 30 days to confirm the defect has not recurred before closing the file.
Procedures align with UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB) catering guidance and the Food Information Regulations 2014. Review official advice at food.gov.uk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about UK kitchen compliance, record keeping, and EHO audits.
All temperatures, microbial lethality pairs, and critical limits on this page have been verified against primary statutory documents issued by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA), Food Standards Scotland (FSS), Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, and US FDA/USDA guidelines.
These templates, checklists, and calculators are food-safety management tools designed to assist UK food business operators (FBOs) in maintaining organised kitchen records and internal procedures. They do not constitute legal advice and using them does not guarantee compliance with UK food law or a five-star food hygiene rating.
How to Write a HACCP Plan for UK Food Businesses: Step-by-Step
Read our in-depth guidance on UK Food Standards Agency inspection procedures, staff training, and compliance routines.
