- 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 Ingredient Traceability Matrix Sheet
Track food ingredients from delivery to customer plating under EC 178/2002. Free ingredient traceability matrix sheet with mock recall support.
An ingredient traceability template tracks raw materials and food components along the supply chain from delivery receipt through batch preparation to customer sale or distribution. Mandated by Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 (Article 18), robust 'one step back, one step forward' traceability enables commercial kitchens to rapidly identify, quarantine, and recall contaminated product batches within a 4-hour window.
One-Step-Back & One-Step-Forward Food Traceability Log
Record supplier intake batches, check delivery temperatures, log lot numbers, and instantly retrieve due diligence records during EHO food safety audits or product recall notices.
Record New Goods Inwards Intake Batch
Statutory Requirement under General Food Law| Date | Supplier & Invoice | Item Description | Batch / Lot Code | Arrival Temp | Use-By | Status | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-28 | Smithfield Quality Meats Ltd INV-98412 | Fresh British Beef Sirloin (4x 5kg vacuum packs) | LOT-261028-UK421 | 3.4°C | 2026-11-12 | Accepted | |
| 2026-10-28 | Billingsgate Direct Seafoods BDS-55104 | Fresh Scottish Salmon Fillets (12kg box) | HARV-261027-FAO27 | 1.2°C | 2026-11-03 | Accepted | |
| 2026-10-28 | Country Dairy Co-Op CDC-7721 | Pasteurised Whole Milk (24x 2L poly bottles) | BCH-8820A | 4.1°C | 2026-11-06 | Accepted |
Goods Inwards & Food Traceability Record
One-Step-Back Supplier Auditing Under Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 Article 18
| Date | Supplier & Inv No | Item Description | Batch/Lot Code | Arrival (°C) | Use-By | Sign | Delivery Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-28 | Smithfield Quality Meats Ltd INV-98412 | Fresh British Beef Sirloin (4x 5kg vacuum packs) | LOT-261028-UK421 | 3.4°C | 2026-11-12 | JM | Chilled van at 2.8°C; packaging sealed; kill date verified |
| 2026-10-28 | Billingsgate Direct Seafoods BDS-55104 | Fresh Scottish Salmon Fillets (12kg box) | HARV-261027-FAO27 | 1.2°C | 2026-11-03 | JM | Supplied packed on fresh flake ice in insulated box |
| 2026-10-28 | Country Dairy Co-Op CDC-7721 | Pasteurised Whole Milk (24x 2L poly bottles) | BCH-8820A | 4.1°C | 2026-11-06 | SA | Tamper seals intact on crates |
All commercial food businesses must be able to produce delivery invoices and lot codes for any food item within 4 hours of an official request by an Environmental Health Officer (EHO). Delivery vehicles must be inspected for hygiene, absence of chemical contamination, and valid temperature seals.
Ingredient Traceability
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 Ingredient Traceability 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 Ingredient Traceability 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
Log intake lot numbers: record supplier name, delivery date, purchase invoice number, and manufacturer lot codes for all incoming goods.
Operational Step 2
Label decanted bulk ingredients: ensure dry store containers and storage tubs display the original supplier batch lot number and date of opening.
Operational Step 3
Record lot codes on prep sheets: transfer raw ingredient batch numbers to daily kitchen prep sheets for batch sauces, stocks, and cooked fillings.
Operational Step 4
Map prep batches to service dates: link batch codes to specific service shifts, dining reservations, or customer takeaway order receipts.
Operational Step 5
Perform mock recall tests: test traceability annually by picking an ingredient at random and reconciling 100% of received stock against finished dishes within 4 hours.
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.
