Food Safety and Standards in Church

Food, joy, and church have been inextricably linked for centuries. It’s even a biblical principle:

“So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun” Ecclesiastes 8:15 (NLT)

As churches, we want the food we serve and share to bring joy and community. But if we are not careful, it could cause harm.

There are also legal issues to consider with regards to who is responsible for ensuring food is produced and distributed safely.

So, we need to consider how to keep food and food events safe (and therefore joyful!) for everyone.

In short – it depends!

It depends on the activities you do and the frequency of them.

In law, a 'food business' is an organisation that - whether for profit or not and whether public or private – undertakes or carries out any of the activities related to any stage of production, processing, or distribution of food.

Most food businesses in England or Wales are required to have a food hygiene rating (or the equivalent Food Hygiene Information Scheme in Scotland). This means they will be registered with a local authority and usually have routine hygiene and safety inspections by the Local Authority Environmental Health team.

A 'food business operator' is the person(s) responsible for ensuring that the requirements of food law are met within the food business under their control. In a church, this is likely to be the trustees, but day-to-day responsibility may be delegated to a member of staff or volunteer.

The majority of churches will serve food as part of some of their activities: some several times a week, some just a few times a year. This means that most churches could fall under the definition of a food business. However, the guidance from the Food Standards Agency indicates that where food activity is infrequent or limited, it may not be necessary to register.

“Infrequent” is not defined, but a good rule of thumb is if you are serving high-risk foods more than four times a year, especially to vulnerable people (under 5s or over 75s, for example).

Many simple food activities, for example, do not require, registration, inspection, nor a food hygiene rating. Though, of course, the basic principles of serving safe food still apply. Some examples include:

• Communion.
• Tea, coffee, and biscuits after a church service.
• Sweets and snacks at youth groups.
• Occasional fellowship meals.

Where churches are serving food more regularly - whether cooked or cold - advice should be sought from the local authority on whether registration is needed.

Whether someone runs a youth club providing snacks, is involved in handing out refreshments on a Sunday morning, or is organising regular church meals, they are serving food and must follow food safety principles.

These principles are:

• Cleaning – the preparation and cooking area and the equipment used should be clean
• Cooking – food should be properly cooked, reaching appropriate temperatures to ensure it is safe for consumption
• Chilling – cold food or food being stored should be chilled to appropriate temperature to reduce the risk of harmful bacteria
• Cross-contamination – following careful food hygiene practices will avoid the growth and spread of bacteria onto food items

A simple policy on food safety and keeping basic records (such as food temperatures) can help churches set out how they keep food safe: a policy provides information for everyone involved on the basic principles and the systems used. See below for a template you could use.

Where churches are serving more than tea/coffee and biscuits or packaged snacks, it is recommended to appoint or nominate someone to be in charge of food safety at each activity or event.

This person should have a basic level of food hygiene knowledge or training. For example, a recognised/accredited Foundation (Level 2) Food Hygiene training certificate within the last 5 years. You can complete an online course for this relatively cheaply or, if you would like to train more people, you could organise a face-to-face course for a group. Similarly, a knowledge of allergens (see below) is also helpful.

Yes – so long as you do it safely.

For occasional food production of food for meals at church at home (e.g. a bring and share lunch), the Food Standards Agency have some practical tips:

• Wash your hands regularly with soap and water.
• Always wash fresh fruit and vegetables before cooking or consumption.
• Keep raw and ready-to-eat foods separate.
• Do not use food past its use-by date.
• Always follow cooking instructions.
• Make sure food is properly cooked before you serve it.
• Ensure that food preparation areas are suitably cleaned and sanitised after use, and wash any equipment you are using in hot, soapy water.
• Ensure frozen food is defrosted safely in a fridge before you use it.
• Keep food out of the fridge for the shortest time possible.

Food that needs to be chilled, such as sandwiches should be left out of the fridge for the minimum possible time, and never for more than four hours. After this time, any remaining food should be thrown away or put back in the fridge, ideally with a label showing the name of the food and the use by date.

Make sure any remaining food is used as soon as possible (preferably within 24 hours) and if you put the food back in the fridge, don't let it stand around at room temperature when you serve it again.

For hot food that needs to be reheated, ensure that it is piping hot and have the safe time/temperature combination throughout the food of:

• 80°C for at least 6 seconds.
• 75°C for at least 30 seconds.
• Or 70°C for at least 2 minutes.

Measure this with a clean food safety grade thermometer (available for between £20-50).

Allergen information should be provided by labelling food containers or providing an ingredients list and allergen information for each meal (see allergen advice below), including food prepared at home.

Some foods are more likely to cause food poisoning than others. These include:

• Raw milk.
• Raw shellfish.
• Soft cheeses.
• Pâté.
• Foods containing raw egg.
• Cooked sliced meats.

Extra care must be taken with the above foods and should be avoided for events if in any doubt.

Food banks and community meal provision (providing food to members of the public, much like a cafe or takeaway) are likely to be food businesses and you will need to put in place appropriate food safety controls.

The easiest way to do this is, as well as consulting the relevant Food Standards Agency guidance, is to use and have available the relevant parts of the most appropriate Safer Food Better Business (SFBB) document.

SFBB documents are free and available online - food banks should use the “retailer SFBB” whereas community meal provision should refer to the “caterer SFBB”. For churches in Scotland, equivalent guidance is available (look for “Cooksafe” and “Retailsafe”).

Your local authority environmental health team will also be a good source of advice and support, as well as being the organisation with whom you should register as a food business.

In 2024, it was reported that around 6% - 2.4 million people – have a clinically confirmed food allergy. There is a requirement that allergen information is available to help keep those with allergies safe. Key areas to think about and manage are:

• Are you and other key staff and volunteers aware of important allergen and intolerances?
• Have key personnel (eg. those cooking and serving) received training to know how to manage allergen risk (see free training course information below)?
• Have you subscribed to the Food Standards agency news and alerts for Allergens?
• Do you check supplier information for allergen information and changes?
• Do you ensure that during production and service, the risk of allergenic cross-contamination is minimised?
• Do you know what to do in case of emergency?

To assist, the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland have produced free training to help understand the risks. For anyone organising a church community event or meal, this training is a free and easy way to help you understand how to protect those with allergies.

• England, Wales and Northern Ireland training
• Scotland

Churches serving food both to members of the public and to church members have a responsibility to do it safely. But doing this well will also bring joy and love to our communities.

Key things to check:

• Do you need to be food registered with your Local Authority? Are you catering for large events or vulnerable groups, for example, more than four times a year?
• Have you got the right facilities (kitchen and storage) and procedures (paperwork) in place to produce safe food?
• Have you nominated/appointed a person(s) to oversee food safety?
• Have key staff members serving food received food hygiene and allergen training?

Hopefully, this advice, together with that of your Local Authority Environmental Health team, will bring you confidence to handle food safely in your church or community setting.