Official guidance on how businesses operating a takeaway service or food processing plant should manage coronavirus risks has been published.
The guidance has been developed by the Food Standards Agency and Defra and covers areas including good hygiene practice, management of employee sickness, and social distancing for specific food business settings.
For the full advice see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-food-businesses
The government advice on social distancing includes specific guidance for food plants, takeaway food retailers, canteens and markets (see below).
Social distancing
The advice on social distancing measures applies to everyone. You need to minimise opportunities for the virus to spread by maintaining a distance of two metres between individuals.
This advice applies to inside the food business and in the external public areas where customers may need to queue. People should be reminded to wash their hands for 20 seconds and more frequently than normal.
The practical implementation of this advice will depend on the local circumstances. However a few general indicators may be relevant to the majority of retail outlets:
- Use additional signage to ask customers not to enter the shop if they have symptoms
- Regulate entry so that the premises do not become overcrowded
- Use floor markings inside the commercial spaces to facilitate compliance with the social distancing advice of two metres, particularly in the most crowded areas, such as serving counters and tills
- Use vertical signage to direct customers into lanes if feasible to facilitate movement within the premises while maintaining two metre distance
- Make regular announcements to remind customers to follow social distancing advice and clean their hands regularly
- Place plexiglass barriers at tills and counters if feasible, as an additional element of protection for workers and customers
- Encourage the use of contactless payments where possible, without disadvantaging older or vulnerable customers
- Provide additional pop-up handwashing stations or facilities if possible, providing soap, water and hand sanitiser.
Further information on social distancing and adults who are at increased risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) can be found on gov.uk.
Maintaining social distancing in specific food business settings
Food processing plants
Food safety practices in food processing plants should continue to be delivered to the highest hygiene standards including the use of some personal protective equipment and frequent hand washing.
All employers are expected to follow social distancing guidance, including food businesses, as far as is reasonably possible. Where the production environment makes it difficult to do so, employers should consider what measures may be put in place to protect employees. Once staff have left the food processing areas and removed protective clothing, social distancing and further hand washing guidance should be adhered to.
Staff canteens and rest areas
It is very unlikely coronavirus is transmitted through food. Workplace canteens may remain open where there are no practical alternatives for staff to obtain food.
- As far as reasonably possible, a distance of two metres should be maintained between users
- Staff can continue to use rest areas if they apply the same social distancing
- Notices promoting hand hygiene and social distancing should be placed visibly in these areas
- If possible, increase the number of handwashing stations available.
Takeaways and restaurants offering a pick-up service
For these services:
- No orders should be taken in person on the premises – this should be communicated to customers by appropriate means such as signage
- Businesses should only take orders online or by telephone
- Customers could have staggered collection times and be discouraged from entering the premises until their order is ready
- Customers arriving without having already placed an order should be encouraged to leave the premises to place their order by telephone or online, and to return at a designated time for collection
- Customers whose orders are ready should enter one at a time
- Businesses should discourage crowding outside the premises. Where possible, use queue management systems to maintain the two metres separation.
Outdoor food markets / farmers markets
The main concern with outdoor food markets is to avoid crowds gathering. Local authorities may have decided to close such markets as part of actions taken to maintain social distancing.
Where markets are still in operation, we encourage food market operators to consider how they can safely sell their products without encouraging crowds and ensure hygiene measures are in place. This can be done by:
- Taking orders online or by telephone in advance and pre-packing orders to limit face-to-face time in the market
- Considering delivery services if possible.
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