Lewes District Council

Market Traders & Farmers

Food sellers trading at farmer’s markets are required to abide by food hygiene laws. These are controlled by us and trading standards officers.

Food contamination and growth bacteria can occur when handling food during transportation, preparation, display and service. To control the hazards at each stage, simple precautions must be taken.

We inspect stalls on market days to ensure the requirements are met. They are required to be registered with us. Serious breaches of hygiene rules may prevent future trading at market events.

Transportation

All food must be wrapped, covered or placed in sealed washable containers while it is being transported to market. This will prevent food from becoming contaminated with dirt and bacteria.

Vehicles and containers used to transport food must be kept clean and in good repair. Food must be separated from any other items being carried in the vehicle.

Some types of food must be kept cold to prevent dangerous bacteria from growing.

ripe soft or semi-hard cheeses;
other dairy products, such as fromage frais and food containing custard or cream
cooked products containing meat, fish and vegetables
smoked or cured ready to eat meats which have been cut or sliced after smoking or - - curing such as some salami, cured hams and fermented sausage;
smoked or cured fish; and
shellfish such as oysters.

Preparation

Check with the market organiser facilities necessary for the safe preparation of food is available at the market site. If not all preparation must be carried out beforehand.

Where unwrapped food is prepared or handled, make regular and frequent use of a hand wash basin with hot and cold water, soap and hand-drying facilities. Clean, protective over-clothing should also be worn.

Surfaces and equipment which come into contact with food must be kept clean and disinfected. Smoking at a food stall is prohibited.

Take bags to collect waste. Arrangements for the collection and disposal will be made by the market organiser.

Display

All unwrapped foods, which are displayed for sale, must be kept at least 45 cm (18 inches) above the ground. They should be out of reach of customers and protected from contamination by providing a cover over the top, back and sides of the stall.

Food of the types listed above will need to be displayed at, or below, 8°C and must be separated from raw food.

Service

Avoid directly handling unwrapped foods when serving customers. Spoons, tongs, plastic wrapping or disposable gloves can be used to prevent hands from coming into direct contact with food.

Food hygiene training

Handling of high-risk foods requires basic food hygiene training beforehand. However, selling low-risk food must still follow the rules:

Keep clean and wear clean protective clothing
Wash hands thoroughly before handling food, after using the toilet, handling raw food or waste and after every break.
Ensure spots, cuts and sores are covered with a brightly coloured waterproof plaster.
Avoid unnecessary handling of food.
Do not smoke, eat or drink where open food is handled.
Clean as you go and keep all equipment and surfaces clean.

Food Labelling

Most pre-packaged food sold in Britain must be marked under trading laws with:

name of the food;
list of ingredients;
use by or best before date
special storage conditions or conditions of use
manufacturer, packer or EU seller details
place of origin
instructions for use if necessary

Pricing

All goods sold must be marked with an indication of their selling price. This price must be unambiguous, easily identifiable and clearly legible.

Where goods sold from bulk, the selling price may be indicated by specifying a unit of measurement, (kg, metre), per single item or a specified quantity of the product.

Certain goods must also be marked with a unit price. This can be the price-per-kg or the price-per-100g for food items.

This applies to goods sold from bulk like cheese or sliced meat sliced from a large piece; and ’catchweight products’ which are not all pre-packed in the same quantity.

Pricing goods loose from bulk by reference to the kilogram may have to have a supplementary price list indicating the price-per-lb. This must not be more prominent than the price-per-kg.

Weights and Measures

Most products sold in Great Britain must be sold with an indication of their weight. For pre- packed goods this weight should be marked on the packaging.

Selling goods loose from bulk as in the case of fruit and vegetables or meat and cheese should indicate to the consumer the exact weight of the produce when weighed. The weighting equipment used should have been certified as being accurate and suitable for trade use.

Certain fruit and vegetables, such as apples, garlic, onions, tomatoes and citrus fruits, may also be sold by number as well as by weight.

Farm-produced meat

Meat supplied to the public must be slaughtered at a licensed slaughterhouse. Qualified Meat Inspectors will make sure it is fit to enter the human food chain.

A local meat cutting plant can cut meat at a reasonable price. If unavailable or not able to deal in small quantities a local butcher’s shop may help. This must be sold directly to the public, not supplied to other food businesses.

Cutting your own meat produced at your farm or premises can only be sold from your market stall or farm buildings. This will need approval as a cutting premises.

A butchers licence is required if both unwrapped raw meat is displayed alongside other food stuff is sold ready to eat.

Cakes and jams

Make sure basics food hygiene laws are followed. Label and apply the shelf-life requirements. Generally these present few problems and many people safely produce a range of jams and non-dairy cakes from home.

Meat, dairy and fish

These foods are high-risk because they support the growth of harmful bacteria and are often sold ready to eat without further cooking required. Traditional recipes do not always lend themselves to a production process, packaging or an easily assessable shelf-life for prolonged storage.

A mistake in their preparation and handling can have serious health consequences. Approval of the production premises is needed and can be difficult to obtain for domestic premises.

Free samples

The law sees free samples as a sale regardless of no money being exchanged. Their production and handling is still subject to legal control. Samples should to be protected from contamination in the usual way.

Cocktail sticks or tongs help to stop customers from handling other samples. Chilled food must not be left out of chill control for long periods. Keep quantities to a minimum and throw uneaten food away.

The law permits a maximum of four hours in most cases but it is best if high-risk food is disposed of after one hour out of chill control.

Animal attractions

Be careful when managing animals at farmer’s markets. Ensure the necessary movement permits are in place from East Sussex County Council Trading Standards.

Animals should be transported separately from foodstuffs. The holding pen must be well separated from food stalls and animals should not have to be led to the pen past or close to other food stalls.

Animals petted or fed must be supervised and hand washing facilities should be present and include soap and towels.

If visitors bring picnics or eat any of the food bought on site, this should not be allowed to take place close to animals. Ensure should supervised by adults and not put fingers in their mouth or kiss the animals.

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