The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has awarded grants of nearly a million pounds to help food caterers and food retailers improve food safety. This is the third year that the FSA has given these grants as part of its ongoing commitment to helping food businesses comply with EU hygiene regulations.

Local authorities will administer the grants of up to £50,000, and will involve community groups, local colleges and a range of other organisations in delivery of support to businesses.

The grants will help almost 5,000 businesses to implement Safer Food better Business (SFBB) – an innovative and practical approach that helps small businesses put in place food safety management systems. SFBB has been developed by the FSA in partnership with industry and local authorities with specific advice available for different cuisines and groups such as care homes.

This year the FSA grants have focussed on those caterers and retailers who are harder to reach. The FSA recently launched a highly visual and interactive DVD with voiceovers in 16 languages specifically designed to engage businesses with language needs. Many of the groups that applied for the awards will use this in their schemes.

Sarah Appleby, Head of Enforcement Support Division at the FSA said: ”The FSA is committed to working in partnership with local authorities to improve food safety standards. This is the third year that we have made the awards and I am delighted that we received so many high-quality applications. The Agency is determined to ensure that eating out is as safe as possible for consumers and a vital part of that is engaging with harder to reach businesses. We will continue to work with partners to improve food safety for all.”

Applications for the grants were invited in May and applications were internally appraised and considered by an external appraisal panel on 7 August. The panel had representatives from local authorities, LACORS (Local Authorities Coordinator of Regulatory Services), the British Hospitality Association and an academic from Birmingham University. The Agency received 40 applications for grants and 26 were successful, involving 69 local authorities and a range of other organisations.