Food businesses urged to register with Council

Published: 3 March 2022

Food businesses in Exeter are being reminded that they need to be registered with the City Council.

Since the start of the pandemic, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has seen an upsurge in new businesses operating from home.

The FSA believe that 37% of new food business registrations have been from private addresses. That figure is similar in Exeter, where the City Council has seen an increase in home caterers, bakers and confectioners.

The City Council is backing an FSA campaign to encourage food businesses to register with their local authority.

A spokesman for the City Council said: “Some of these activities might start as hobbies, advertising on social media but before long they meet the definition of a food business and require registration with the environmental health team.

“To help us support these businesses and offer hygiene advice to ensure that the food they sell is safe, we need to know about them.

“Food businesses should register with us at least 28 days before trading. In Exeter, they can do so on the City Council website Registration is free and can’t be refused.”

The Council is calling on any businesses who are already operating and haven’t registered to do so now. Businesses won’t get into trouble by coming forward but are reminded that they do have a legal obligation to register with the Council.