Advice and guidance on food safety and hygiene requirements for mobile catering businesses, such as hot dog vendors, burger stalls, ice-cream vans and fish and chip vans.
Food Hygiene Requirements
People running mobile or temporary premises such as stalls or vans need to be aware of the same hygiene issues as other food businesses, but because space is limited, the requirements are slightly different.
You need to have adequate facilities to prepare and serve food safely
Your food handling procedures should enable food to be held at safe temperatures and avoid exposing food to the risk of any contamination
There should be access to adequate washing facilities
Environmental Health inspect mobile catering units on a regular basis, sometimes whilst trading. We look at the structure of the vehicle, its fitness as a food preparation area, and the practices used in the preparation and storage of food.
Facilities
Essential facilities include:
A portable water supply
Hot and cold water for hand washing
Waste disposal facilities
Hygienic storage facilities
Arrangements for cleaning and disinfecting the preparation areas and equipment
The use of practices which minimise the potential for cross-contamination
New Hygiene Legislation
You are required to have a written food safety management system for your business under new food hygiene legislation from 1 January 2006. The Safer Food, Better Business pack can help you - see Related Pages.
Eastbourne Borough Council's Environmental Health service has produced a guidance sheet for caterers on the safe preparation and cooking of doner kebabs, available to download in PDF format.
