Food Hygiene (Amendment) Regulations 1991

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations make amendments to the Food Hygiene (Markets, Stalls and Delivery Vehicles) Regulations 1966 and the Food Hygiene (General) Regulations 1970.

Schedule 1 contains amendments to the 1966 Regulations, bringing pies and pasties containing cheese, and cakes containing cream substitutes, within the scope of the temperature controls imposed by the Food Hygiene (Amendment) Regulations 1990 (paragraphs 2 and 3). The exemptions conferred by paragraph (2) of regulation 12 of the 1966 Regulations are modified and extended by these Regulations to include pastry products where cheese is an ingredient in the pastry (paragraph 4) and custard tarts if they are to be sold on the day of their production (paragraph 5).

The conclusion of preparation of a filled pastry product, pie or pasty is defined as the conclusion of baking, and the conclusion of preparation of a cream cake as the time of the addition of the cream or substitute for cream (paragraphs 6 and 7).

The exemptions conferred by the 1990 Regulations for the display of food on catering premises are applied by these Regulations, with necessary modifications, to market premises and stalls and paragraph (7) of regulation 12 of the 1966 Regulations has been restructured accordingly (paragraph 8). That paragraph also now allows certain foods (notably oil based emulsions such as Hollandaise sauce) to be kept warm for short periods provided that any unused portion is not subsequently to be sold (paragraph 9).

Paragraph 10 confers new exemptions for food in railway carriages and in vehicles used for the delivery of food to aircraft, if prescribed conditions are met, until 1st April 1992 and an exemption for food being conveyed by post or carriers to the ultimate consumer.

Schedule 2 makes similar amendments to the 1970 Regulations as those made to the 1966 regulations by paragraphs (2) to (7) and (9) of Schedule 1, and also includes exemptions for food in food rooms whilst in the course of delivery to the ultimate consumer by post or carriers.