Food Safety Policies Ireland
Food Safety Policies & Procedures for Irish Food Businesses
We write your food safety policies and procedures from scratch — cleaning schedules, supplier management, traceability, and everything else your EHO inspector will look for beyond the HACCP plan.
A HACCP Plan Is Not Enough on Its Own
HACCP is the foundation of food safety management in Irish hospitality — but EHO inspectors assess far more than your HACCP plan. Your cleaning and disinfection schedules. Your pest control procedures and records. How you manage and audit your suppliers. How you trace food from delivery to service. How you handle food waste. How you manage the temperature chain from delivery to plate.
These are called Prerequisite Programmes — the operational procedures that underpin your HACCP system. Without them, your HACCP plan has nothing to stand on. Most food businesses have some version of these in place, but few have them fully documented in a way that satisfies an EHO inspector who asks to see evidence of compliance.
At Beacon, we write food safety policies and procedures tailored to your specific operation — your menu, your suppliers, your premises layout, and your team. Not generic templates you fill in yourself, but documents written around how your kitchen actually runs, signed off by our consultants and ready to present on inspection day.
Your HACCP plan tells the inspector you understand the theory. Your procedures tell them you are actually running a safe kitchen every day.
At a Glance
What You Get
Full food safety policy & procedure set
BEST FOR
Restaurants, cafés, hotels & catering operations
Typical Timeframe
2–4 weeks
How We Work
On-site review + remote documentation
What's Missing When Policies & Procedures Aren't Documented
Operational food safety without written procedures is unverifiable. These are the gaps that EHO inspectors find most often in the prerequisite programme areas.
No Documented Cleaning & Disinfection Schedule
EHO inspectors expect to see a written cleaning schedule that specifies what is cleaned, how often, with what product, and by whom — and records showing it is being carried out. A verbal or informal cleaning routine does not meet the standard.
Pest Control Without Documentation
Evidence of pest activity — or the absence of documented pest control visits and records — is an immediately actionable finding for an EHO. Your pest control procedure must include a contract with a licensed operator, visit records, and a log of any activity found.
No Supplier Management Procedure
You are responsible for the food safety standards of your suppliers. Without a documented supplier approval process, you have no evidence that your supply chain has been assessed — and no basis for confidence in the safety of the ingredients you receive.
Traceability Failures
EU food safety regulations require traceability from supplier to service. If you cannot demonstrate where your food came from and trace it through your operation, an EHO inspector has grounds for an improvement notice — even if every other aspect of your food safety management is compliant.
Temperature Control Procedures Not Formalised
Relying on experience or instinct rather than written temperature control procedures — including delivery checks, storage temperatures, cooking temperatures and hot-holding — means your food safety system depends entirely on the person who happens to be working that shift.
Food Safety Policy Not in Writing
A documented food safety policy — a clear statement of your business's commitment to food safety, the responsibilities of management and staff, and the standards you operate to — is expected by EHO inspectors and is a requirement under EU food safety regulation.
What's Included in Your Food Safety Policy Set
A complete set of documented food safety procedures — covering every operational area an EHO inspector will assess beyond the HACCP plan itself.
Cleaning & Disinfection Schedule
A fully documented cleaning schedule specific to your premises — listing every area and piece of equipment, the correct product and concentration, the required frequency, and the staff member responsible — with a daily sign-off log.
Pest Control Procedure & Record Log
A written pest control procedure covering your contracted pest control arrangements, the frequency of visits, how pest activity is logged, and the corrective actions required if evidence of pest presence is found.
Supplier Approval & Management Procedure
A documented procedure for assessing and approving your food suppliers — covering the information you require from each supplier, how you verify their food safety standards, and how you manage a supplier that fails to meet your requirements.
Traceability System & Records
A workable traceability system for your operation — covering incoming delivery records, batch coding for prepared foods, and a clear record trail that allows any ingredient to be traced from supplier to service.
Waste Management Procedure
A written food waste management procedure covering correct segregation, storage and disposal of food waste — meeting the requirements of the Waste Management Acts and relevant EU food safety regulation.
Food Safety Policy Statement
A formal written food safety policy for your business — setting out your commitment to food safety, the responsibilities of management and staff, the standards you operate to, and the procedures that underpin your food safety management system.
Who This Is For
Any food business that has a HACCP plan but has not formally documented its operational food safety procedures. These are the operators we work with most.
From First Call to Fully Compliant
Four steps from uncertainty to fully audit-ready.
Free Discovery Call
A brief consultation to understand your business type, your existing documentation, and any specific EHO observations or compliance concerns we need to address.
Existing Procedure Review & Gap Analysis
We review any food safety policies or procedures you currently have in place — cleaning schedules, supplier records, pest control logs — and identify exactly what needs to be created, updated or formalised.
Policy & Procedure Development
We write your full set of food safety procedures — tailored to your operation, your kitchen layout, your supplier base and your team structure. Every document is reviewed by our consultants before delivery.
Staff Briefing & Handover
We walk through the new procedures with your management team, explain how to implement and maintain each one, and ensure your team understands their responsibilities under the food safety management system.
Why Businesses Choose Beacon
Got Questions?
We’ve Got Answers.
Prerequisite programmes (PRPs) are the operational procedures and conditions that form the foundation of your HACCP system. They include: cleaning and disinfection schedules; pest control arrangements; supplier management and approval; traceability systems; waste management; temperature control procedures; staff training and hygiene; and maintenance of premises and equipment. Without effective PRPs in place, your HACCP plan has no operational foundation — and EHO inspectors assess PRPs as part of every food safety inspection.
EHO inspectors typically expect to see a written cleaning schedule specifying what is cleaned, how often, with what product and concentration, and by whom — and a completion log showing that the schedule is being followed in practice. The log should be signed off by the person who carried out the cleaning and verified by a supervisor. Records are generally expected to be maintained for a minimum of 12 months. Cleaning schedules that are posted on the wall but have no completion log are a common EHO finding.
Under EU food safety regulation, food business operators are responsible for verifying that their suppliers are operating in compliance with food safety law. A supplier approval process typically includes: initial assessment of each supplier's food safety credentials; a supplier questionnaire covering HACCP status, pest control, and allergen management; a delivery inspection procedure for assessing the condition and temperature of incoming goods; and a periodic review of approved suppliers. You should be able to demonstrate your supplier management process to an EHO inspector on request.
The general expectation from EHO inspectors is that food safety records — temperature logs, cleaning completion records, delivery records, training records, and HACCP monitoring records — are retained for a minimum of three years. Some specific categories of record have different retention requirements under EU food safety law. Businesses that cannot produce historic records when requested by an inspector are treated as non-compliant regardless of their current practice, so a consistent and organised record retention system is essential.
Want Your Food Safety Procedures Properly Documented?
Book a free call. We'll explain what policies are required for your type of operation — no charge, no obligation.
.avif){kind=logo}
