How to Write a Food Safety Policy Statement

Date modified: 1st April 2025 | This article has been written by Pilla Founder, Liam Jones, click to email Liam directly, he reads every email.

TLDR: About safety policy statements

• •A food safety policy statement is a short, clear statement that shows your business is committed to keeping food safe and meeting legal duties.
• •A food safety policy statement sets out your approach to managing food safety risks, training your team, and following best practices like HACCP.
• •Every team member should know what it says, and it should be reviewed regularly to stay up to date.

What to do in Pilla

1. •If you haven't already, create a new tag named something like 'Food Safety Policies'
2. •Open up the Food Safety Policy Statement Template  and make any amendments that you need to. 
3. •Click 'Use' on the template and a new activity will be created for you with the template as a post. Use the below settings:

• •Name: Set the name of the activity as 'Food Safety Policy Statement 2025'
• •Site: Choose 'Company Wide' so that every staff member can see it
• •Team: 'All Teams' will automatically be chosen for you
• •Start: Choose anytime in the future, this could be 5 minutes from now or tomorrow. Note this is when the activity will appear to staff
• •Finish: Choose a time which is about 12 hours after the start time
• •Frequency: Choose 'Yearly' and then 'Every 1 Year' so that the activity reappears for review in 1 year
• •Tags: Add the Food Safety Policies Tag or your chosen tag

How to Write Your Own Food Safety Policy Statement

Your food safety policy statement is a short document that shows your commitment to keeping food safe. It sets out how your business will manage food hygiene risks, meet legal requirements, and protect customers from illness or injury. It’s the foundation of your food safety management system (FSMS) and a key part of running a compliant food business.

Why your business needs one

The law says you must take “all reasonable precautions” and show “due diligence” to avoid food safety incidents. Having a clear written policy helps you prove this to inspectors and more importantly, helps your team understand exactly what’s expected of them.

A good policy:

• •Sets a clear direction for your hygiene procedures
• •Gives new starters a solid understanding of your standards
• •Helps staff understand the “why” behind what they do
• •Acts as a reference point when creating checklists and training plans

Who is it for?

It’s written by owners, directors, or senior managers—but it’s for everyone. All staff should understand what it says. New starters should read it during induction, and managers should refer back to it when reviewing procedures or training.

When should you write or update it?

• •When setting up your food safety system
• •When you take over a new site or kitchen
• •When your menu or processes change
• •After a food safety complaint or incident
• •At least once a year

Here’s a simple structure you can follow, with tips for what to include in each part.

1. Start with a strong commitment

Open with a clear, confident statement. Say that your business is committed to delivering the highest standards of food safety and meeting all legal requirements.

Example: “Our business is committed to ensuring the highest standards of food hygiene and safety at all times. We will do everything reasonably possible to prevent harm to our customers and maintain full legal compliance.”

2. Describe how you manage risks

Explain how you identify and control food safety risks. Mention your aim to remove hazards where possible, or control them if they can’t be eliminated.

Example: “We will identify all potential food safety hazards in our operations. Where we can eliminate a hazard, we will. Where we can’t, we will control the risk as far as reasonably practicable using robust procedures and monitoring.”

3. Explain your staff training and supervision

Say how you will ensure your team is trained, supervised, and supported to carry out food handling safely.

Example: “All food handlers will be given appropriate training, supervision, and resources to follow safe procedures. This includes training in key food safety risks, personal hygiene, allergen control, cleaning and disinfection, and safe food handling.”

4. Show your commitment to HACCP

Make it clear that you use a HACCP-based food safety system. Mention the main steps you monitor (e.g. storage, cooking, cooling, reheating) and that you follow the 7 HACCP principles.

Example: “We use a HACCP-based food safety management system to manage risks throughout the food preparation process. Staff are trained to monitor critical control points and understand safe limits, corrective actions, and record-keeping.”

5. Mention your supporting systems

List the “prerequisite” systems that support your HACCP plan. These are things like cleaning schedules, pest control, supplier checks, and waste management.

Example: “We maintain a strong foundation of supporting procedures, including cleaning and disinfection routines, pest control, staff hygiene policies, approved suppliers, and traceability systems.”

6. Explain how you review the system

Finish by saying how and when you’ll review your policy and food safety system - typically every year or after major changes or incidents.

Example: “We will review our food safety policy and management system at least once a year, or sooner if there is a significant operational change, food complaint, or incident.”

Final tips

• •Keep it short - 1 to 2 pages is enough.
• •Avoid jargon. Use clear, simple language.
• •Make sure your policy matches your real practices.
• •Display or store it somewhere easy to find.
• •Train your team to understand what it means in practice.