I have come across this many times having a discussion with someone adamant that they did not have to conform to a particular part of a food safety standard. 

I had the evidence that they had agreed to do just that, in a legally binding document. They had just clicked the “Agree” button and forgotten all about what it was that they had agreed to. Either that, or had never read the document in the first place. Whichever it was, the outcome was the same.

Case study for Growing your business mistake 1

One example was a wines and spirits distributor who were adamant that they did not need to be registered with the local authority as a food business. The registration was part of the requirements for this particular customer. It is a legal requirement for all food and drink businesses in the UK. No one wants to deal with a business operating illegally, do they? 

Having discussed this at length with the representative of the distributor, I pointed out the agreement to the food safety standards. I quoted the regulations to them, asking where the exception was for their type of business. The reply was a copy of the application to become a registered business, along with a comment that it was a formality. This was followed by another email stating that the EHO was planning to take a day to do the inspection. 

Needless to say the registration inspection went smoothly and the business became an approved supplier.