Food Truck H&S standards?

brianblaze

Hi guys,

I was wondering if anyone knew who to contact about getting a Food Truck certified for Health and Safety.

I've contacted the FSAI and the HSE but they seem slow to reply.

I haven't purchased it yet, but I need to know what standards it has to be up to, and what I do and don't need to add on to my setup costs.

Also, supplemental, if anyone knows who to contact about getting Organically Certified, that would be awesome because it seems there are a hundred different boards that cover a million different areas of the same topic!

shindig-jp

Don't buy the truck until you know the product you are going to sell .



(Organically Certified) Brian are you having a laugh ?

GM Certified, now that would not be problem

Mr Simpson

In terms of the FSAI/HSE, they're understaffed so may be slow to reply, but try getting on to your local health inspector, they're employed by your local council and operate on behalf of the fsai.

Regarding the organic bit, the soil association of ireland handle organic certification for food producers.

shindig-jp wrote: »

(Organically Certified) Brian are you having a laugh ?

GM Certified, now that would not be problem

There are organic certified cafes and shops in Ireland, its not that much of a stretch

ladypip

Maybe Teagasc would be able to point you in the right direction.?

http://www.teagasc.ie/

brianblaze

Oddly, today i've heard back from the HSE and FSAI within a few minutes of each other! Happy Days! I think I'll just have to ask an Orginically Certified trader how they went about it and hope they're friendly!

Mr Simpson

As I said above, try the Soil Association of Ireland, they'll point you in the right direction

brianblaze

MarkMc wrote: »

As I said above, try the Soil Association of Ireland, they'll point you in the right direction

Awesome, will do! Cheers mate!

shindig-jp

Trying to get my head around what is understood by "Organically Certified" surely this would only apply to a registered producer who has been recognized by an issuing authoritative body . A trader in a food truck would sell Organically Guaranteed Produce and would not be "Organically Certified" as such unless he/she has some part in the production of the product.

When it comes to food outlets, The vendor shows "Guarantees" that the product is Organic and does so by having it labeled . The vendor of food outlets can hang their own " Guaranteed Organic" signs up as it is they themselves who are making the guarantee or again they may have THE LICENCE to use the term.

Is it possible to have an Organic Certified Certificate ? or are we mistaking the licence required to use the term on a food product .

So here we are back at the roadside in our food truck and wondering how to become "Organically Certified"

brianblaze

Well it's just that people I have contacted to trade in certain places want me to be organically certified. I was assuming if I was selling only organically certified produce, that I'd be safe enough, just want to make sure!

Cheers guys!

Mr Simpson

Here is one such organic certified restaurant

http://thethreetowers.com/organic-restaurant/

shindig-jp

MarkMc wrote: »

Here is one such organic certified restaurant

http://thethreetowers.com/organic-restaurant/

Well done MarkMc , they even have and outdoor pizza oven not to mention a Horse Riding Centre, English language centre, and the whole thing part-funded by Galway Rural Development under the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development.

Now let's get back to the roadside attraction of an Organic Certified Truck.

Mr Simpson

And their restaurant kitchen is the organic certified bit

I can think of another cafe and a shop off of the top of my head that are both organic certified as well.

brianblaze

I know of numerous organically certified restaraunt, and went in to one today and asked the owner how he went about getting certified. He said it was all dependant on your suppliers, so the premises itself doesn't make anything as such, so they don't need to have the certification. He said though, that if they are selling anything that has been made in store, they can mark that as non-organic and they're okay.

Now let's get back to the roadside attraction of an Organic Certified Truck.

Faith in foods, especially meats in Ireland, and indeed all over Europe is at an all time low, with the whole horse meat issue, so having entirely traceable and ethical choices on the menu gives the customer peace of mind that they aren't eating Shergar.

brianblaze

http://www.bordbia.ie/industryservices/information/publications/bbreports/Documents/Organic%20Consumer%20Research%202008%20-%20Ethics,%20Emotions%20and%20Organic%20Food.pdf

It's a 2008 survey, but it stands even more now apparently. That's why all the supermarkets jumped on the bandwagon in 2009 and started their own 'home brand organic' sales.

shindig-jp

MarkMc wrote: »

And their restaurant kitchen is the organic certified bit

I can think of another cafe and a shop off of the top of my head that are both organic certified as well.

As I said to Brian "Was he having a laugh" and the topic is about the Truck . I'm sure I could find establishments who have thrown heaps of money into the organic project,

Come on Mark I am known to enjoy a couple of laughs with the lads and have built money spinning Empires after 4 pints of the black stuff.

shindig-jp

brianblaze wrote: »

I know of numerous organically certified restaraunt, and went in to one today and asked the owner how he went about getting certified. He said it was all dependant on your suppliers, so the premises itself doesn't make anything as such, so they don't need to have the certification. He said though, that if they are selling anything that has been made in store, they can mark that as non-organic and they're okay.



Faith in foods, especially meats in Ireland, and indeed all over Europe is at an all time low, with the whole horse meat issue, so having entirely traceable and ethical choices on the menu gives the customer peace of mind that they aren't eating Shergar.

I feel like i'm on Dragons Den and as the topic has gone off on a different tangent. I'm out of here.

brianblaze

shindig-jp wrote: »

I feel like i'm on Dragons Den and as the topic has gone off on a different tangent. I'm out of here.

Hmmm, Dragons Den.... lol

But, you asked what the attraction of Organic Certification was, and that's what I answered.

Cheers for the help everyone.

shindig-jp

brianblaze wrote: »

Hmmm, Dragons Den.... lol

But, you asked what the attraction of Organic Certification was, and that's what I answered.

Cheers for the help everyone.

Sorry Brian

You will have to show in a Quote where I was the one asking . Can I quote you on something troubling

brianblaze wrote: »

went in to one today and asked the owner how he went about getting certified. He said it was all dependant on your suppliers, so the premises itself doesn't make anything as such, so they don't need to have the certification.

brianblaze wrote: »

He said though, that if they are selling anything that has been made in store, they can mark that as non-organic and they're okay.

brianblaze

shindig-jp wrote: »

Now let's get back to the roadside attraction of an Organic Certified Truck.

That I assumed was you asking about the attractiveness of an organic food truck?

brianblaze

shindig-jp wrote: »

Sorry Brian

You will have to show in a Quote where I was the one asking . Can I quote you on something troubling

I don't know what's troubling. That was a hypothetical given to me by an owner of a very succesful Organic retaraunt? They don't produce their food, they're a middle man between the producer and the customer. All their ingredients are Organic so therefore they are an organic restaraunt.

The hyopthetical was if they made something there that wasn't organic, they could mark it as non-organic, the same way other restaraunts now mark the foods that are organic, and still , technically, advertise as an Organic restaraunt.

I should've stated the fact it was a hypothetical the owner gave me as opposed to what they actually do, I apologise.

shindig-jp

brianblaze wrote: »

That I assumed was you asking about the attractiveness of an organic food truck?

Let's assume another way of saying " let's stay on topic"


I would be very attracted to a truck selling Organic Produce, in fact I buy all my weekly Organic vegetable shopping from my neighboring stall holder on Dundalk Market Square .

Hey Brian ,no need to apologize we're friends and be lucky in business

Markcheese

Ring Helen in organic trust
Or get hold of someone in IOFGA
they're two of the certification bodies,
Certification would mean A good bit of extra paperwork , and could mean a lot of extra cost for your ingredients,
Hse could be sticklers for your food prep area, they usually want a separate area for veg prep and storage, and the same for meat prep and storage...
Anyhow goodluck with your project..If you have catering background it'll be easier if not, do a Hse course, your county enterprise board should help with courses ect.

brianblaze

Thanks mate! I'm going in to the HSE and the local Enterprise board tomorrow and Tuesday respectively!