Selling food safely

Do I need to register as a food business?

Anyone who regularly sells food in the UK, including from home or online, usually needs to register with their local council as a food business. Registration is free, can't be refused, and should be done at least 28 days before you start selling. You can register at gov.uk/food-business-registration.

Some growers may not need to register:

• Selling only fresh, whole fruit and vegetables you grew yourself counts as "primary production", which some councils treat differently.
• Selling very occasionally, for example a few spare courgettes once a summer, may not count as a business.

Rules and advice vary, so if you sell regularly through BeAgric, contact your council and ask. Registering is free and takes about 10 minutes, so if in doubt, register.

You will need to register if you sell anything you have prepared or processed, such as jams, chutneys, soups, sauces, juices, cut or bagged salad mixes, or baked goods. Some foods have extra rules, including eggs, honey, meat, fish and dairy, so check with your council first.

Keep it clean and fresh

• Wash your hands before picking and packing, and use clean containers and bags.
• Pick as close to collection or delivery as you can, and keep produce cool and out of the sun.
• Brush off soil, but don't wash produce unless you can dry it properly. Damp produce spoils faster.
• Throw away anything bruised, mouldy, slimy or showing signs of disease. Don't sell plants or crops the plant check flagged as diseased unless you have removed the affected parts and the produce itself is sound.
• Keep pets away from your growing area and packing space.

Sprays and treatments

• Only use products approved for that crop, and follow the label exactly.
• Respect the "harvest interval": the number of days you must wait after treating before you pick.
• Record every treatment in your grow diary. Buyers can see it, and it protects you if anyone asks.

What you can call your produce

• "Organic" is a legally protected word for food. You can only sell food as organic if you are certified by an approved organic control body, such as the Soil Association. Without a certificate, describe your produce as "grown without chemicals" or "no synthetic sprays", and only if that's true.
• "Local", "fresh" and "home-grown" must be accurate. Don't resell shop-bought produce as your own.

Weights, prices and labels

• If you sell by weight, use accurate scales. Selling by the bunch, punnet or each item avoids weighing.
• Show the price clearly. BeAgric does this for you on your listings.
• Fresh, whole fruit and vegetables usually don't need ingredient or allergen labels. Prepared foods such as jams and chutneys do. Ask your council.

Money and tax

Under HMRC's trading allowance, you can currently earn up to £1,000 a year from selling things like produce without telling HMRC. Over that, you'll need to register for Self Assessment. BeAgric's Money and break-even page shows your totals to make this easier. See gov.uk trading allowance guidance.

Useful links

• Register a food business (gov.uk)
• Food Standards Agency: registering a food business
• Safer Food, Better Business: free food safety packs
• Organic food labelling rules (gov.uk)