Rules on keeping your water supply safe

One thing you need to consider in any type of food production is that there must be an adequate supply of drinking quality water, which is to be used whenever necessary to ensure that food is not contaminated.

You need to always view any water used in food production as a food component and therefore it must be stored, dispensed and used in a way that does not pose any risks to health. Sinks and taps should be clean and free of cleaning chemicals that could taint the food.

Where non-drinking quality water is used in a business, for example for fire control systems, steam production, refrigeration and other purposes, it must circulate in a separate and identified system. It must not connect with, or be able to get into, the systems for drinking quality water.

If recycled water is used in processing or as an ingredient, it must not present a risk of contamination. It must be of the same standard as drinking quality water unless you can satisfy your local authority that the quality of the water cannot affect how safe the food is to eat in its finished form.

Ice that is touched by food, or may contaminate food, including when used in drinks, must be made from drinking quality water. Ice must be made, handled and stored in ways that protect it from contamination. Ice machines must be serviced and maintained to ensure that the ice produced is of high quality and not contaminated. If ice is bought in then this must also be free from contamination.

The steam that is used directly in contact with food must not contain any substance that presents a hazard to health or is likely to contaminate the food.

If you heat food in hermetically sealed containers, which are containers that are specially sealed to be airtight, you must make sure that the water used to cool the containers after heat treatment is not a source of contamination for the food.

Finally, where drinking water is dispensed from water fountains or dispensers, they must be serviced and cleaned in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and faults or problems reported to management.