Low risk food business questionnaire

If you are a food business registered in the New Forest, and your operations are considered to be low risk (see below for examples) completion of the self-assessment questionnaire below may mean that we will not need to carry out an in person inspection after the first new food business inspection. 

Types of low risk business

The types of business which may be low risk include:

• home caterers
• childminders / assisted living settings
• newsagents
• some mobile caterers
• market stalls 
• community groups
• cricket clubs

These low risk businesses normally become due inspection every three years. It is our policy to target resources on the inspection of higher risk businesses, such as restaurants, takeaways and food manufacturers. For lower risk businesses, it is often proportionate and appropriate to gather simple information rather than to carry out a visit when these businesses become due inspection.

The only time we may still need to carry out an in person inspection is if there have been significant changes to the foods which you prepare or sell, or other changes to the business, such as ownership changes.

Submit a self-assessment questionnaire

We may contact you to ask you to complete the questionnaire; however, you may complete it at any time, and we will review it, and may be able to defer your due date accordingly. 

You can complete the questionnaire using the online form below. The questionnaire should not take more than five minutes to complete.

Submit food safety self-assessment questionnaire

Once we have received your questionnaire, we will review the information provided, to confirm that you are complying with food hygiene and safety law. Assuming that the operations are largely unchanged we will update our systems to indicate that a virtual inspection has taken place, and will amend your next inspection due date. Under some circumstances we may contact you to gather more information, and sometimes, we may still need to carry out an inspection of your premises.

Contact us

You can contact us for further information or advice on completing the questionnaire at eandr@nfdc.gov.uk, or telephone: 023 8028 5411.