What is a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice?

The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 (‘the 2013 Regulations’) set out various enforcement powers available to Food Standards Agency or local authority enforcement officers (‘Officer’).

Regulation 8 gives an Officer the authority to serve a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice (‘Notice’) on a Food Business Operator to address hygiene concerns that pose an imminent risk of injury to public health. The Notice is a serious and draconian step which prohibits certain operations of a food business; it can be tailored to a particular process or, as is often the case, may mean the immediate closure of the premises.