Write down what went wrong and what you did about it in your diary.

Safe method:Suppliers and contractorsHow you handle suppliers and contractorsis important to food safety.What to doChoose supplierscarefully.Choose contractorscarefully.Make sure that yourraw ingredients havebeen handled safely.Keep all the invoicesand receipts for foods.These should includedetails of the productsincluding the supplier,quantity and the date.Choose equipmentcarefully.Why?It is important to have suppliers thatyou can trust to handle food safely,as well as delivering on time etc.Services such as pest control canbe valuable in helping you to makefood safely. It is important to havecontractors you can trust to deliverthese services effectively.The starting point for making foodsafely is to be confident about thesafety of your raw ingredients andany ready-made products youbuy in.This is a legal requirement and is sothat you or an enforcement officercan check back to see where a foodcame from.To allow you to make food safely,it is very important for equipmentto work effectively.How do you do this?• Make sure you choose suppliers youcan trust.• Ask the following questions:– Does the supplier store, transport andpack their goods in a hygienic way?– Does the supplier/contractor supply fullyreferenced invoices?– Do they have any certification or qualityassurance?• Ask other businesses for recommendations.• Check that the supplier has a foodsafety management system.• Carry out regular delivery time, temperatureand quality spot checks.• If you buy goods from a cash and carry, makesure that the vehicle you use to transportthem is clean and that you bring chilled andfrozen food back as soon as possible andput it straight into a fridge or freezer.• Keep invoices, receipts etc. in a way thatmakes it easy for you or an enforcementofficer to check them.• Write details of your suppliers (names,addresses etc.) in the diary.• Buy equipment from reputable dealers.• Make sure it has a guarantee/warranty.What to do if things go wrongIf you do not think that the food a supplier delivers has been handled safely (for example, if you think it hasnot been kept cold enough) reject the delivery, contact your supplier immediately and write the details in the diary.If you have repeated problems, you can do the following things:1. Contact the supplier/contractor by phone. 3. Change supplier/contractor.2. Write a formal letter of complaint. 4. Contact your local authority.