A Guide to Workwear Standards in the UK Food Industry: HACCP, BRCGS & Beyond

If you’re a business in the food industry, you need to get your team’s workwear right.

Get it right, and workwear can support good hygiene while helping your team stay comfortable. You’ll also meet legal requirements under UK food industry regulations.

Balancing all three is key to a strong workwear policy. But it’s a tough balance.

There are key factors to consider:

• Cost
• Comfort
• Durability
• Compliance

With an audit potentially around the corner, you need to be on top of each one.

SMI is here to help you stay safe, compliant, and audit-ready.

Let’s break down the workwear standards for the UK food industry. Whether you manage a food manufacturing site, processing facility, or commercial kitchen, this guide covers the key considerations.

UK Laws & Regulations for Food Industry Workwear

FOOD SAFETY ACT 1990

The Food Safety Act outlines that ‘good hygiene practices’ are essential for food preparation.

FOOD SAFETY AND HYGIENE REGULATIONS (ENGLAND) 2013

This legislation expands on the ‘good hygiene practices’ required in the food industry.

These regulations make it clear that clean and protective clothing must be worn when preparing and handling food.

Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have their own specific versions of the 2013 regulations.

REGULATION (EC) 852/2004 ON THE HYGIENE OF FOODSTUFFS

This legislation requires food businesses to have food safety management procedures based on HACCP principles.

This includes providing workers with suitably protective clothing.

FSA GUIDANCE

FSA guidance on personal hygiene standards in food preparation areas touch on workwear requirements.

The FSA outlines the following workwear requirements for food handling staff:

• Any clothing should be clean
• Staff should remove hand and wrist jewellery, including watches
• Protective hair coverings (such as hair nets) should be worn at all times

HACCP and Clothing Compliance

UK food businesses must have food safety management procedures based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles.

The HACCP process helps food businesses to identify and assess food safety hazards. Following this, they can put appropriate controls in place.

Workwear is a key control measure for preventing contamination and should be covered in a HACCP plan.

Knowing how work clothing could pose a hazard to food safety is key to creating a HACCP-compliant workwear policy.

Common workwear features that can support HACCP-based food safety controls:

• Non-shedding material
• Provide full body and limb coverage
• Colour coding for different hygiene zones, where required

Any clothing worn by food staff should meet these hygiene and safety measures.

BRCGS Protective Clothing Requirements

BRCGS is not the law, but it is widely used amongst UK food retailers and manufacturers.

Clause 6.5.4 highlights key design features for food industry workwear:

• No sewn-on buttons
• No external pockets on upper body garments

BRCGS also recommends best hygiene practices for workwear:

• Clothing should always be clean when put on
• Clothing with rips, tears, or thinning material should not be used
• Clean clothing should be available to allow changes whenever needed

To effectively apply these requirements to your workplace, risk assess your protective clothing to confirm its suitability.

Other Standards & Certifications

Additional standards to be aware of include:

1. RABC - A laundry hygiene standard that follows EN 14065 principles.
2. EN 14065 - Makes sure textiles are laundered to the right hygiene level for their intended purpose.
3. ISO 22000 / FSSC 22000 / IFS - Food safety management systems that help businesses keep workwear clean and compliant.
4. DIN 10524 - A German HACCP clothing standard that many UK suppliers use. This safety standard outlines best practices for providing workwear in different risk zones.

Workwear Requirements in Practice

Putting the regulations above into practice can feel overwhelming. So let’s simplify what you should be looking for.

The workwear you provide to your employees must meet requirements in these areas:

• Garment design
• Level of coverage
• Footwear that can be kept clean
• Colour coding for easy risk control and identification

Let’s go through these with a few practical examples.

1. Garment design:

• Workwear should have as few seams as possible
• Garments should have no exposed fasteners (like buttons and zips)
• Outerwear needs secure closures to prevent cross-contamination from underlayers

2. Level of coverage:

• Head hair should be covered with hairnets, snoods, and beard covers
• Clothing should provide appropriate coverage for the task and food safety risks
• Coats, aprons, and coveralls should be available to prevent cross-contamination

3. Colour coding:

• Workwear should be colour-coded between raw and cooked areas
• Different teams should be identifiable, e.g., kitchen staff and cleaning staff

4. Easy-to-clean footwear:

• Footwear should be made of a washable material
• Soles should be slip-resistant to prevent accidents
• All footwear should be closed-toe to prevent contamination and burning hazards

Laundry, Maintenance, AND Replacement

Food businesses need suitable processes for managing, cleaning, and replacing workwear to control contamination risks.

Here's what your team should follow:

• Remove dirty workwear immediately
• Wash your hands before returning to work
• Dispose of damaged or stained garments immediately

RABC principles must be followed when laundering:

• Dispose of gloves after use
• Handle dirty garments with gloves
• Separate clean and dirty garments

Employees should not take workwear home to wash. Laundry should be completed in-house or by a professional partner.

Audit Preparation & Common Non-Conformities

Maintaining good practice throughout the year can help businesses stay prepared for food industry audits.

However, several common workwear issues can result in non-conformities during an audit.

Potential non-conformities include:

• Poor enforcement of colour-coding
• Lack of documentation on laundry cycles
• Garments laundered at home without validation
• Staff wearing jewellery or non-approved clothing
• Garments with external pockets/buttons in high-risk zones

Creating a clear workwear policy is the best way to avoid these non-conformities.

Your policy should define:

• What can be worn
• Hygiene requirements
• Who the rules apply to

Procurement & Cost Considerations

When searching for a food industry workwear supplier, create a checklist of the procurement and cost factors to consider.

Start with your garment requirements:

• Uniforms suitable for both men and women
• Footwear that can be easily washed and kept clean
• Different workwear colours for easy hazard and risk zone coding
• Materials and features suited to your HACCP-based food safety controls
• Ability to add your business logo without compromising garment hygiene

Then take your procurement and cost needs into account:

• Supplier stock availability
• Short-term and long-term costs
• Cost of renting vs. buying workwear outright

Workwear Standards in the Food Industry: What UK Businesses Should Remember

UK food industry businesses, from small bakeries to large packaged food chains, have multiple regulations to follow.

When it comes to workwear, keep both legal requirements and certification best practices in mind.

Food businesses must have food safety management procedures based on HACCP principles. BRCGS helps you design a workwear policy that conforms to these principles.

PARTNER WITH A CERTIFIED SUPPLIER

Sourcing workwear from an HACCP-compliant supplier is an essential step in reducing food safety risks and staying compliant.

SMI supplies a wide range of compliant and comfortable workwear for your team.

Streamline your workwear needs with our MY-SMI®:

• 97% stock availability
• Access to over 25,000 products
• Next-day delivery when you order before 5pm

We’ll help you to get prepared and stay audit-ready.

FAQs

What PPE is needed in food businesses?

Food industry workers are likely to need different PPE depending on the area they work in.

Common PPE includes:

• Disposable gloves
• Cut-resistant gloves
• Chemical-resistant gloves
• Slip-resistant safety trainers

What workwear will pass a food safety audit?

Food safety audits check that workwear doesn’t pose contamination risks. Workwear should support the hygiene controls identified through your HACCP-based procedures.

Depending on your risks and procedures, suitable features may include:

• Made of strong, non-shedding material
• No exposed pockets or buttons on outer layers
• Colour-coded according to the contamination risk being handled

Should you have a dress code for your food business?

Dress codes are often essential in food businesses. With a workwear policy in place, it’s much easier to stay compliant with UK hygiene and food handling standards.

Other benefits of a dress code include:

• A cohesive brand image
• An easier bulk ordering process
• A consistent and inclusive approach to workwear