Food Safety Records in Jersey: Law, Eat Safe Stars, Inspections

Jersey food safety records: the Food Law, Eat Safe stars, inspections, licensing, allergens, common failures and how digital records help.

2026-10-31 · Chef Hygiene

Do food businesses in Jersey need food safety records? Yes, in practice. The Food (Jersey) Law 2023 makes hazard analysis at critical points a legal requirement, and Environmental Health checks your food safety system in its Eat Safe audit. Jersey is not part of the UK, and it has its own public rating: 0, 2, 3, 4 or 5 Eat Safe stars, which every business must display by law. This page explains the Jersey rules, what is still changing, what inspectors look for, where businesses lose marks, and how digital records help.

Download on the App Store

Get it on Google Play

Get it from Microsoft

Use it in your browser

Jersey's food law changed in March 2026 and more rules are still to come. Every fact below comes from an official source, linked in the text and at the end. Where we could not confirm something, we say so. Please ask Environmental Health about anything marked that way.

The law: what every Jersey food business must do
Who inspects you, and how often
Eat Safe: the star rating
The records inspectors ask for
Where businesses lose marks
By type of business
Why digital records help in Jersey
How Chef Hygiene helps
A fair price, on purpose
Less paper
FAQ
Official sources

1. The law: what every Jersey food business must do

The main law. The Food (Jersey) Law 2023 took effect in mid-March 2026, after the States Assembly passed it on 10 March 2026. It replaces the older food safety law. It requires food businesses to make sure food is safe and fit to eat, adds rules on traceability to help product recalls, and makes hazard analysis at critical points (HACCP) a legal requirement (Government of Jersey: food law update, Food (Jersey) Law 2023).
Regulations still to come. The States Assembly also passed secondary regulations on 10 March 2026. They cover food labelling including allergens, new food hygiene rules and a licensing scheme for food businesses. The government says they come later in 2026, once the new Assembly agrees a start date. We could not find a confirmed date, so check gov.je.
Register before you open. Register your food business with Environmental Health before you start trading. Registration is free. A licence will be needed once the licensing scheme starts. We could not confirm the licensing steps or fees.
Food safety system. The Eat Safe audit checks that you have a food safety management system and that it works (How Eat Safe works).
Temperatures. We could not confirm numeric temperature limits written into Jersey law. The Eat Safe scheme is based on the Jersey Food Law and the UK Food Standards Agency Food Safety Code of Practice. Ask Environmental Health which limits apply to you.
Staff training and health. We could not confirm a Jersey rule on training certificates or on staying off work when ill. Ask Environmental Health.
Allergens. The Food (Jersey) Law 2023 does not itself set allergen labelling rules. The draft regulations propose 14 allergens, information in English that may be written or verbal before purchase, labelling of food packed on site for direct sale, and rules for distance selling (draft Article 11). These are drafts, not law in force. Do not rely on them until Environmental Health confirms the start date (draft regulations P.113/2025).
Penalties. The Law has offences that carry a fine and up to 2 years in prison for some provisions. We could not read fine amounts on an official page, so we give none. The minister has said "persuasive compliance" is the watchword and enforcement is a last resort.
Gas. All gas work must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and has been required in Jersey since 1 January 2022 (Health and Safety Inspectorate).
Emergencies. Call 999 or 112.

2. Who inspects you, and how often

Environmental Health. The Government of Jersey's Environmental Health team inspects and audits food businesses.
Every registered business. Every registered food business gets a food safety audit and a star rating.
How often. Visits range from every six months to every three years, depending on your risk level and how well you comply.
After a visit. We could not confirm the exact steps after a visit. The government says enforcement is a last resort.

3. Eat Safe: the star rating

The scale. 0, 2, 3, 4 or 5 stars. There is no 1-star rating. Five is the best.
What it measures. Food safety and hygiene standards, not food quality.
What the stars mean.
5 stars: fully compliant, uses best practice, very high standard of food safety management.
4 stars: fully compliant, some best practice, good standard.
3 stars: fully compliant with the Jersey Food Law, acceptable standard.
2 stars: low level of compliance, more effort needed.
0 stars: general failure to comply, major effort needed.
Display by law. The government says all businesses must publicly display their star rating by law. The Food Safety (Eat Safe Rating) (Jersey) Order 2017, article 6(3), requires the sticker at or near public entrances (Eat Safe Order 2017). We could not confirm whether this Order stays in force unchanged under the 2023 Law, so ask Environmental Health.
Customers can check. Customers can ask staff for the rating or search online. If they cannot find one, they can report it to Environmental Health, which will investigate.
What this means for you. The star rating is visible to every customer. Records that show your system works every day help you move up.

4. The records inspectors ask for

We could not confirm a fixed list of required forms or keeping times in Jersey law. The Eat Safe audit checks your food safety system, so inspectors want to see that it is real and in daily use. Records that usually show this:

Daily checks on fridges, freezers, cooking and hot holding.
Cleaning records.
Deliveries and supplier details. The new Law adds traceability rules for recalls.
Problems and what you did about them.
Staff training.
Pest control reports.
Allergen information for your dishes.
A food safety plan that matches how your kitchen really works.

How long to keep them. We could not confirm a keeping time in Jersey law. Ask Environmental Health.

5. Where businesses lose marks

Stars go up with a well-managed system. Common record problems are easy to picture:

Gaps. Days with no checks written down.
A plan that doesn't match the kitchen. A system on paper that staff do not follow.
No action recorded. A fridge that was too warm with nothing written about what was done.
Lost or damaged pages. Paper gets wet, greasy or thrown away.
No review. The plan has not been looked at since it was written.
Training not shown. Staff were trained, but nothing proves it.
No sticker. Not displaying the Eat Safe rating at or near the public entrance.
Not registered. Opening before registering with Environmental Health.

6. By type of business

The rules are the same for every food business, but the records you keep depend on what you do.

Restaurant: daily checks, cooking and hot-holding temperatures, cooling, deliveries, cleaning, and allergen information for every dish.
Takeaway: the same as a restaurant, plus allergen information for phone and app orders. Distance selling rules are in the draft regulations.
Café: fridges and displays, cleaning, and allergen details for sandwiches and salads.
Bakery: allergen records for every product, display temperatures for cream cakes, and labels for goods you pack. The draft rules cover food packed on site for direct sale.
Dessert shop: fridge and freezer temperatures for desserts and ice cream, and allergens for toppings and sauces.
Pub / bar / club: the same records as a restaurant for the food you serve.
Community hall / venue: register if you serve food as a business; keep temperature and cleaning records for each event.
Corner shop: fridge and freezer checks, delivery checks, and allergen information for food you pack yourself.
School / nursery kitchen: temperature and cleaning records, and careful allergen records for every child.
Caterer / food van: register with Environmental Health; keep temperatures during transport and at the event, and keep your records with you.
Home kitchen business: we could not confirm a special Jersey rule for home kitchens. Ask Environmental Health, and register like any other food business.

7. Why digital records help in Jersey

Proof of a working system. The Eat Safe audit checks your system, and dated records show it is used every day.
No gaps go unnoticed. A missed check shows up the same day, not at the next audit.
Problems come with their fix. When a reading is out of range, the record can ask what you did about it.
Nothing is lost. No wet, greasy or missing pages.
Ready for the audit. You can show everything at once, instead of looking for folders.
Every staff member can take part. Staff can record checks on a phone or tablet, in their own language.
Acceptance. We could not find an official Jersey page on digital records, so ask Environmental Health if you are unsure.

8. How Chef Hygiene helps

Chef Hygiene supports Jersey, and the app works in English. What it does:

Daily checks for fridges, freezers, cooking, hot holding, cooling, cleaning and deliveries, with the time, the staff member's name and photos. Saved records cannot be changed; corrections are added as new records.
Country rules built in for Jersey.
Food safety plan ("safe methods"). About 20 minutes: answer questions, check each method, sign it, set a review date and print it. Earlier versions are kept.
Ready for inspection? Checks your last 4 weeks of records the way an inspector would and shows how many are ready.
Inspector's visits log. Write down each visit: date, type and officer.
Practice inspection. A free walk round of about 10 minutes, with questions for your type of business, a "Put it right" list and a likely Eat Safe result.
Allergen chart and labels. Every dish against the 14 allergens, a staff view on the kitchen tablet, and labels for food prepacked for direct sale, with allergens in bold.
Staff training records.
Inspector pack. Print all your records as one pack, or share them by secure link.
40 languages. Staff can use the app in their own language.

9. A fair price, on purpose

Chef Hygiene costs £2.99 a month per site (£1.99 for bakeries, dessert shops and corner shops); unlimited staff, no contract, 14-day free trial.

We keep the price low on purpose. We want as many food businesses as possible, from a single food van to a busy restaurant, to keep good records and pass inspections.

10. Less paper

A paper diary means printed sheets every day. One daily sheet per kitchen is 365 sheets a year, before you count delivery forms, cleaning rotas and training records. Digital records mean no record books to buy and fewer printed forms to throw away. That is less paper and less waste, and nothing to store in a back office.

11. FAQ

Do I legally need food safety records in Jersey?

The Food (Jersey) Law 2023 makes hazard analysis at critical points (HACCP) a legal requirement, and the Eat Safe audit checks your food safety system. We could not confirm a fixed list of records, so ask Environmental Health.

Who inspects restaurants in Jersey?

Environmental Health, part of the Government of Jersey.

Is Jersey covered by UK food law?

No. Jersey has its own Food (Jersey) Law 2023. Its Eat Safe scheme uses the UK Food Standards Agency code of practice as a basis.

Do I have to register before I open?

Yes. Register your food business with Environmental Health before you open. Registration is free.

Do I need a food licence?

A licensing scheme is part of the new regulations passed on 10 March 2026. The start date is not yet set, so check gov.je.

What is Eat Safe?

Jersey's star rating for food safety and hygiene: 0, 2, 3, 4 or 5 stars. There is no 1 star.

Do I have to show my star rating?

Yes. The government says all businesses must display it by law. The 2017 Order says at or near public entrances.

How often will I be inspected?

From every six months to every three years, depending on your risk level and compliance.

What does 5 stars mean?

Fully compliant, best practice, and a very high standard of food safety management.

What does 0 stars mean?

A general failure to comply, with major effort needed.

What if a customer cannot find my rating?

Customers who cannot find a rating can report it to Environmental Health, which will investigate.

Are digital food safety records accepted?

We could not find an official Jersey page that says so. Ask Environmental Health if you are unsure.

How long must I keep my records?

We could not confirm a keeping time in Jersey law. Ask Environmental Health.

What temperature must my fridge be?

We could not confirm a numeric limit written into Jersey law. Ask Environmental Health.

Do my staff need a food hygiene certificate?

We could not confirm a Jersey rule. Ask Environmental Health.

What allergen information do I need?

Today the Law itself sets no direct allergen labelling rule. The draft regulations propose 14 allergens, in English, written or verbal before purchase. They are not in force yet.

Do the allergen rules cover phone and app orders?

The draft regulations include a distance selling article (Article 11). They are not in force yet.

Do I need to register a food van or home business?

Who can do gas work in my kitchen?

A Gas Safe registered engineer. This has been required in Jersey since 1 January 2022.

How much does Chef Hygiene cost in Jersey?

£2.99 a month per site (£1.99 for bakeries, dessert shops and corner shops); unlimited staff, no contract, 14-day free trial.

12. Official sources

Chef Hygiene keeps your Jersey food safety records ready for every audit: