Local authorities can now request drainage structure layout plans showing Food Trap location.

HOW TO SELECT A FOOD TRAP? HYGIENE - Select a Food Trap that is completely sealed from the kitchen atmosphere to prevent escape of foul sewer gas ACCESSIBILITY - Ensure that there is total access to all internal compartments within the interceptor unit to allow complete removal of all food sediment. CAPACITY - Select a Food Trap that has sufficient storage volume to retain the recommended optimum retention of one months’ throughput and a minimum of two weeks worth. CONVERGENCE - Design and group the kitchen wash-down appliances with their plumbing and drainage layouts to converge at single centralized interception point/s. POSITION - Select the installation location of the Food Trap Interceptor to be under-ground and outside* from the kitchen as the first preference option wherever possible.

FOOD DRAIN BAN

Affecting N. Ireland:- • Caterers & Chefs

• Environmental Health

Practitioners

• Architects & Kitchen Designers

• Planning & Building

Control Officials • Sewerage Service

Operators

Food Law Effective:

1st April 2017

98% of chefs prefer

their food trap to be

located outside.

Dumping food waste

down drains!

Fat, oil & grea

se constitute

less than 20% of food

waste by composition.

Food Hygiene Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016

Food Business Operators should be able to demonstrate to their local authority compliance officials, that they have management control procedures in place that are designed to prevent food waste from entering the public drain in compliance with current food law. From 1st April 2017 food business premises that continue to use the drainage system as a method for disposal of food waste, through non-intercepted pipework will be deemed to be utilising structurally inadequate plumbing and drainage and to be in breach of regulations. Local authority officials, who accept self-attestation in place of physical evidence of compliance with current legislation may file this in documented form for reference, should future issues arise indicating a challenge to the contrary, or should a conflict with another intergovernmental department later occur.

Food Drain Prevention Measures Wet waste food particles will inevitably be discharged through plugholes during any wash-ware discharging operation, unless suitable food-to-drain prevention measures are in place. This never-ending food supply leaves an unhygienic food trail back to the premises that attract pests. 96% of the UK public depend upon the mains public drainage and sewerage system. Sink strainers can only restrict some larger food particles from waste water discharges and it is important that commercial food operations install food trap interceptor tanks which are adequately designed to trap both large and fine food sediment particles through settlement as well as capture free floating organic hydrocarbon components through flotation.

A commercial food trap interceptor should incorporate a regular removal regime of all these trapped food waste particles, so as to prevent them from building up and bypassing down stream into the drainage system. Direct wet waste food disposal equipment is banned.

The food trap can be categorised as non-complex

equipment, requiring only gravity to allow settlement and does not need any moving parts or power supply for it

to operate. The sealed tank unit should have a removable cover to allow complete internal access, for both inspection and for the regular removal of all the intercepted food particles.

From 1st April 2017, food business operators are prohibited

from depositing food waste in a public drain or sewer, or in

a drain that connects to a public drain or sewer.

Food Waste Regulations (Northern Irel

and)

Don’t fall foul

of#Food Law