SALSA & Food Safety for Small Producers
We help small and independent artisan producers, wholesalers, and businesses seeking Approved Food Establishment status get SALSA-ready, with HACCP plans, audit preparation, and the documentation your assessor expects. BRC guidance is available where your retailers require it.
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How we can help
SALSA accreditation
Audit-ready systems and gap analysis for your SALSA assessment, with BRC guidance where retailers require it.
Process-specific HACCP plans
Raw materials, preparation, packaging, and dispatch, built around your products and scale in accordance with Codex Alimentarius principles.
Approved Food Establishment
Documentation and premises support for local-authority approval under assimilated Regulation (EC) 853/2004 for businesses handling products of animal origin.
Supplier & wholesale assurance
Supplier audit programmes, approved supplier lists, and incoming goods checks for wholesalers and distributors.
Standards we support
SALSA
Safe and Local Supplier Approval, the right standard for small and artisan producers supplying regional and national buyers.
Approved Food Establishment
Local-authority approval under assimilated Regulation (EC) 853/2004 for businesses handling products of animal origin.
HACCP (Codex Alimentarius)
The international standard for hazard analysis and critical control points, scaled to your operation.
Getting audit-ready for SALSA, BRCGS or HACCP
Selling to retailers, wholesalers or foodservice usually means proving your food safety against a recognised standard such as SALSA or BRCGS. That calls for a documented HACCP system mapped to your process flow, prerequisite programmes, traceability and recall, and evidence that holds up under a certification audit.
We help small producers and wholesalers build production-ready HACCP, close the gaps before an audit, and train the team. Our HACCP consulting and a pre-audit gap assessment get you certification-ready without over-engineering it for your size.
What your producer food safety covers
- HACCP mapped to your process flow and critical control points
- Prerequisite programmes (cleaning, pest control, maintenance)
- Traceability, labelling and product recall procedures
- A SALSA or BRCGS pre-audit gap assessment
- Supplier approval and raw-material controls
- Staff training and competency records
- A prioritised action plan through to certification
Guide prices
- HACCP plan for production
- from £500
- SALSA & BRCGS pre-audit gap assessment
- from £350
- Accredited food safety training
- from £200
Reviewed by a food safety expert
Carren Amoli
Founder & Lead Food Safety Consultant
BSc (Hons) · Former NHS dietitian · International food safety auditor · 16+ years
Carren founded Kitchen Tonic in 2015 and has 16+ years in food safety. She personally oversees client work, from HACCP plans to EHO inspection support, and has helped 500+ UK kitchens reach a Food Hygiene Rating of 5.
More about Carren and the teamOne place to manage training across your sites and team
The KitchenTonic Business Portal lets you set mandatory courses by site and role, track every certificate across your whole business, and access bulk-rate accredited training, free to join, no contract.
Free to join
Create an account in under two minutes, no card required, no contract on the Free tier.
Employee training tracker
Invite your team, assign accredited courses, and track progress and certificates across every site.
Site-specific mandatory courses
Set the training each site and job role requires, from zero-hours staff to supervisors, so nothing slips.
Business pricing
Bulk seat discounts up to 20%, plus 10–25% off consulting when you purchase 2+ courses.
How we help businesses like yours
Japanese Patisserie: From Cafe Counter to Department Store Supply
A London-based artisan Japanese patisserie was offered the chance to supply a major department store, but first needed a fully compliant food safety management system to meet the retailer’s strict onboarding requirements. Kitchen Tonic delivered a complete HACCP study with detailed SOPs and supporting PRPs, helping them secure the contract and scale production.
Read the full case studySmall producer food safety: your questions answered
What is SALSA accreditation and do I need it?
SALSA (Safe and Local Supplier Approval) is a food safety certification designed for smaller producers supplying regional and national buyers. Many retailers, wholesalers and foodservice buyers ask for it before they will list you. It is not a legal requirement, but it is often a commercial one, and it gives buyers confidence that your HACCP system and traceability meet a recognised standard.
What is the difference between SALSA, BRCGS and Approved Food Establishment status?
SALSA is a proportionate standard built for small and artisan producers. BRCGS is a more demanding global standard usually required by major supermarkets. Approved Food Establishment status is local-authority approval under assimilated Regulation (EC) 853/2004, required for businesses handling products of animal origin such as meat, fish or dairy. We help you choose the right route for your products and your buyers, then prepare you for it.
Do small and artisan producers legally need a HACCP plan?
Yes. Under assimilated Regulation (EC) 852/2004, almost every food business must put in place and maintain a permanent procedure based on HACCP principles. The amount of documentation should be proportionate to the size and nature of your operation, so a small producer's plan is lighter than a manufacturer's, but a written, working HACCP plan is expected.
How do you help us get audit-ready?
We carry out a gap analysis against your target standard, build or refine your HACCP plan and supporting records, and prepare your documentation, traceability and premises so you walk into the assessment with confidence. We can also be on hand around the audit itself.
Ready for your next audit?
Get a gap analysis and a clear roadmap to SALSA, Approved Food Establishment status, or BRC where your retailers require it. Tell us about your operation and we will come back within one business day.
Enquiring about: Manufacturing Support
How can we help?
Pick the option that best describes your situation.
Faster route: take the 4-minute risk assessment
Most businesses get a faster, tailored answer when they share their FSA rating, business type, and pain points first. We’ll email a personalised scorecard and a consultant matched to your postcode.
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