So it’s your child’s birthday and you want to order sweet cones for them to give a party favour at the end of the party!

Do you know what you should be looking for to ensure that what you are giving out to safe to eat?

Here are some points that you should consider:

• Food Safety Approved Bags

Are the Sweet Cones bags safe to have food put in them. Many are not which means the contents inside could become contaminated with chemicals from which the bags are made from.

• Hygiene Register and Rating

Anybody selling food the public no matter how small or simple must be registered with the Food Hygiene Standards through their local council. Their premises and how they deal with food hygiene will be observed along with the Food Standards Manual. Following this inspection they will be scored on how they performed and any changes that need to be made.

• Food Allergen Training

Have they completed a course for Food Allergen Training so they know what ingredients that people can be allergic to. Many sweets contain hidden ingredients that people may not think is included in a type of sweet.

• Public Liability

If unfortunately something went wrong and somebody become ill do they have public liability insurance to cover any claims made against them.

• High Quality Sweets

Are the sweets being bought from a reputable supplier? Are these sweets being logged in a record book so that should they be recalled they know what clients to contact to inform them?

• Health and Hygiene Training

Dealing with food can be very complex and needs to be dealt with in a professional manner. A Level 2 in Health and Hygiene Training so be the minimum a food provider should have. This training ensures that routine checks are made of equipment being used, premises being checked etc.

• Choice of Sweets

Do you have a choice of sweets from the provider so they you can choose sweets that you know we be well received by the guests rather than just picking out the few they like and the rest being thrown away.

• Delivery

If the food supplier is delivering to you are they delivering in a clean vehicle in a temperature control bag so the contents stay fresh?

• Ingredients Sticker

All allergens should be list on a sticker on the sweet cone so that the guest is aware of anything if you have not asked before hand if a allergy free sweet cone.

• Price

The sweet cone market is very competitive and you will see sweet cones at a very low price so it’s key to check that supplier you choose has all of the above to ensure that you are giving a safe sweet cone to you guests.