Guidance

Best Practice & Guidance 

The volume of Fat, Oil & Grease (FOG) discharge produced by a food service operation depends on a variety of factors including menu design, scale and type of operation, and the equipment used. Best practice in the management of FOG discharge encourages those responsible for reviewing, designing, specifying and installing a FOG management system to visit the site to make an as­sessment, and to review plans of the site including drainage layouts.

In assessing a site, all factors including design, equipment, staff training, and working procedures need to be considered in order to develop a system that minimises the risk of FOG entering the drainage system. It is important to look at the entire range of catering equipment and process used and assess the potential to gen­erate FOG discharge, and in what quantities.

Food service operators have a responsibility to employees to provide safe, clean working conditions and to customers, to serve food that is stored and prepared safely and hygienically. The chosen FOG management system must not compromise hygiene & safety in the food service operation and must adhere to food safety regulations and guidelines.

A multitude of technologies are available to food service operations, which include passive grease traps, automated grease removal units, accredited biological dosing systems, or a combination of these technologies. In many cases there is no one silver bullet, hence the need for a range of solutions including in some situations a multi-technology approach. A site evaluation should identify the most suitable solution and whether one or more applications may be required to manage and/or treat FOG discharge from the kitchen operation.

The Law 

While in some countries, such as the UK, there is currently no law stating that food service establishments need to fit a grease management system, there is legislation making them responsible if a sewer is blocked due to discharge from their establishment.

CESA have released a statement and legislative reference regarding Fats Oils and Grease (FOG) Management in Foodservice Establishments, which you can find here

This sets out the relevant legislation and regulations specific to each country (for the UK and Ireland).

FOG Management Legislation & Legal Statements

We’ve also put together our own guides, on how Mechline’s products can help food service operators meet each legal obligation. To download, click on the links below:

ENGLAND

WALES

SCOTLAND

IRELAND

NORTHERN IRELAND

If you’d like the full combined document for the UK and Ireland, please email marketing@mechline.com

For further advice on FOG management in the commercial kitchen, Mechline recommends the British Water publication of the

Food Service Industry (FOG Forum) Fats, Oils and Grease Code of Practice.

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