| u use your van for travelling to work or back, or as | | | | pastries and doughs which are uncooked or only |
| personal transportation, the tax laws view this use as | | | | partially cooked; and pizza and pasta which contain |
| a benefit in kind. This means that you might find | | | | meat, fish, or vegetables. |
| yourself liable to pay extra income tax. | | | | All packaged foods that you might transport under |
| In addition to this, all commercial vans must be covered | | | | your commercial van insurance policy must have |
| by adequate insurance. There are usually three | | | | special instructions on their labels regarding their |
| certificates issued by motor insurance providers to | | | | storage. These instructions will tell you if you must |
| make sure your vehicle is covered. | | | | keep these items cold while transporting them. The |
| The first of these is the Certificate of Insurance, which | | | | basic requirement is that no one keeps any ingredients, |
| provides evidence that your van is insured. This is | | | | raw materials, partially finished products, or finished |
| required by the Road Traffic Act. | | | | products at temperatures, which might allow bacteria |
| The second certificate is the Cover Note. This is what | | | | and toxins to form if the products are susceptible to |
| you receive before the Certificate of Insurance. It acts | | | | this formation. |
| as a temporary insurance policy and certificate of | | | | Some foods may also have specific temperatures at |
| insurance. | | | | which they must be held. These are usually below 8 |
| Last is the commercial van insurance Policy Document, | | | | degrees Celsius, or, in the case of warm foods, above |
| which states the terms and conditions your | | | | sixty-three degrees Celsius, as appropriate. Some |
| commercial van insurance policy, is entered into under. | | | | foods are exempt in certain circumstances. These |
| This is something that you should be certain to read | | | | circumstances include any foods, which may be kept |
| carefully. Modern policies have little to no small print or | | | | at room temperature for the duration of their shelf life. |
| over difficult language. If yours does, make sure that | | | | Also included are foods, which have been preserved, |
| your insurer explains them. | | | | such as canned or dried food. Some canned foods |
| Another UK law about commercial vehicles covers the | | | | are only pasteurized, and must be refrigerated, such |
| transportation of food. Since 1995, any food that has | | | | as tinned meat. Foods, which must be matured or |
| not been cooked at home to be eaten privately has | | | | ripened at room temperature, are also exempt, such |
| been subject to temperature control regulations. These | | | | as cheese. Once they have properly matured, they |
| regulations cover all the steps in preparing food. These | | | | are stored chilled at the appropriate temperature. Also |
| include preparation, storage, handling, transportation, | | | | exempt are raw ingredients, which are meant to be |
| processing, sales, packaging, distribution, manufacture, | | | | cooked or processed in such a way that they will not |
| and supply. | | | | present a threat. |
| If the food involved is derived from animals, there are | | | | Food, which is to be sent through the mail, is exempt |
| additional regulations, specific to the product. This | | | | from the eight degrees Celsius rule. However, these |
| means that any vehicles used for the commercial | | | | foods must be kept at a temperature that will not |
| transportation of these foods must allow for | | | | pose a hazard. There is some flexibility in these |
| temperature control. It is necessary to make sure that | | | | regulations to allow for the loading and unloading of |
| the food maintains an adequate temperature while it is | | | | food from vehicles to the place where it will be kept. |
| being transported. The kinds of foods that are | | | | As long as it can be shown that the food does not |
| covered by the need for temperature control include all | | | | spend an undue amount of time outside of the |
| foods that could support colonies of harmful bacteria | | | | temperature controlled commercial van, this is |
| or generate toxins if their temperature is not regulated. | | | | permitted. |
| These foods can fall into many different categories. | | | | The law also allows for some other, very limited |
| Some of these include dairy products; any foods | | | | circumstances. These relate to the display and serving |
| containing eggs, meat, milk, fish, or derivatives of these; | | | | of food, and to manufacturer recommendations about |
| any foods which have been precooked, cereals and | | | | holding temperature on specific kinds of food. These |
| grains, vegetables and pulses, or sandwiches and | | | | are primarily advisory in nature, however, and specific |
| foods containing these; smoked and cured fish and | | | | information about them must be acquired from the |
| meat; and pre-prepared foods which are ready to eat, | | | | Department of Health. |