Standards

Supporting safer, smarter commercial kitchens

Standards play an important role across the foodservice and catering industry. They help keep people safe, support quality and consistency, and make sure commercial kitchens, equipment and systems perform as they should.

For manufacturers, suppliers, kitchen designers, consultants, installers, engineers and operators, understanding the standards that apply can be complex. Requirements can cover everything from the design and manufacture of commercial catering equipment to electrical and gas safety, installation, servicing, energy efficiency and the design of the kitchen itself.

FEA helps the industry understand and navigate these requirements, providing practical information on the technical standards, regulations and best practice that affect businesses and the people working within them.

Helping shape industry standards

Our role goes beyond keeping the sector informed. FEA brings together technical knowledge and real-world experience from across the foodservice equipment industry to make sure its voice is heard as standards and regulations develop.

We work with industry experts, standards bodies and other organisations to represent the needs of the sector, contribute technical expertise and help ensure new requirements reflect how commercial kitchens and catering equipment work in practice.

By sharing knowledge and bringing the industry together, we help businesses prepare for change, understand their responsibilities and maintain high standards across the sector.

Technical and design standards

FEA supports the development of UK and international technical standards, including the IFSEBIM standards – a shared set of parameters that let equipment manufacturers, software providers and kitchen designers work from consistent, reliable data. Co-chaired by representatives from EFCEM and FCSI, this collaborative work gives designers and consultants around the world a common language for foodservice equipment specification, and a recognised logo for products that meet the standard. 

FEA also sits across multiple collaborative groups, such as Hospitality Sector Council, Insitute of Gas Engineers and Managers (IGEM), Zero Carbon Forum, EURIS Task Force, ACRIB.