Food safety training

The proprietors of food businesses must ensure that all food handlers (including themselves) are adequately supervised, instructed and/or trained depending on their work activities.

All food handlers will require basic instruction before they start work including personal hygiene and what to do if they have a stomach upset.

Staff who handle 'low risk' or wrapped/prepacked 'high risk' food should be instructed in hygiene awareness (cleanliness, causes of food poisoning, temperature control).

For handlers that prepare or serve open 'high risk' food will require level 2 Award in Food Safety training or equivalent supervision, instruction and/or training.

Safer Food Better Business (SFBB)

Do you know:

• What hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) is?
• What a hazard is?
• What a critical control point is and how to control it?
• How to monitor the critical control point?
• What to do if something goes wrong?
• How to keep a record of your system?

If not:

In January 2006, EU legislation required all food businesses to have a food safety management system in place based on HACCP. The FSA's Safer Food Better Business, is a practical approach to food safety management that has been developed by the Food Standards Agency in partnership with over 50 local authorities and associated small caterers, experts and consultants. It is aimed at helping small catering businesses comply with the EC Regulation 852/2004 that applied from 1 January 2006, which consolidated food hygiene legislation.

The SFBB guide has been produced to help.