Food safety training
Everyone who works with food, whether in catering, manufacturing or retail, is responsible for safeguarding the health of anyone who consumes food prepared, processed, stored or sold by their food business. Food handlers have a special responsibility for safeguarding the health of consumers and to ensure that the food they serve, or sell is safe to eat.
By law, food business operators must ensure that food handlers are adequately supervised and instructed or trained in food hygiene, to enable them to handle and prepare food in the safest way.
Food handlers don't necessarily have to hold a food hygiene certificate to prepare or sell food. The skills can also be learned by:
- training on-the-job
- self-study
- prior experience in food hygiene
For food handlers who prepare open, high-risk foods or handle food and have a supervisory role, it is suggested that they are instructed or trained to a level equivalent to the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) Foundation Certificate in Food Safety (Level 2) within 3 months of starting work. See Chartered Institute of Environmental Health: training courses for further information.
To book a Council training course, you can do so at Courses, workshops and vocational qualifications .
Food Standards Agency free training
The Food Standards Agency also provide online training and video courses. These include:
- Better Business for All
- bbfa@durham.gov.uk
- 03000 261 016
