Food Allergen Awareness Training

CPD Approved IoH Approved Owen's Law Logo Food Allergy Aware Logo
Food Allergen Awareness
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  • 100% online training

  • Start when you like

  • Learn on any device (desktop, mobile or tablet)

  • Instant assessment and result

  • Train teams of all sizes

  • Bulk discounts starting at 10% off 10 courses

  • Learn on any device (desktop, mobile or tablet)

£25 +VAT

include vat

Includes a 10% discount for 10+ courses

It's essential that food handlers in retail and catering settings have an awareness of what food hypersensitivities and allergens are, how they can affect the safety of customers, and how food handlers should communicate the correct information to those who need to know.

This online Food Allergen Awareness course will teach you how to comply with the UK's allergen laws and help you understand which foods commonly cause reactions in food-hypersensitive customers. This course will explain how allergenic ingredients should be labelled on food products under the Food Information for Consumers (FIC) Regulation (as retained in UK law) and how to ensure customers receive accurate information about the food they consume.

Food Standards Agency (FSA) guidance states that food businesses must make sure their staff receive training on allergens.
This course was last audited on: 18th July 2023
  • Developed by food safety professionals
  • Ensures compliance with the Food Information for Consumers (FIC) Regulation as retained in UK law
  • Up to date with current allergen legislation in the UK, Natasha's Law and PPDS labelling requirements
  • Developed in collaboration with and endorsed by the Owen's Law Campaign
  • Accredited by CPD and endorsed by the Institute of Hospitality
  • Downloadable module recaps of key learning points
  • Fully online course and assessment with no time limits
  • Full audio voiceover
  • Approximate duration: 2 hours
  • Same day digital certificate. Printed certificate posted the next working day

Aims of the course

By the end of this course learners can:

  • Explain the term 'food hypersensitivity'.
  • Recognise the common symptoms of allergic reactions, anaphylaxis, coeliac disease and food intolerances.
  • Identify the 14 food allergens which must be declared if they are used as an ingredient.
  • Explain their legal responsibilities in regard to allergen labelling and declaration.
  • Apply communication techniques to engage positively with the food hypersensitive customer.
  • Describe how to convey accurate allergen information in food items to the customer.
  • Implement procedures and practices to control allergenic cross-contamination.
  • Determine how to respond in an emergency where a customer has symptoms of a severe allergic reaction.

Certification

CPD Approved
IoH Approved

All of our courses are accredited by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to universally accepted Continuing Professional Development (CPD) guidelines.

Additionally, this course is endorsed by the Institute of Hospitality as providing independently-evaluated, quality content that teaches good practice standards.

On successful completion of the course you will be sent a quality assured certificate through the post the next working day. This can be used to provide evidence for compliance and audit. 

This certificate does not have an expiry date. However, based on industry best practice guidelines, the recommended renewal period for this training is 3 years. We will print this recommended renewal date on your certificate.


Owen's Law Campaign

High Speed Training is proud to be the first training provider to receive an official endorsement from the Owen's Law Campaign. This endorsement recognises the comprehensive and rigorous nature of our training, which goes beyond standard guidance and promotes best practices in line with the principles of Owen's Law.

The Owen's Law Campaign advocates for improved staff training and changes in the law, aiming to make dining out safer for people with food hypersensitivities (such as food allergies, coeliac disease and food intolerances). Owen's Law requires that best practices be followed, including for allergens to be clearly stated on the face of menus, for staff to initiate a discussion with customers about food hypersensitivity and for thorough ingredient lists to be available. The Owen's Law Campaign is working to bring about positive changes that will help better educate the food and hospitality industry and provide a safe dining experience for those whose lives are affected by food hypersensitivity and anaphylaxis.

To support the Owen's Law Campaign, visit http://owens-law.co.uk


Food Allergy Aware endorsed

Learn more about Food Allergy Aware

This training course has been meticulously audited by Food Allergy Aware, ensuring our training comprehensively meets the highest standards of accuracy and effectiveness. With the Food Allergy Aware endorsement, you can trust that our course provides essential insights into managing food allergens, safeguarding your patrons' health, and complying with regulations. 

Founded in 2012, Food Allergy Aware is a recognised industry leader in providing expert services and knowledge surrounding special dietary requirements, including food allergies, coeliac disease, and food intolerances. Previous winners of the Company of the Year Award from The Society of Food Hygiene and Technology (SOFHT), Food Allergy Aware has established a reputation for excellence thanks to their detailed auditing and consultancy services, along with their frequent speaking engagements at industry events.


Screenshots (click to view)

If you wish to try this course then register for a demo by clicking the 'interactive demo' button. You will be given the option to purchase and continue with your course at the end of your demo!


Interactive Demo

Course content

ModuleDescription
1Introduction to Food Allergens, Allergies and Anaphylaxis

What is a food allergen, key definitions, coeliac disease and symptoms, symptoms of an allergic reaction, symptoms of anaphylaxis, food handler responsibilities, the 14 food allergens, hidden allergens, what's my role.

2Food Allergen Law and the Food Labelling Regulations

Food safety legislation, food labelling regulations, foods prepacked for direct sale (PPDS), allergen labelling, Natasha's Law, near miss reporting, precautionary allergen labelling, ingredients lists, loose foods, distance selling, law enforcement, staff training, communicating with the food hypersensitive customer.

3Controlling Allergenic Cross-Contamination

Key terms, HACCP, prerequisites, cleaning the workplace, food deliveries and transportation, food storage, food preparation, food service, allergen policy, emergency situations.


 Download Course Overview (PDF)

Assessment

The online assessment is taken on completion of the training material. You will be asked 20 multiple choice questions with a pass mark of 90%. The answers are marked automatically so you will instantly know whether you have passed. If you don't pass don't worry! You can take the test as many times as you need with no extra charge.


Who should take this course?

This course is best suited for food handlers in catering and retail settings. The course is appropriate for workers at all levels, whether they prepare, handle, sell or serve food products.

This includes, but is not limited to, staff that work in:

  • Restaurants, canteens and hotels
  • Cafes, coffee and sandwich shops
  • Supermarkets and convenience stores
  • Bakeries, butchers and delicatessens
  • Food markets, stalls and food trucks
  • Food buffets
  • Takeaways
  • Caterers and cooks in hospital and education settings
  • Online food retailers and other distance sellers

If you work in food manufacturing then our specifically designed Food Allergens in Manufacturing course will be more suitable.


Course reviews



How do our courses work?

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Purchase and payment

Add your chosen course to your basket. Once you’ve added all the courses you need, follow our step-by-step checkout process where you can purchase using Debit or Credit card.

For companies ordering 5 or more courses, you’ll also be given the option to pay by invoice.

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Course access

Once you’ve completed your purchase, look out for an email containing the details you’ll need to start your training. 

If you’ve purchased a single course, we’ll send you a unique course code. You can use this to add your training to an existing account, or create a brand new one. 

Purchased multiple courses for training your team? We’ll email you all the login details you need to distribute to your staff.

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Certificate

If your delivery address is in the UK, we will send a hard copy of your certificate to your UK postal address once you’ve completed your course. Although we try to deliver your certificates as soon as possible, please allow 3-4 working days for delivery.

Don’t want to wait? You can instantly download your digital certificate as a PDF after course completion.

Additionally, please note that if your company is paying by invoice we can only issue certificates after your order has been fully paid.

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Continued support

Our friendly customer support team is happy to help at any stage of your training. Call us on 0333 006 7000 or contact support@highspeedtraining.co.uk, and we’ll do our best to answer any questions you may have. 

Additionally, have you seen our help page? It’s full of useful information to help guide you through your training experience.