Food Safety & Hygiene Level 2 Course For Catering
By law, all food handlers must have an understanding of the principles of food hygiene and know how to work safely so as to protect the food they serve from contamination. This Level 2 Food Hygiene and Safety course is suitable for anyone who handles, prepares or serves food in the catering industry.
This level 2 course will inform you of your legal responsibilities and what constitutes best practice in regards to controlling food safety hazards, controlling temperatures, food storage, food preparation, personal hygiene and premises cleaning. You will learn about your responsibilities through a range of interactive exercises, written text, and video content. Upon completion of this training, you will be confident in your food hygiene knowledge and have all the skills and tools you need to keep people safe and comply with food hygiene law.
-
Meets UK and EU legal requirements for food handlers
-
Matches RSPH and CIEH level 2 syllabus
-
Matches REHIS elementary food hygiene syllabus
- Accredited by CPD and Assured by RoSPA
-
Endorsed by the Institute of Hospitality
-
Fully online course and assessment with no time limits
-
Full audio voiceover
-
Approximate duration: 2 - 3 hours
-
On completion, certificate is posted the next working day
Who should take this course?
The European Union Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs requires all food handlers to be appropriately trained in how to carry out their roles safely.
This Level 2 Food Hygiene and Safety for Catering course ensures that you comply with this legal responsibility by providing learners with a thorough introduction to the correct food handling practices.
The course is suitable for food handlers in all disciplines of the catering sector, including restaurants, hotels, cafes, bars, fast-food outlets, takeaways, mobile food trucks, kitchens, hospitals, schools and colleges.
This certified online training is ideal for people working in positions such as, but not limited to:
- Chef / Cook
- Bartender / Front of House Worker
- Catering / Kitchen Assistant
- Teacher
- Support / Care / Charity Worker
- Barista
- Child Minder / Nursery Staff
Certification
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.
Environmental Health Officers
This course has been audited and approved by Environmental Health Officers: the training materials have been independently reviewed and are verified as containing the necessary knowledge to achieve the level of training specified.
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
| Module | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to Food Hygiene and Safety | Key definitions, food handler training, The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, The Food Hygiene Information Scheme (FHIS) in Scotland. |
| 2 | Food Safety Legislation | Food hygiene and the law, food safety management systems, employer responsibilities, enforcement of food safety law, legal notices, prosecution, due diligence. |
| 3 | Microbiological Hazards | Microbiological hazards, food poisoning, bacteria, pathogenic bacteria, food spoilage, damaged packaging, high and low-risk foods, raw foods, controlling bacteria with temperature and time, cross-contamination, food preservation, toxins, viral contamination, preventing microbiological contamination. |
| 4 | Physical, Chemical and Allergenic Hazards | Physical hazards, types of physical contamination, controlling physical contamination, chemical hazards, acrylamide, scombrotoxic food poisoning, controlling chemical contamination, allergenic hazards, the 14 named food allergens, anaphylactic shock, controlling allergenic contamination, allergen policy, allergen labelling laws, foods prepacked for direct sale, Natasha's Law. |
| 5 | Food Storage | Suppliers and deliveries, food labelling, traceability, use by and best before dates, stock rotation, safe food storage, dry food stores, fruit and vegetable storage, chilled food storage, refrigerator temperatures, frozen food storage, freezing and thawing. |
| 6 | Food Preparation | Thawing frozen food, cooking and reheating, taking food temperatures, cooling food, hot holding, cold holding, food service. |
| 7 | Personal Hygiene | Food handler responsibilities, hand hygiene, hand washing procedures, protective gloves, further hygiene considerations, protective clothing, first aid kits, wounds and sores. |
| 8 | Food Premises Design, Layout, Size and Suitability | Food handler responsibilities, food premises and the law, principles of design, pests, preventing pests, waste management. |
| 9 | Food Premises Cleaning and Disinfection | Why do we clean? Cleaning and disinfection, cleaning schedules, safe cleaning, clean as you go, six stages of cleaning, cleaning food storage areas and chillers, cleaning public areas, food handling equipment, dishwashers. |
Download Course Overview (PDF)
Aims of the course
By the end of this course, you will:
- Understand your responsibilities, and those of your employer, under UK and EU food hygiene regulations, and be able to explain the principles of food safety management systems.
- Identify microbiological, physical, chemical, and allergenic hazards and understand why it’s important to control contamination and how you can control it.
- Understand safe practices around food storage for different types of food, be able to explain the differences between ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates, and know how to carry out effective stock rotation.
- Understand how to prepare food safely, including how to thaw, cook, cool, reheat, and hold hot food, as well as how to properly take food temperatures.
- Be aware of the importance of personal hygiene, how to carry out proper hand washing procedures, and recognise when it's important to wash your hands.
- Understand how premises should be designed to reduce hazards, and be aware of your responsibilities around cleaning and pest control.
Assessment
The online assessment is taken on completion of the training material. You will be asked 30 multiple choice questions with a pass mark of 80%. 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.
Looking for more information around food hygiene certificate renewal dates?
Check our guidance and explanation of food hygiene certificate renewals.
See How Long A Food Hygiene Certificate Lasts
