East Suffolk Council

Food safety training

Food business operators are required by law, to ensure that food handlers receive appropriate supervision and instruction/training in food hygiene in line with their work activity and should enable them to handle food safely.

To help businesses ensure that employees are trained, a number of providers run nationally recognised training courses in food safety, including the Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering. There is also a Level 3 course for Food Business Operators/managers. Compliance with the law need not necessarily involve attending formal and/or accredited training but many good food businesses choose to do so.

East Suffolk Council no longer offers the Level 2 training course but you can find other options, both online and in person courses, by using your internet search engine. The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health runs a number of online courses, including food safety and health and safety courses: Online training courses | Food safety, workplace safety, health and safety (cieh.org). Seafish also offers accredited food hygiene training courses: Food Hygiene | Accredited training courses | Seafish and Highfield offers professional courses across a vast array of topics, including food safety and hygiene and health and safety: Professional Qualifications | UK's Leading AO | Highfield (highfieldqualifications.com)

East Suffolk Council does not recommend any particular training provider - you should consider the individual needs of your business and your employees in determining what level of training is suitable. You should also consider regular refreshers on any training undertaken so you and your staff can ensure that knowledge is relevant and up to date.