Food Safety Courses
CIEH Foundation Certificate in Food Hygiene
About the course
Rigorous enforcement of food hygiene legislation is important but it is not, in itself, sufficient to prevent food poisoning. Food poisoning is normally caused by negligence or ignorance and consequently most experts in food hygiene believe that a reduction in the high level of food poisoning cases will only be achieved by the education of food handlers. The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health has designed its Foundation courses to give first tier workers an appreciation of the fundamentals of good food hygiene practice.
The CIEH Foundation Certificate in Food Hygiene (formerly the Basic Food Hygiene Certificate) is a first level course incorporating fundamental food hygiene knowledge for all food handlers. The programme covers a defined syllabus. Candidates are assessed by objective tests of 30 multi-choice questions. The test papers are available in 15 languages providing unique accessibility. To locate a UK centre offering this course in alternative languages please visit the CIEH-Course finder website.
Topics
A. Food Poisoning
B. Bacteriology
C. Prevention of contamination and food poisoning
D. Personal Hygiene
E. Premises, Equipment and pest control
F. Cleaning and disinfection
G. Legislation
Course information
Designed For: All Food HandlersTeaching Time: Minimum 6 hours Exam Format: 30 multiple choice questions
CIEH Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering
(will replace the current CIEH Foundation Certificate in Food Hygiene)
Training providers have identified a growing need to make learning more relevant to specific business environments to increase effectiveness. New qualifications are required to address new National Occupational Standards reflecting sector specific needs. In line with this demand, the CIEH Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering has been designed to address the food safety needs of the catering and hospitality sector.
Who needs this qualification?
Anyone working in a catering or hospitality setting where food is prepared, cooked and served. Typical environments may include pubs, hotels, restaurants, retail, contract catering, fast-food outlets, hospitals, care and nursing homes, schools, prisons or the armed forces.
• Prerequisites: None
• Duration: One day programme
• Assessment: Multiple-choice examination
Intermediate Certificate in Food Safety
About the course
The intermediate level course is designed for those working in all food businesses at supervisory level. This includes ‘traditional’ supervisors and team leaders, but also anyone who needs a broad understanding of food hygiene as part of their work. Among those who would benefit are people who have responsibility for the jobs and functions listed below:
• Quality assurance
• One to one or on the job instruction/training
• Customer complaints investigations
• Raw materials buying
• Sales
Owners and managers in small to medium sized organisations, depending on the type of food business, may also find that the intermediate course provides them with sufficient knowledge to carry out their responsibilities effectively.
In addition the intermediate course is an ideal development stage for those considering future progression to the advanced level programme.
The course has a general syllabus. It should be tailored to suit the background of the individual students, so that all facets of food production, processing, storage, transport, wholesaling, catering and retailing are covered.
Successful completion of the course and examination will enable candidates to:
• play an active part in monitoring food hygiene standards
• be involved in training activities, especially on the job training
• be equipped to effectively supervise food handlers on hygiene issues
• be able to carry out hygiene audits
• encourage good standards of personal hygiene
• be able to assist in hazard analysis programmes
• help in the formulation and writing of hygiene policies, instructions etc.
Suitable students for the course and examination will need to have an analytical approach to food hygiene and will be encouraged to demonstrate how they can influence others and positively encourage good standards. The training time to cover the syllabus must be at least 18 hours, typically covered in 3 days. The students are then assessed on the basis of their performance in a 2 hour objective test. The assessment can be offered immediately following the training programme, or after a period for consolidation and revision, to suit trainer and candidates. There are no scheduled examination dates.
Course information
Designed For: Team Leaders and all who need a broader understanding of food safetyTeaching Time: Minimum 18 hoursExam Format: 2 hour multiple-choice test of 60 Questions
CIEH Advanced Certificate in Food Safety About the course
This qualification, which was introduced in 1984, has been regularly reviewed and modified to meet the food industry's need for a high level practical training programme with external accreditation. The training programme is delivered by registered centres and tutors and consists of at least 36 hours of teaching time, typically over 5 or more days. Some courses are delivered in consecutive days, often residentially – these ‘intensive‘ courses have special examination requirements to maintain the quality of the learning experience.
To undertake and be successful in the assessment candidates must submit two workplace assignments, as well as taking a written examination.
Successful candidates will be able to:
• Guide and advise on the management of food hygiene in a food business
• Contribute to the management of hygiene in a wide variety of food businesses
• Identify further technical knowledge necessary in complex processes
• Determine further training requirements
• Identify areas for legal compliance
• Determine good practice
• Design an improvement plan
• Outline a HACCP type study
• Promote and encourage good standards of food safety
• Liaise with enforcement officers
• Deliver level 1 food hygiene training (with appropriate training skills).
The programme is ideal for:
• Production Managers
• Trainers
• Owners or managers of food businesses
• Supervisors with Intermediate Food Hygiene knowledge
• Hygiene personnel
• Hygiene auditors.
Course information
Designed For: Managers, supervisors and senior hygiene personnel Teaching Time: Minimum 36 hours Exam Format: 2 assignments (50%) and 2 ½ hour exam (50%)
CIEH Level 3 Award in Implementing Food Safety Management Procedures
Launch date Mid February 2006 Registration date Now
From 1st January 2006, EU legislation will require all businesses producing food to have a documented food safety management system in place, based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles. Although effective in theory, HACCP has been particularly difficult to establish in catering businesses because of the sheer number and variety of processes involved in preparing and serving food. But practical, accessible and user-friendly management tools have been created, notably the ‘Safer Food Better Business' (SFBB) system adopted by the FSA, to assist caterers to comply with the new regulation.
The CIEH Level 3 Award in Implementing Food Safety Management Procedures examines HACCP and tools such as SFBB and will be invaluable for managers and proprietors of the estimated 400,000 small food businesses across the UK.
Who needs this qualification?
Primarily business owners and/or managers of small and medium sized catering and hospitality businesses, such as takeaways, sandwich shops, restaurants, pubs serving meals, guest houses, small hotels, not-for-profit catering organisations, health and social care providers preparing on-site meals and in-house caterers and staff restaurants
• Prerequisites: We recommend that candidates should have some understanding and knowledge of basic food hygiene – ideally having
• gained the CIEH Foundation Certificate in Food Hygiene or equivalent, in the last three years.
• Duration: One day programme
• Assessment: Assignment based on a case study related to the candidate's own area of work. The assessment will be completed in a
• one hour examination.
• QCA Accredited: No
Intermediate Certificate in Hazard Analysis Principles and Practice
About the course
The need to adopt preventative strategies in the preparation of food to ensure its safety has increasingly become the focus of good practice and regulatory requirements. Current regulations require the owners of food businesses to conduct a hazard analysis of their food operations and to implement suitable and sufficient controls to eliminate or at least reduce the risks posed by identified hazards. A number of formal systems of hazard analysis exist e.g. Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) and Assured Safe Catering (ASC). While both these systems have merit they are not appropriate in every situation.
One of the main objectives of the Hazard Analysis: Principles and Practice training programme is to assist proprietors of food businesses to operate more safely and meet the requirements of current legislation by introducing a rational and realistic system of analysis. There are a number of basic steps and principles involved in a hazard analysis system but no matter how ‘simple’ the system or the operations it may cover it can only be effective if the personnel concerned:
• understand the principles
• have experience of the working environment or activity
• appreciate the need to develop realistic controls
• understand the importance of monitoring and periodic review
Among those who would benefit from this training programme are:
• owners and managers and sole proprietors
• supervisors
• team leaders
• trainers.
Participants should have a broad understanding of food safety issues in advance of attending this programme. It is therefore strongly recommended that prospective candidates have previously successfully completed the CIEH Intermediate Food Hygiene Certificate Course or equivalent.
The training time to cover the syllabus areas must be at least 10 hours, typically covered in 2 days. The students then undertake an assessment or assignment.
Successful completion of the programme will enable delegates to:
• play an active part in the design of hazard analysis systems
• take responsibility for all, or elements of hazard analysis systems depending on the size, nature and complexity of the business.
• manage the monitoring of controls and their periodic review
• assist in the formulation of more effective work practices
• identify the need for further advice and guidance in specialised food industry sectors or processes
Course information
Designed For: Managers & SupervisorsTeaching Time: Minimum 10 hoursExam Format: Case study assessment carried out under exam conditions or tailored assignment completed over period of time agreed between tutor and candidate.