What food hygiene certificate do you need and how do you get one?

Starting a food business can feel like climbing a mountain of red tape. Certificates, permits, insurance, legislation - how do you know where to start? If you are thinking of starting a food business, there are a number of measures to put in place before you open to paying customers. This article will help you understand what food hygiene certificate you need, and how you can obtain one. We look at the different levels available, and show which is right for you. We also discuss a simple and effective way to get your food hygiene certification in place with study through The Safer Food group.

“I realised I needed to get professional and get Level 2 Hygiene certified. I found the Safer Food Group in a Google search and I’m so glad I did. Studying the course videos gave me so much encouragement and motivation. Completing the course helped me so much in my charity baking business. I run my bakery from home, so all the tips and guidance I learnt from the course really helped me to transform my home bakery into a professional environment.”

Jilly Shah, Jilly’s Cupcake House Jilly's Charity Cupcakes | Facebook

Who needs a food hygiene certificate? 

By law, all food handlers working within food businesses must receive adequate training and supervision for their role, to enable them to prepare and serve food safely. In practice, the most effective way to ensure staff are consistently and adequately trained is by using a suitable training course at an appropriate level for their role. Factors to consider when planning a suitable training programme for someone working with food include:

• What is their day-to-day role? Do they handle and prepare food, or is their role limited to ordering, serving or delivering food?
• Do they supervise other food handlers?
• Are they preparing food for customers who may have allergies?
• Do they work in a setting that might have special requirements, such as a school, nursery or hospital?

Any business that sells food is legally bound to ensure that the food they sell is safe to eat. This means an understanding of the following topics is vital in any food business:

• How to store, prepare, cook and serve food safely
• Understanding the risk of pathogenic bacteria to food safety
• Knowing how to prevent other forms of food contamination
• Understanding the risk factors associated with the food preparation environment and the people operating in it, and how to prevent those risks

A comprehensive Level 2 Food Hygiene course should cover these topics as a minimum.

Considerations for types of food business

Some considerations apply to specific types of food business, such as:

Selling food from home: Home food businesses must comply with the same legislation as any other food business. Therefore staff must be trained to the same standard that staff in business premises would be. Home food businesses are subject to audit by Environmental Health practitioners, and visits are likely to include questions about food hygiene training and certification. Because of the domestic environment in which a home business is based, an EHO is unlikely to make unannounced visits, instead contacting the business owner in advance to make an appointment. Dependant on the size and scale, a home food business owner could start with a Level 2 Food hygiene certificate, and then assess any gaps in their knowledge before considering a Level 3 Food Hygiene certificate. Learners who have passed a Level 2 Food Hygiene certificate with The Safer Food Group automatically receive a discount on their Level 3 Food safety course.

Selling cakes: As with any food business, a bakery is subject to the same rules about training and certification. Within a business that sells cakes, bread and patisserie, some key factors to good food safety may include:

• Prevention of allergen cross contamination
• Safe storage of chilled ingredients
• Correct use of 'use-by' and 'best-before' dates on product labelling

Depending on the size of the business, it is likely that food handlers will require Level 2 Food Hygiene training, while supervisors and managers would benefit from Level 3 Food Safety Supervisor certification. Allergy Awareness and HACCP training may also be useful.

Selling sweets: The recent trend for sweet cones and pick and mix boxes has enabled a number of new sweet businesses to flourish. These businesses are subject to the same legislation as all UK food business, and as such training that covers topics such as cross contamination and safe packaging are vital. In particular, business owners should be aware of the latest legislation surrounding pre-packaged for direct sale (PPDS) goods, as these are likely to apply to their products. In this instance, both a Level 2 Food Hygiene and a Level 2 Allergy Awareness certificate would be useful.

Selling drinks: Whilst safety risks are lower within businesses selling drinks, consideration must still be made about issues such as allergies and cross contamination, safe storage of high risk ingredients (e.g. milk), supply chain management and safe premises. As well as licensing legislation for premises selling alcohol, businesses selling slushie drinks must also be aware of FSA guidelines regarding health concerns about the additive glycerol. The Safer Food Group's Knowledge base offers free information for businesses to help them stay on top of latest alerts, guidelines and food related health advice.

Selling pre-packaged food: Within a business that sells pre-packaged food, such as a corner shop, it is important to understand correct storage, use-by and best-before labelling, stock and supply management. For this type of food business, a Level 2 Food Hygiene certificate is likely to cover most of the required learning, but a Level 2 Allergy Awareness certificate will add vital information, particularly regarding pre-packaged for direct sale (PPDS) goods - those covered by Natasha's Law.

What level of food hygiene certificate do you need? 

Different levels of food hygiene certificates are appropriate for different roles and responsibilities. Online training courses generally cover Levels 1-3. Higher level qualifications (4+) are not typically taught online, as the in-depth topics covered at these levels require a face to face approach and the opportunity to discuss and explore with a trainer or teacher.

• Level 1 courses offer a broad, top level awareness of a subject. A Level 1 food hygiene certificate would be suitable for someone who works in a food business but does not handle food themselves. This could include front of house staff, delivery drivers and healthcare assistants.
• Level 2 food hygiene is the generally accepted level of training for food handlers in the UK. Anyone involved with preparing, cooking and serving food must understand the safety risks involved and their role in preventing these risks.
• Level 3 food hygiene is appropriate for anyone in a supervisory or management position within a food environment. This course should prepare the learner to lead a team in preparing and serving food, by giving them a deeper understanding of food safety, as well as processes, policies and leadership skills required to keep things on track. Level 3 courses are also great for food handlers looking to upskill in preparation for a step up in their career.

Here are examples of food industry roles and the food hygiene certificate that would usually be required to undertake that role.

Step by step guide to gaining a food hygiene certificate 

Luckily, getting a food hygiene certificate in place is straightforward.

Step 1 - using the information above, decide the level of certificate you need

Step 2 - select a training provider. Most people use online training, as this can offer comprehensive, effective courses that can be studied at a time and pace to suit the learner. However, it is worth spending time researching to find a credible provider; there are many options available, some better quality and value than others. The Safer Food Group is one of the longest established online training providers, offering courses created specifically for food professionals. Their courses are accredited by Qualifi and CPD, and offer accessible and interactive content that helps to develop safer food handlers.

Step 3 - enrol on your chosen course and complete the learning. Take your time to study and concentrate on the areas that you find tricky. It's good to choose a course that includes recap questions throughout the course, such as the Safer Food Group's courses. This helps you assess how well you have understood and remembered the course content.

Step 4 - download your certificate. If you have chosen a provider that supplies a pdf certificate, you may be able to download or print your certificate as soon as you have passed your exam. Displaying your certificates within your business premises helps to build customer trust and shows that your business has a good food safety culture.

Ensuring food safety through certification 

To summarise - all food businesses are legally obliged to provide food that is safe to eat. In order for that to happen, everyone working with food needs appropriate food safety training. Food Hygiene training courses and certificates, at role appropriate levels, are an industry standard way of ensuring that food handling staff understand food safety risks and can act appropriately to mitigate these risks. Renewal of certificates every three years is recommended to refresh knowledge and understanding and to make sure learners are aware of the latest legislation and best practice.

Well trained staff are a key factor in gaining that all important 5 star hygiene rating, that proves to your customer that you care about their safety. Don't forget to print and display your team's certificates, and give them a mention on social media - it all contributes to your reputation as a business that is focussed on quality.

We recommend you review your team's training plan today - filling in any knowledge gaps is simple and quick via The Safer Food Group. Click on the link and see how we can help your business.