The History And 3 Levels Of Food Hygiene Training in UK

True, it's pretty obvious that the UK government (or any government) for that matter should have a food hygiene training requirement for any food-serving business establishment and owner. But, believe it not, it was only in 1995 that food hygiene training was established as a legal requirement.

Now, that's not to say that proper food handling and hygiene was neglected decades back. Matter of fact, back in 1964 (during the Aberdeen Typhoid Outbreak), the Milne Report emphasized the importance of properly educating food handlers.

Additionally, during the Stanley Royd outbreak of salmonella that poisoned and hospitalized 355 people and ultimately claimed 19 lives, the Committee Of Enquiry once again emphasized how crucial food hygiene training is.

However, it wasn't until 1995 when General Food Hygiene regulations was introduced that educating food handlers became a legal requirement.

Fast forward today, there are 3 levels of food hygiene training that businesses in the food sector must pay attention to. Let's have a look at them:

Level 1 Food Hygiene Training

Known as the basic food hygiene training, this is aimed especially for food handlers. Those employees that work on the pantry, kitchen, etc that have direct contact with the food served must undergo this 1-day training.

This is a 6-hour training session that is ended by a test with 30 multiple choice questions. By the way, the passing mark would be 20/30.

Level 2 Food Hygiene Training

For supervisors who oversee if employees strictly adhere to food hygiene and proper food handling rules, they must take the Level 2 food hygiene training which is also known as Intermediate Food Hygiene Training, which lasts 3 days long.

Level 3 Food Hygiene Training

If you're the owner of a restaurant, cafe, coffee shop, and other food-serving business, taking the Level 3 Food Hygiene Training (Advanced) is a must. This is a 5-day course that aims to educate owners, managers, and people who're looking forward to teach the food hygiene at the basic level.