Legislation - What you need to know
Food Safety Legislation.
We all need to feel confident that when we visit a café, restaurant, or when we buy food from a retailer, that the food we purchase is wholesome and will not harm us.
In the UK, and indeed in all EU countries, we follow the legislative lead from a document written by the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Health Organisation, entitled the “Codex Alimentarius” or food code.
This states:
“Those who engage in food operations, who come directly or indirectly into contact with food should be trained, and or instructed in food hygiene to a level appropriate to the operations they perform”.
Each EU state the ‘tweaks’ this general instruction to suit their own countries needs.
In the UK, the recommendations are that food handlers follow the 2006 Food Hygiene Regulations. These regulations re-enforce the requirement to train and supervise those handling food – but do not set out any specific way this training must be carried out.
- You do not need a classroom course – e-learning is user friendly, more cost effective and convenient, You must however, prove that your staff have been trained.
- You do not actually require external endorsement of your training – but should you have a food safety problem........
- E-learning is always the same. You can prove topics were covered
- The tutor never has a bad day.
- It is always available 24/7 – no need to leave people out if they are sick or on holiday.
- Externally verified training gives you peace of mind, that you have exercised your obligation to due diligence. You have done your best, and you can prove that you have.
Health and Safety Legislation.
The other side of the training coin is health and safety – which aims to protect the worker rather than the food.
This area is covered by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and further detailed by numerous other acts since that time.
Over 200 people are killed at work each year and over 2 million suffer illnesses caused, or made worse by work situations.
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires you provide whatever training is necessary to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, that your employees are safe.
Our new course, Health and Safety for Food Workers, is written, as it says, for food workers. It covers the hazards encountered by food workers. It will covers your legislative requirements.
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