Aim of the course

This course aims to give learners the knowledge required to handle food safely and recognise practices that could make food unsafe.

It introduces the Food Standards Agency’s four core food-hygiene principles—cleaning, cooking, chilling and avoiding cross-contamination—and explains how these principles apply in care-home kitchens, dining areas and food-service activities.

Scope of the course

The course is designed for catering staff, cooks, care workers, healthcare assistants, support workers, nurses, housekeeping staff, volunteers and others who prepare, handle, transport or serve food in care homes.

It provides awareness-level knowledge relating to:

1. Food-safety hazards.
2. Personal hygiene and fitness to work.
3. Safe food storage and preparation.
4. Cooking, cooling, reheating and temperature control.
5. Cross-contamination prevention.
6. Food-allergen management.
7. Cleaning, waste and pest control.
8. Food-safety monitoring and reporting.

This course does not automatically qualify a learner to:

1. Develop or manage a HACCP-based food-safety system.
2. Supervise a commercial kitchen.
3. Carry out specialist allergen-risk assessments.
4. Determine legal shelf life.
5. Inspect food premises.
6. Replace role-specific practical instruction or competency assessment.

Food handlers must receive supervision, instruction and training appropriate to their work activities.

Topics covered

The course covers:

1. The meaning of food safety and food hygiene.
2. Why food safety is particularly important in care homes.
3. The Food Safety Act 1990.
4. The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013.
5. Food-handler and food-business responsibilities.
6. Food-safety management systems and HACCP principles.
7. Microbiological, chemical, physical and allergen hazards.
8. Common causes and symptoms of foodborne illness.
9. People who may be at increased risk from unsafe food.
10. The Food Standards Agency’s four food-safety principles.
11. Effective handwashing and personal hygiene.
12. Suitable work clothing, hair control and jewellery restrictions.
13. Cuts, wounds and protective dressings.
14. Fitness to work and reporting vomiting, diarrhoea or infection.
15. Safe receipt and inspection of food deliveries.
16. Checking packaging, dates and signs of damage.
17. Use-by dates and best-before dates.
18. Safe storage and stock rotation.
19. Refrigerator and freezer organisation.
20. Separating raw food from cooked and ready-to-eat food.
21. Avoiding bacterial, chemical, physical and allergen contamination.
22. Safe use of colour-coded equipment.
23. Cleaning and disinfection of food-contact surfaces.
24. Safe preparation and cooking.
25. Core-temperature and time checks.
26. Safe use, cleaning and disinfection of probe thermometers.
27. Hot holding and safe food service.
28. Cooling and refrigerating food safely.
29. Safe reheating and avoiding repeated reheating.
30. Managing leftovers.
31. Safe transport of food within or between locations.
32. Allergen information and communication.
33. Preventing allergen cross-contact.
34. Responding to an allergy-related error or reaction.
35. Safe service of texture-modified meals and prescribed diets.
36. Cleaning schedules and safe use of cleaning chemicals.
37. Waste disposal and pest prevention.
38. Food recalls, withdrawals and suspected contamination.
39. Food-safety records, corrective actions and reporting.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, learners should be able to:

1. Define food safety and food hygiene.
2. Explain why care-home residents may be particularly affected by foodborne illness.
3. Identify microbiological, chemical, physical and allergen hazards.
4. Describe the Food Standards Agency’s four food-safety principles.
5. Demonstrate knowledge of effective handwashing and personal hygiene.
6. Recognise when illness or symptoms must be reported before handling food.
7. Check food deliveries for temperature, damage and date-related concerns.
8. Explain the difference between use-by and best-before dates.
9. Store chilled, frozen, dry and ready-to-eat food appropriately.
10. Explain why raw food must be separated from ready-to-eat food.
11. Identify practices that may cause cross-contamination.
12. Use equipment and food-contact surfaces hygienically.
13. Explain why food must be cooked, cooled, reheated and held safely.
14. Describe how a clean food thermometer should be used.
15. Recognise the importance of cleaning and disinfecting temperature probes between uses.
16. Explain basic allergen-information responsibilities.
17. Identify measures that prevent allergen cross-contact.
18. Follow individual dietary and texture requirements accurately.
19. Recognise signs of pest activity or poor food-storage practice.
20. Complete required food-safety checks and records accurately.
21. Take appropriate corrective action within their role.
22. Report contamination, temperature failures, illness, allergen errors and unsafe practices promptly.
23. Explain why food suspected of being unsafe must not be served.

The course reflects the Food Safety Act 1990, the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 and current Food Standards Agency guidance on food-safety management.

Food legislation differs across the UK, so organisations outside England must follow the legislation and official guidance applicable to their nation.