Online Level 2 Food Hygiene course created by a qualified EHO.

Essentials of Level 2 Food Hygiene

Starting an employee’s journey towards food safety requires a thorough understanding of the Level 2 Food Hygiene course and its topics. This course acts as a guide for anyone who handles food - from busy restaurants to school cafeterias, guaranteeing that all meals prepared and served meet the top standards of food hygiene. Understanding food hygiene principles is crucial in this course, as it highlights the significance of recognizing potential food safety risks, recommended hygiene practices, and guidelines for implementing food safety management systems. This course covers a broad spectrum of vital topics such as food storage, freezing and chilling, cooking, cleaning and disinfecting equipment.

It covers management of pests and the food laws governing food allergens too. This advanced knowledge equips food handlers to uphold food safety across various sectors, making the course a useful for any business who manages food safety risk.

❓ What is Level 2 Food Hygiene?

Level 2 Food Hygiene is made up of fundamental knowledge of food safety and hygiene practices. It instills high standards of food hygiene in businesses, teaching the prevention of food-borne diseases and emphasising good hygiene practices.

As food handlers work through this course, they learn about the legal responsibilities within the UK’s food safety legislation, arming them with the knowledge to serve and prepare food safely, and conscientiously. It is crucial for food businesses to provide their employees with information, instruction, and training suitable to their work, ensuring they understand food safety legislation and practices to protect the health and safety of consumers.

❓ Why Level 2 certification matters

Holding a Level 2 Certification in food hygiene isn’t a nice to have, it’s a legal requirement for food handlers. It serves as evidence of their competence and is a crucial prerequisite for assuring compliance with food hygiene regulations. The stakes are high for an employer, as failure to meet these standards can cause food-borne illnesses, tarnishing a business’s reputation.

❓Who is the level 2 food hygiene certificate is for?

This certificate is an essential asset for anyone who handles food in a professional setting. It's designed to benefit a wide range of roles within the food industry – from chefs and kitchen staff in bustling restaurants to food processors in factories, from baristas in coffee shops to the vendors at your local farmer's market.

The course is also incredibly valuable for food handlers in school cafeterias, hospital kitchens, and care home dining services, where food safety is of paramount importance. In essence, the Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate is for any individual who comes into contact with food and has a responsibility to prevent contamination and ensure the food they serve is safe to eat.

Created by a qualified environmental health officer

Natalie Stanton, a former council food hygiene inspector, developed the Level 2 Food Hygiene Course whose expertise and experience in the field lend credibility and depth to this essential training. Her background in conducting food safety inspections infuses the course with real-world insights and a practical approach to food hygiene, ensuring that learners are receiving education from a source that has been on the front lines of enforcing food safety standards.

The impact on your food hygiene rating scheme score

Quality food hygiene training is a pivotal factor in achieving and maintaining a high food hygiene rating, which can be as influential on a business’s success as its menu. A superior rating is not just a number—it’s a declaration of trust and quality to customers, potentially safeguarding a business’s reputation and customer loyalty.

In the face of food safety incidents, holding a Level 2 Certification serves as proof of due diligence, helping businesses demonstrate their commitment to legal responsibilities and food safety standards.

The convenience of online learning

Online food hygiene courses provide a flexible learning option that enables learners to fit their training into their busy schedules. With the power to enroll multiple learners simultaneously and access the same safety course on a variety of devices, the online platform ensures that food safety education is never out of reach, whether the learner is at home, at work, or on the move.

✅ Study when it suits you

This Level 2 Food Hygiene course’s online format offers a cost-effective and flexible solution, breaking away from the restrictions of traditional classroom learning. Learners can pause and resume their training, allowing the online course, when they want. This flexibility ensures that food handlers can spread their learning across multiple sessions, seamlessly integrating training into their schedules without sacrificing their work responsibilities.

✅ Progress tracking made easy

Learners and employers can track their progress viewing quiz results and accessing food hygiene certificate after completion. Digital certificates will be emailed after completion and also stored forever on a free Pilla app account.

This online Level 2 Food Hygiene Course includes every unit required at this level, from the legal responsibilities of food handlers to the best techniques for controlling food safety hazards.

This video based learning course makes sure that learners are engaged and retain the knowledge.

Unit 1. Food Safety Overview

✅ The importance of safe food

✅ Key food safety terms

✅ Benefits of good hygiene standards

✅ Costs of poor hygiene standards

✅ Food poisoning and high-risk groups

✅ The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

✅ The Food Hygiene Information Scheme (FHIS) in Scotland

Unit 2. Food Safety Hazards

✅ Types of contamination (microbiological, chemical, physical and allergenic)

✅ Micro-organisms and pathogenic micro-organisms

✅ Toxins and spores

✅ Multiplication of bacteria and requirements for growth

✅ High risk and low risk foods

✅ Cross-contamination and preventing contamination

✅ Viruses

✅ Food allergy and food intolerance symptoms

✅ Allergens and allergen control

Unit 3. Refrigeration, Cooling and Cold-holding of Foods

✅ Chilled food storage

✅ Chilled food storage temperatures

✅ Cooling food

✅ Frozen storage

✅ Defrosting food

✅ Taking Temperatures

Unit 4. Cooking, Reheating and Hot-holding of Foods

✅ Cooking

✅ Reheating

✅ Hot-holding

✅ Taking temperatures

✅ Acrylamide

Unit 5. Safe Food Storage

✅ Food preservation methods

✅ Traceability

✅ Best Before and Use by dates

✅ Dry goods storage

✅ Stock rotation

✅ Food spoilage

✅ Suppliers and deliveries

Unit 6. Food Safety Management

✅ HACCP and Food Safety Management Systems

✅ Safer Food Better Business (SFBB), Safe Catering (Northern Ireland), CookSafe (Scotland)

✅ Documentation and record keeping

Unit 7. Food Handlers and Personal Hygiene

✅ Food handler responsibilities

✅ Food handler training

✅ Hand washing

✅ Cuts and wounds

✅ Protective clothing

✅ Bad habits

Unit 8. Cleaning and Disinfection

✅ Importance of cleaning

✅ Definitions

✅ Cleaning and disinfection

✅ Two stage cleaning

✅ Cleaning schedules

✅ Clean as you go

✅ Storage of cleaning chemicals

✅ Dishwashers

Unit 9. Food Premises and Equipment

✅ Design of premises and equipment

✅ Washing facilities

✅ Food pests

✅ Controlling pests

✅ Waste control

Unit 10. The Law in Relation to Food Safety

✅ Food Business Operator responsibilities

✅ Enforcement officers

✅ Legal notices

✅ Penalties for non-compliance

✅ Due diligence

Achieving your food hygiene certificate

At the end of this course is a Level 2 Food Hygiene examination, a test that measures your readiness to handle food with the required care and knowledge. This assessment consists of multiple-choice questions, designed to test a learner’s grasp of the course content.

On passing, the candidate is awarded a digital certificate, which is evidence of their commitment to food safety.

Training for diverse roles

The Level 2 Food Hygiene Course is flexible and tailored to meet the specific needs of different food industry sectors and roles. Whether it’s for the dynamic environment of a catering business or the precise operations of food manufacturing, the course provides tailored training that aligns with the specific requirements of different food handling roles.

It is the ideal training for non-senior staff, sharing knowledge of food hygiene and the law, and enabling employees to recognise and implement best practices in their day-to-day operations.

✅ The catering sector

This Level 2 Food Hygiene and Safety (Catering) course is crafted for individuals frequently engaged in food preparation and handling, ensuring that best practices are not just followed, but ingrained in the culture of food business operators in the kitchen.

This specialised guidance is crucial for a diverse array of settings, from the hustle of restaurants to the nurturing environments of schools and care organisations.

✅ Retail food safety

Turning to the retail landscape, the Level 2 Food Hygiene Course shines a spotlight on the subtleties of food labeling and handling, ensuring that consumer health is protected and legal standards are met with precision. The course is tailored to the unique challenges faced by supermarket workers, deli staff, and bakery employees, arming them with the knowledge to maintain safety and compliance in their interactions with customers.

Keeping up-to-date with UK food training requirements

The culinary world is ever-evolving, and so are the food safety laws and regulations that govern it. The Level 2 Food Hygiene Course is carefully designed to keep pace with the latest UK food training requirements, ensuring that every learner’s knowledge is current and compliant with stringent food safety standards.

With content that is regularly refreshed to mirror updates from government entities, this course proves to be as dynamic as the food industry itself, always offering the most up-to-date information and practices.

The course content is enriched with contributions from experienced Environmental Health Officers (EHOs), ensuring that it adheres to the most current environmental health standards and regulations. These professionals review and approve the course, adding layers of credibility and assurance that the training not only meets but exceeds expectations for those in the food handling arena.

An essential feature of the Level 2 Food Hygiene Course is its focus on the legal responsibilities that food handlers bear. The course underscores the importance of food safety management systems in food environment and educates learners on the food laws and HACCP principles that must be adhered to in the food industry. This knowledge is the foundation upon which safe food handling practices are built, ensuring that learners are not only trained but also legally equipped to manage food safety risks.

Maximising the benefits for food handlers

For food handlers, the Level 2 Food Hygiene Course is a rich source of knowledge, offering comprehensive course materials and ongoing support that enhance their expertise in food safety practices and regulations. Even for those in roles where a formal certificate isn’t a legal requirement, the skills and knowledge obtained through the course are invaluable, fostering a culture of safety and excellence in food handling and catering industry.

Learners are provided with a wide array of interactive modules, tests, and detailed course notes, all designed to support retention and comprehension of the material. These resources are the kitchen tools in the food handler’s arsenal, enabling them to navigate food safety challenges with confidence and skill.

Upon successful completion, they are awarded a CPD certificate, a testament to their commitment to continuing professional development in the field of food hygiene.

The journey to mastering food safety doesn’t end with course completion. Ongoing support and advice are offered through a dedicated team, discussion boards, and additional learning aids such as FAQs and glossaries.

This post-course support acts as a mentor for food handlers, guiding them long after they have received their certification and ensuring they remain at the forefront of food safety practices.