Food hygiene certificate and qualifications – keep us safe.

Food hygiene certificate and qualifications provide controls which do more than just provide rules to work with in a kitchen or production line. They have a whole host of broader benefits for the food that we eat and the society we live in.

Food Hygiene Certificate

Food Hygiene Certificate

The most common food hygiene certificate obtain in the UK is the Level 2 Food Hygiene. Food business and operators require their staff to complete the level 2 food hygiene certificate course in alignment with Food Standards agency statuary guidelines. See our Level 2 Food Hygiene certificate course here.

They Keep you Healthy

A Food Hygiene Certificate help to protect consumers from getting ill. Did you know that dairy herds with tuberculosis or brucellosis are not allowed to supply unpasteurised (raw) milk? This is one of many food safety laws which try to prevent bacterial pathogens from entering the food supply. Many bacteria found in unprocessed foods such as unwashed vegetables or raw chicken can make you ill. Food safety and hygiene standards help to make sure that these bacteria are not allowed to multiply and thrive in the food that you eat. #food-safety

cows, curious, cattle

Animal Welfare Standards

A side effect of food hygiene certificate system and food safety and hygiene laws are improved animal welfare standards. Learn more about animal welfare in Food production. Animals kept in clean and healthy conditions are much less likely to pose health issues for the food supply chain. This means that there are all sorts of regulations around how much space animals need to be given, how they should be fed, and how they need to be cared for.

Farmer

Environmental Standards

The use of pesticides is strictly controlled by the Food Standards Agency and Defra. This is because their purpose is to inhibit, damage or kill a live organism and so care must be taken to ensure that they will not cause harm to consumers.

Food safety and hygiene rules dictate Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) that are acceptable on food. These MRLs are always be protective of health and so they are normally well below a level that would cause concern. #level-2-food-hygiene

The regulations also are intended to protect the environment and non-target organisms such as birds, mammals, fish and pollinating insects. Pesticides must be used in accordance with the regulations to ensure that they don’t cause damage to the wider environment and ecosystems. #food-hygiene

Know what you are eating

One of the great things about the variety of food available in our supermarkets, cafes and restaurants is that we get to choose what we eat. If you have a dietary restriction, allergy, or even just a preference, the food laws surrounding labelling give you confidence that you are only eating what you expected. If you have a food allergy, this is particularly important to know because eating the wrong thing could be fatal. It is food law which mandates the labelling of the 14 most common allergens, and also provides dietary and safety information like best before dates and calorific content.

Food manufacturers and caterers are also required to keep information about where food has come from, and where is is going so that if there is a safety concern food can be recalled from sale or customers informed.

Food Safety and Hygiene Rating on a door

Generates Confidence and Trust

When you see a food hygiene certificate or food hygiene rating displayed at a restaurant, you know that they have been inspected and met certain standards. Staff serving food would have been trained to Level 2 Food Hygiene course standard If it is a 5-star rating, you probably feel confident that the quality and safety of the food is good and you might decide to eat there even before you have checked out the menu. This is because can trust the standards of food safety and hygiene, based on trust of the whole system of legislation, guidance and inspections.

So, as you can see safety and hygiene laws are not just there to add to bureaucracy and confusion. They make a difference to our health every day by protecting us from the things that might cause us harm. If you would like to learn more about how to produce food that is safe to eat, why not try one of iQualifi’s online Food Safety and Hygiene courses for caterers or manufacturers. E-mail us on hello@iqualifi.co.uk or call us on 0800 8611896 [See our contact page for further details.

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