Food handling course for hospitality and food professionals

This food handling course is designed for professionals whose work brings them into direct or indirect contact with food at any stage, from preparation through to serving it to the end consumer. The training is essential for complying with Spain's RD 202/2000 (Royal Decree), as amended by RD 109/2010, which makes food handling and food safety training compulsory.

During the course, you will learn the basic principles of food safety, together with the hygiene rules and practices needed to prevent risks from food consumption. Topics include temperature control, staff hygiene, water treatment and product traceability.

The course is aimed at workers and professionals in hospitality, catering, retail, care homes, transport and distribution, and other sectors where food handling is essential. The content is adapted to different sectors to provide specific, practical training for each workplace.

The course is taught online and lasts 20 hours in total, so you can combine it with your job. It costs 50 euros, making it an affordable way to comply with current regulations and to start or continue working in food-related roles.

The main aim of this food handling course is to enable learners to protect the safety and health of the end consumer by correctly applying hygiene and health regulations in their workplace. By the end, learners will be able to:

• Understand and apply current food handling regulations according to their sector of activity.
• Identify what can cause food to spoil and how to prevent it.
• Follow good personal hygiene practices and wear suitable clothing when working with food.
• Manage food storage, preservation and transport correctly through temperature control and other procedures.
• Interpret and apply labelling, packaging and traceability protocols to guarantee food safety.
• Recognise and prevent foodborne illnesses.
• Implement the HACCP system (APPCC in Spanish: Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) to minimise risks.
• Check the quality and safety of suppliers and raw materials in the food chain.

Module 1. Causes of food spoilage

Identifying the factors that can cause food to deteriorate and their impact on its safety and quality.

Module 2. Personal hygiene and work clothing

Practices and rules for maintaining proper hygiene among food handlers, including clothing and behaviour.

Module 3. Hygiene and health requirements

The hygiene and health conditions that premises and utensils used for food handling must meet.

Module 4. Managing storerooms, freezers and cold rooms

How to organise and maintain storage areas to preserve the quality and safety of stored food.

Module 5. Temperature control

Techniques and procedures for preserving food correctly by continuously monitoring temperatures.

Module 6. Food labelling and packaging

Principles and regulations for correct labelling, and packaging techniques that ensure traceability and avoid risks.

Module 7. Foodborne illnesses

Identifying and preventing illnesses caused by contaminated food.

Module 8. Water treatment

The importance of water in food safety and methods for treating and using it correctly in food handling.

Module 9. Supplier control

Evaluating and monitoring suppliers to ensure the quality and safety of raw materials.

Module 10. Traceability

Concepts and systems for tracking food products along the entire chain.

Module 11. Legislation: Regulation (EC) 852/2004 and others

A study of the core legislation governing hygiene in food production and marketing.

Module 12. HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points)

Implementing and managing the system that identifies and controls critical food safety points.

Module 13. Food preservation methods

Different techniques for extending shelf life and guaranteeing food safety.

Module 14. Classification, preparation and preservation of food

Classification by type, and suitable preparation and preservation methods to maintain food safety and quality.

Sector-specific programme

Training adapted to the specific needs of hospitality and catering, retail, butcher's shops, fishmongers, bakery and patisserie, ready meals and food handling in high-risk environments.

With food handling training, professionals will be qualified to work in different areas of the food sector in compliance with food safety regulations. This course is a legal requirement for many jobs in food and hospitality.

• Cook and kitchen assistant
• Waiter/waitress
• Shop assistant and shelf stacker in food shops
• Cashier in food shops
• Butcher's and fishmonger's staff
• Food transport and delivery driver
• School canteen educators and supervisors

Sectors and companies

• Hospitality and catering
• Food retail
• Care homes for older people
• Food transport and distribution
• Warehouses and frozen food
• Food processing industry
• Nurseries and school canteens