Food safety course for food handlers

The food safety course for food handlers is essential training for anyone working at any point in the food chain, from preparation through to customer service. It certifies the knowledge you need to handle food hygienically and safely, preventing contamination risks and ensuring compliance with current regulations.

On the course you will learn the fundamentals of safe food handling: what causes food to spoil, correct personal hygiene and workwear practices, temperature control, and proper labelling and packaging. You will also look closely at preventing foodborne illness and managing suppliers, as well as implementing the HACCP system (known in Spain as APPCC) to ensure traceability and control at every stage of the food chain.

The course also gives specific attention to food allergen management, including identification, diagnosis, treatment and mandatory labelling, so you can protect consumers with allergies and intolerances in line with Spanish and European legislation. Prevention and the application of hygiene measures across different food sectors are at the heart of the syllabus.

This online course runs for a total of 30 hours at an affordable price and is designed to make distance learning easy – ideal for hospitality and food industry professionals who want to meet legal requirements and improve safety in their workplace.

The course prepares you to put hygiene and health measures in place at every stage, from production to storage and transport, minimising the risk of illness caused by unsafe food. It also raises awareness of the risks linked to food allergies and intolerances, an obligation for every hospitality and food business.

This course gives you precise, practical skills to ensure food is handled correctly and safely in professional settings. On completion, you will be able to:

• Understand and apply food hygiene measures at every stage of the production and service chain.
• Identify the causes of food spoilage and contamination and the methods to prevent them.
• Properly control temperatures and storage conditions to preserve food quality.
• Carry out labelling and packaging correctly in line with current regulations.
• Manage traceability and assess suppliers against hygiene and health criteria.
• Understand and apply food legislation and the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system.
• Detect allergens and apply prevention protocols to avoid risks for people with food allergies or intolerances.
• Apply specific preventive measures in different food sectors to guarantee consumer safety.

Module 1. Food handling

1.1 Causes of food spoilage

Learn which factors cause food to spoil and deteriorate so you can prevent them effectively.

1.2 Personal hygiene and workwear

Study the right personal hygiene and clothing practices to avoid cross-contamination when handling food.

1.3 Hygiene and health requirements

Get to know the basic mandatory rules for ensuring a hygienic environment when handling and storing food.

1.4 The storeroom. Freezers and cold rooms

Explore how to manage and organise storerooms properly, including the use of freezers and cold rooms to preserve food.

1.5 Temperature control

Learn to monitor and record the right temperatures for storing and transporting food safely.

1.6 Food labelling and packaging

Discover what product labels must include and the correct packaging techniques for food safety.

1.7 Foodborne illnesses

Identify the illnesses caused by contaminated food and how they relate to poor handling practices.

1.8 Water treatment

Study why proper treatment of the water used in food production and handling matters.

1.9 Supplier control

Learn the criteria for selecting and monitoring suppliers so that food safety is guaranteed.

1.10 Traceability

Get to know the systems used to record and guarantee product traceability from origin to the end consumer.

1.11 Food legislation

Review the current legislation governing safety and quality in food production and supply.

1.12 HACCP (APPCC)

Learn Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points as a method for managing food risks.

1.13 Food preservation methods

Explore the most effective techniques for preserving food and extending its shelf life while keeping it safe.

1.14 Classifying, preparing and preserving food

Understand how to classify and handle food according to its characteristics to ensure quality and safety.

Module 2. Food allergens

2.1 Description, causes and symptoms

Find out what allergens are, what causes reactions and the symptoms they trigger in people with allergies or intolerances.

2.2 Diagnosis and treatment. Hygiene in contact with food and allergens

Learn about diagnosis and treatment, and how to implement hygiene practices to handle allergens safely.

2.3 Product labelling

Get to know the legal and practical requirements for correctly labelling products that contain allergens.

2.4 Prevention. Application in different food sectors

Discover how to apply preventive measures to avoid allergen contamination in different areas of the food sector.

2.5 Food allergies and intolerances

Learn the differences between allergies and intolerances, their effects and how to manage them in a professional setting.

2.6 Frequently asked questions about food allergies

Clear up common questions about food allergies so you are better prepared for this challenge.

2.7 Regulations

Study the legislation on allergies and intolerances that applies to the food industry and the restaurant sector.

Food safety training is aimed at people working in hospitality, restaurants, the food industry or any activity involving the production, storage and sale of food. This course prepares you for roles where guaranteeing hygiene control and food safety is essential.

• Food handler in hospitality and restaurants.
• Quality control officer in food companies.
• Storeroom or cold-storage supervisor.
• Food safety and traceability technician.
• Staff in food production, processing and packaging.
• Hygiene and safety managers in catering and institutional food services.

Sectors and companies

• Hospitality and restaurants.
• Agri-food industry.
• Food retail and distribution.
• Catering and institutional food services.
• Food transport and logistics companies.