New food safety qualifications launched

The BSC launched the qualifications after recent figures estimated there were more than 1m cases of food poisoning in the UK annually.

Workers, supervisors and managers in the foodservice, food retail and food manufacturing sectors who take on the new qualifications will learn how they can ensure excellent food safety standards, it claimed.

Marianne Phillips, the BSC’s products and services director, said: “With an estimated 1m cases of food poisoning in the UK annually, it is crucial that anyone producing, handling or selling food for consumption by the public understands how to maintain excellent hygiene standards to protect consumers’ health and ensure their business complies with food safety law.”

The qualifications include: ​

• Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering
• Level 2 Awards in Food Safety for Manufacturing
• Level 2 Award in Food Safety for Retail
• Level 3 Award in Supervising Food Safety in Catering
• Level 3 Award in Food Safety Supervision for Manufacturing
• Level 3 Award in Food Safety Supervision for Retail

The level two awards enable staff to work in places such as restaurants, bars, takeaways, shops, food preparation and manufacturing sites.

It helps them learn how to take responsibility for food safety and how to keep the workplace clean and hygienic, in order that customers do not become ill from the food they buy and consume, the BSC said.

The level three provides supervisors and managers in the same types of businesses with an essential understanding of to implement and monitor good food safety and hygiene practices and ensure the business complies with food safety law.