Training is an integral part of a good business and makes sound business sense.
Food law requires that food handlers must receive appropriate supervision, and be instructed and/or trained in food hygiene, to enable them to handle food safely. Also, those responsible for developing and maintaining the business's food safety procedures, based on HACCP principles, must have received adequate training. The operator of the food business is responsible for ensuring this happens.
The requirements for training are linked to the nature and size of the business, but basically each food handler should have food safety skills that are appropriate for their particular job. Training can therefore range from foundation level skills for someone who has very little involvement with food safety risks (for example a waiter or vegetable prepper) to advanced qualifications for higher risk food business operators (for example, a chef in a large restaurant or a hospital kitchen supervisor).
There is however, no legal requirement to attend a formal training course or obtain a qualification. The necessary skills may be obtained in other ways, such as supervision, on-the-job training, self-study or relevant prior experience.
The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) is the pre-eminent awarding body for workplace qualifications including various food safety topics and there are several local providers of their nationally recognised training courses - http://www.cieh-coursefinder.com|.
CIEH courses provide various levels of training ranging from basic level (Foundation Courses) to courses that are designed for managers and supervisors (Intermediate and Advanced Courses).
Trainers are registered with the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health. They are experienced trainers – often Environmental Health Officers and specialist Technical Officers - who are aware of the needs of the businesses and individuals.