British Safety Council has introduced new food safety qualifications for food manufacturers, caterers and retailers to ensure that they maintain food standards.
The new regulated food safety qualifications are brought into effect to ensure that workers, managers and supervisors in the manufacturing, catering and retailing businesses learn to ensure food safety levels.
The Council has introduced awards for the deliverance of these qualifications. The Council's Level 2 Awards in Food Safety which is applicable for staff in manufacturing, catering and retail industries is effectuated to ensure that they take responsibility for food safety and keep the workplace clean, hygienic, in turn keeping their customers away from illnesses linked to food that they purchase and consume.
For the food manufacture sector, the Level 2 rules state that all manufacturing businesses must train their employees in matters concerning food hygiene in order to protect the health of their customers. The British Safety Council provides the required material for food handlers in the manufacturing businesses which produce either low or high-risk food. The qualification aids personnel to improve their knowledge on correct procedures to maintain hygienic work atmosphere, maintenance of personal hygiene and identification and control of common food safety risks.
The Level 3 Awards in Food Safety relate to the managerial and supervisory positions in the three industries. The managers are expected to have a sound understanding of good food safety and hygiene practices and oversee their implementation in compliance with the food safety law.
For food manufacturing businesses, the Council's Level 3 rules state that all of them are legally responsible for food hygiene issues. Suitable for supervisors, team leaders, managers, the Level 3 requires these personnel to have proper foundation in subjects concerning staff training, compliance of food safety law and procedures to supervise good hygiene practices.
The Council has laid down six qualifications that are to be adhered to by large as well as small companies in the manufacturing, catering and retails sectors, along with schools, colleges, independent training providers, prisons. The Council has provided learning material for the strict compliance of these standards.
While the Level 2 qualifications are required to be delivered in one day, Level 3 requires to be completed in three days time. A multiple choice examination will assess the knowledge and understanding of the learner.
The British Safety Council products and services director Marianne Phillips said: "With an estimated one million cases of food poisoning in the UK in 2014, according to the Food Standards Agency, 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."
