Training in food hygiene is not just a regulatory requirement but a critical element in ensuring the safety and well-being of consumers.
Proper training helps prevent foodborne illnesses, promotes best practices in food handling, and ensures compliance with local and national food safety regulations.
Moreover, understanding and adhering to the guidelines set forth by Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) can help businesses achieve high food hygiene ratings, which are crucial for their reputation and success.
Here we share some insights from an expert, Natalie Stanton, Environmental Health Officer, and how she has created her very own Level 2 Food Hygiene course to help food businesses with their food safety.
Can you share your professional background and experience as an Environmental Health Officer (EHO)?
“I studied the MSc in Environmental Health at The University of Birmingham. I then undertook a 12-month work placement at Chelmsford City Council.
After completing a portfolio demonstrating my practical work experience (gained during the 12-month work placement), a professional interview, and an examination, I qualified as an Environmental Health Officer.
Since then, I’ve worked for 5 local authorities, including 2 London Boroughs. I’ve also worked in the private sector as a Food Safety Advisor to ExCeL London and as an auditor and in-house trainer for a number of private clients."
What inspired you to create your own Level 2 Food Hygiene course?
"As an EHO, my priority is that people actually know how to work safely. This means they actually need to learn from training rather than it be a tick-box exercise to get a certificate.
From years of teaching food hygiene training face-to-face, I’m fully aware of the benefits.
The key one being it’s more engaging, especially if the course is delivered by an expert.
Someone like an Environmental Health Officer (EHO) or food safety professional, who can share stories and examples to make it more memorable. Stories stick. Facts and figures don’t!"
How did you determine the curriculum for the course? Were there any specific guidelines or standards you followed?
"I was aware of the syllabuses covered by other respectable online training providers. I also used my experience as an Environmental Health Officer to ensure the course covered the things that someone needs to know to prepare food safely.
For added credibility, I had Peterborough City Council independently review the course and they issued what’s known as ‘assured advice’ against it. They confirmed that the online educational tools provided by the Safety Expert Training Ltd meet the expectation of Level 2 in Food Hygiene training."
The Level 2 Food Hygiene course covers essential topics, including:
- Food Safety Overview
- Food Safety Hazards
- Refrigeration, Cooling, and Cold-holding of Foods
- Cooking, Reheating, and Hot-holding of Foods
- Safe Food Storage
- Food Safety Management
- Food Handlers and Personal Hygiene
- Cleaning and Disinfection
- Food Premises and Equipment
- The Law in Relation to Food Safety
What sets your course apart from other food hygiene training programs available in the market?
“The main unique selling point is that the course is created and delivered by myself as an Environmental Health Officer. With food safety, you want to get it right the first time, so it makes sense to learn from an Environmental Health Officer.
The benefit is that food handlers will have the opportunity to learn how EHOs think, what they look for during a food hygiene inspection, and feel more engaged being taught by an expert."
Accessibility and engagement
The course can be accessed on all many devices including mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and computers with subtitles provided.
As the course covers the basics of food safety, it is suitable for all ranges including someone with no previous experience of working with food.
The course videos can also be watched as many times as the learner needs, along with unlimited free retakes in case a learner does not pass the exam for the first time.
Natalie is also planning to create more food safety-related courses in the future, including allergen awareness and Level 3 Food Safety & Hygiene for Catering.
“As an Environmental Health Officer (EHO) and educator, seeing food businesses succeed and achieve high food hygiene ratings is incredibly rewarding. The joy of receiving positive feedback from clients who have achieved a 5-star Food Hygiene Rating fuels the passion for making food safety as simple and interesting as possible. This dedication to helping businesses navigate the complexities of food safety regulations and practices ensures that they not only comply with standards but also thrive in their operations.”
Food safety training is an essential resource for food handlers across the food industry, the Level 2 Food Hygiene course takes around 2-3 hours to complete and has been designed to meet the requirements of all environments that need food safety, from restaurants to home caterers, costing from £19.80.
For more information and to sign up for the Level 2 Food Hygiene course, you can visit this link.
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