Courses

• Personal hygiene requirements for food handlers: handwashing, clothing, illness reporting, and conduct in food areas.
• Premises and equipment hygiene: cleaning and simple disinfection routines, zoning awareness, basic cleaning schedules.
• Pest awareness and basic measures to support pest prevention and reporting (under specialist control providers).
• Temperature control and storage practices for chilled, frozen, and ambient foods at vocational level.
• Introduction to prerequisite programmes as a foundation for food safety control (e.g. cleaning, maintenance awareness, supplier control, simple waste management).
• Documentation and records supporting hygiene and prerequisite activities.

• Overview of GMP principles in processing, manufacturing, and catering environments.
• Layout and workflow considerations to reduce cross-contamination at a conceptual level.
• Managing raw materials, ingredients, and packaging: reception checks, basic traceability awareness, labelling checks.
• Process control awareness: simple process steps, time/temperature monitoring, visual checks, and basic in-process quality checks.
• Supporting equipment care and simple maintenance reporting to technical staff.
• Handling non-conforming product: identification, isolation, and escalation as per internal procedures.

• Introduction to HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) at an introductory awareness level:
• Purpose and basic principles (conceptual only).
• The idea of critical control points (CCPs) and critical limits (non-design level).
• Monitoring, corrective action, and verification concepts.
• Understanding the difference between food safety and food quality, and how both support consumer satisfaction.

Simple quality control tools and techniques at vocational level:

• Visual inspection.
• Basic checks on packaging, coding, appearance, and sensory attributes (conceptual).
• Use of simple checklists and forms.
• Supporting the implementation of monitoring activities defined by the organisation’s HACCP and quality plans, under supervision.

• Importance of documentation and record-keeping in food safety and quality control: traceability, verification, and due diligence.
• Working with standard operating procedures (SOPs), work instructions, logs, and forms.
• Conducting or supporting simple internal checks and walk-through inspections using checklists.
• Awareness of internal and external audits: purpose, basic process, and how staff can prepare and respond professionally.
• High-level awareness that countries and regions have food laws, regulations, and standards (non-jurisdictional; no legal interpretation).
• Understanding the limits of the practitioner’s role and the importance of liaising with qualified food safety, quality, and regulatory specialists.

• The concept of food safety culture: shared values, behaviours, and attitudes that protect the consumer.
• Ethical considerations: honesty in reporting, avoiding shortcuts, and prioritising consumer safety over convenience or cost.
• Encouraging prompt reporting of issues, near misses, and concerns without fear of blame.
• Using feedback (complaints, non-conformities, inspection findings) to support continuous improvement.
• Professional practice: teamwork, communication with colleagues and supervisors, and respect for roles and responsibilities.
• Planning personal development in food safety and quality, including potential progression to higher-level qualifications or specialised training.