Level 2 Food Safety Online Course

Description

What the law actually says, before you buy anything

This is worth knowing, because a great deal of food hygiene marketing implies otherwise. The law does not require a Level 2 food safety certificate. It does not name any qualification at all.

What it requires, under Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Annex II, Chapter XII, is that food handlers are “supervised and instructed and/or trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their work activity”. Separately, anyone developing or maintaining HACCP procedures must have had adequate training in applying them.

So why does everyone buy Level 2? Because it is the recognised way of demonstrating you have met that duty. Environmental health officers know it, your food hygiene rating inspection will ask how staff are trained, and clients and insurers ask for it. A certificate is evidence, and evidence is what you need when someone asks. We set the whole question out in do I need a Level 2 food hygiene certificate?

Who needs Level 2 rather than Level 1

	Level 1	Level 2
For	Low-risk handling: wrapped food, front of house, waiting on, shelf stacking, cleaning in food areas	Handling open and high-risk food: cooking, preparing, chilling, serving unwrapped food
Depth	Awareness of the basics	Bacteria, temperature control, cross-contamination, cleaning, personal hygiene and the reasoning behind each
Usually expected by	Some employers for support roles	Environmental health, clients, insurers and most catering employers

If in doubt, Level 2 is the one to take. It is the assumed baseline across catering, and the gap in price between the two is small.

What the course covers

• Why food safety matters, and what food poisoning actually does
• Bacteria and the other hazards: microbiological, chemical, physical and allergenic
• Temperature control, including the legal 8°C maximum in England and safe cooking temperatures
• Cross-contamination and how to prevent it
• Personal hygiene, fitness to work and reporting illness
• Cleaning, disinfection and pest control
• How HACCP-based procedures work and what your part in them is
• Food allergens and the information you must be able to give

Two of those are worth flagging because they are where businesses get caught out. Allergen information is a legal duty in its own right, not a nice-to-have. And every food business must have permanent procedures based on HACCP principles, which we explain in what is HACCP.

Is an online certificate good enough?

For food hygiene, yes. This is a knowledge-based subject and there is no practical skill that has to be observed, which is the opposite of first aid, where the law and the guidance both expect direct observation of practical competence.

Two caveats worth being straight about. First, online training only satisfies the “instructed and/or trained” duty if people actually do it, so track completion rather than assuming. Second, the duty also mentions supervision, and a certificate does not supervise anyone. Training is part of the answer, not all of it.

When the classroom course is the better buy

Online suits individuals, high staff turnover, and businesses who need people certificated quickly without losing shifts.

The classroom open course or an on-site group course is usually the better buy when you have a team to train at once, when you want the examples to come from your own kitchen, or when you want an assessor to see your staff engage with it. If you have a supervisor or manager who owns your food safety management system, look at Level 3 instead.

Frequently asked questions

Is a Level 2 food hygiene certificate a legal requirement?

No. The law requires food handlers to be supervised, instructed and trained in food hygiene commensurate with their work, and names no qualification. Level 2 is the recognised way of evidencing that, which is why almost everyone expects it.

How long does a food hygiene certificate last?

There is no statutory expiry. Refreshing every three years is the widely followed convention and is what most inspectors and clients expect to see.

Do I need Level 1 before Level 2?

No. There are no entry requirements for Level 2 and most people go straight to it.

Will an online certificate be accepted by environmental health?

Food hygiene is a knowledge subject with no practical assessment, so an online route is normally accepted. What an inspector is really assessing is whether your staff know what they are doing and whether your procedures work, so treat the certificate as evidence rather than as the answer.

How long does the course take?

It is self-paced, so it depends on you. You can stop and come back to it. Most people complete it across a small number of sittings rather than in one go.

Does it cover allergens?

Yes. Allergens are covered as one of the four hazard types and as an information duty in their own right. If allergen handling is central to your business, read our guide to the 14 allergens as well.

What is the difference between Level 2 and Level 3?

Level 2 is for people who handle food. Level 3 is for supervisors and managers who are responsible for the food safety management system, and it goes into HACCP, monitoring and supervising others in much more depth.

Can I buy several places for my staff?

Yes. If you are training more than a handful of people, ask us before you buy, because an on-site group course is often cheaper and lets us use your own kitchen as the example.

Not sure whether your team needs Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3? Call 0845 838 4643 or use the enquiry form and describe what your people actually do with food.