College to educate businesses on the importance of food safety certificates

Small and medium businesses that handle food and serve meals are being encouraged to gain their food safety and hygiene certificates at Bournemouth & Poole College.

The college is welcoming companies to enrol on the courses available to gain an industry-standard qualification which shows that they have been trained to handle and prepare food safely. Accredited by the Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH), the courses are aimed at those starting work in the food industry, managers and staff, or those wanting to gain a good understanding of food safety in their business.

Christophe Baffos, Director of Service Industries from Bournemouth & Poole College, explained: “Across Dorset there are a huge number of restaurants, takeaways, food outlets and catering businesses, and we are keen to support them by ensuring they have the correct accreditation to sell and serve food to the public. Our courses are also relevant to businesses that handle food such as care homes, charities, and the education sector. We also work with cosmetic manufacturers who want to ensure their staff understand good hygiene rules. 

“There have been a number of high-profile cases in the media in relation to displaying allergy information demonstrating that  some businesses may be unsure on whether they are meeting government regulations, which is essential for the safety of their customers.”

Subjects covered during the one-day level one food safety and hygiene courses include temperature control, safe storage of food, food handling, food safety hazards, cleaning and personal hygiene. 

The College also offers level 2 courses in Food Safety and Hygiene and Identifying and Controlling Food Allergy Risk and a level 3 award in Supervising Food Safety in Catering. These cover a range of subjects including legislation, food premises and equipment, food allergies/ intolenrances and communicating allergen information to customers. 

Prior to taking the courses, a Food Safety Consultation can be offered to businesses allowing them to identify areas that need improvement. The College gives companies tailored and bespoke guidance, giving them a full understanding of their own food hygiene policies which an online food safety course does not provide. 

For more information on the courses available, go to thecollege.co.uk or if you would like to speak to a member of the team, please call 01202 205205.