According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), there are 2.4 million cases of foodborne illnesses every year in the UK. This figure includes as many as 380,000 annual cases of norovirus linked to food consumption.
Eating out and takeaways cause 63 per cent of these norovirus foodborne transmissions. This shows how important it is for those working in food preparation to learn how to reduce the risk of contamination. That said, there are some considerations to bear in mind when selecting food hygiene training, especially those within the Hospitality sector.
Are you interested in earning a food hygiene certificate? Whether you require Level 1, Level 2 or even Food Hygiene Level 3, keep reading to find out some great reasons to take a food hygiene course.
The benefits of taking a Food Hygiene Course
Obtaining your food hygiene certificate via i2Comply is easy and very worthwhile. Here are some of the many advantages of taking a food hygiene course:
1. Reduction in Health Risks
Many businesses that supply food suffer due to negligence in food handling. This can lead to health risks for employees and customers alike.
Food hygiene courses highlight the potential dangers of incorrect food storage and preparation. These include cross-contamination, poor personal hygiene, and undercooking. More information can be found in our article Why is food-hygiene training important. By teaching the proper methods to follow, food hygiene training can reduce cases of sickness due to common food handling mistakes.
2. Less Food Waste
Food hygiene courses also explain how to organise, store, and handle food. This ensures that it remains in a quality state for as long as possible. By cutting the chance of food becoming contaminated, proper training helps reduce waste and saves the business time and money.
3. Greater Workplace Efficiency
Food hygiene and safety training ensures employees feel confident and competent when completing tasks. This makes for a more efficient and positive working environment. And, with everyone on the same page when it comes to food hygiene, there’ll be less chance of confusion or errors, and a higher standard of service.
4. Food Safety Legislation Compliance
Businesses that supply food or drinks must follow food safety and hygiene legislations. These include the 1990 Food Safety Act, the Food Hygiene Regulations set in 2006, and Natasha’s Law.
Food hygiene courses, such as those offered by us, base content on the guidelines set out in these regulations. This ensures that all employees are aware of the law and best practices.
All i2Comply food hygiene qualifications are assured by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). This means you can use our professional certificates to provide evidence of compliance.
5. Convenient Learning Possibilities
As well as the positive outcomes listed above, there are many specific benefits to taking a food hygiene course online.
E-learning allows employees to study when and where it suits them. Completing a course at their own pace often means that learners can assimilate the content better. This makes the information easier to apply in a practical setting.
Choosing a Food Hygiene Course
It is important to remember that not all courses provide the same benefits.
In-person courses, for example, are often less convenient and more expensive than the e-learning courses we offer here at i2Comply. The printed materials and videos that classroom courses use might not be as up-to-date as the quality online content of our certified courses.
Here are some things to consider when you choose a food hygiene course:
1. Time-Consuming Courses
Few food hygiene training courses are as succinct yet thorough as i2Comply online courses. Choose the wrong training body, and you and your employees could be stuck in food hygiene classes for hours on end. Not only does this mean spending a lot more time on both training and travel, but you’ll also find that long courses are less dynamic and more challenging to follow.
2. Training Costs
If you have a lot of employees to train or a high or seasonal staff turnover, the cost of even the most affordable courses can soon mount up. Here at i2Comply, not only are our courses affordable, but we also offer annual licences to help save you money on food hygiene training. Since most training bodies don’t offer this possibility, the financial burden of food hygiene training can be too much for many businesses.
3. Knowledge Complacency
Your i2Comply food hygiene certificate doesn’t have an expiry date. But we recommend resitting the training course after two years. This avoids the knowledge complacency that having outdated professional certificates can cause while also ensuring continuing food safety best practices.
4. Insufficient Certification
You might think that it’s never a bad thing to learn more about food hygiene and preventing contamination. But, without RoSPA assurance, you can’t guarantee that the course content is correct and up-to-date.
All i2Comply food hygiene courses are RoSPA-assured and CPD (Continuing Professional Development)-certified. Choose a different course supplier, though, and you might find that the food hygiene certificate you receive at the end doesn’t meet the standards of these regulatory bodies.
Reserve Your Food Hygiene Course Today
As this quick guide shows, there are lots of great reasons to earn a food hygiene certificate. And of course it’s important to select the right course supplier.
Luckily, you can never go wrong when choosing i2Comply food hygiene courses. We’re one of the UK’s top suppliers of online food hygiene training courses. We ‘have accumulated years of experience helping businesses gain the food hygiene certificates they need to comply with all legal and safety requirements.
For more information on our courses, annual licences, and more, contact us at i2Comply today.
