HACCP training in Ireland: who needs it and which level

What the law asks for

• The person responsible for your HACCP system (usually the owner, manager or head chef) must have adequate training in applying the HACCP principles.
• Every food handler must be supervised, and instructed and/or trained in food hygiene to suit the work they do.
• This comes from Annex II, Chapter XII of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004.
• The FSAI says you do not necessarily have to attend a training course. Training can be developed in-house, given by an external trainer, or done online.

Who needs which level

Most Irish courses are named after the three levels in the FSAI’s Guides to Food Safety Training.

• Level 1 (Induction Skills): every new member of staff, within the first month. Handwashing, illness, cross-contamination, temperatures and allergens.
• Level 2 (Additional Skills): staff after 3 to 12 months, especially anyone cooking, cooling or receiving deliveries.
• Level 3 (Food Safety Skills for Management): managers, supervisors and whoever runs the HACCP system. This is where hazard analysis, critical control points, monitoring and corrective action are covered.

Online, classroom or in-house?

• In-house: a trained manager shows staff your own checks on your own equipment. The FSAI’s “Food Safety and You” induction programme is designed to be delivered this way.
• Online: the FSAI Learning Portal has eLearning modules. Commercial online courses are quick for Level 1 and Level 2.
• Classroom or on-site: useful for Level 3 and for a whole team at once, because staff can ask questions about your own kitchen.

Whichever you choose, the FSAI stresses that management support and follow-up matter. A certificate on the wall doesn’t help if staff don’t do the checks.

Choosing a trainer

• Ask which FSAI level the course covers, and whether it covers Irish law and the 14 allergens.
• Check the course covers the FSAI Safe Catering pack if that is what your kitchen uses.
• Ask for a certificate that shows the person’s name, course, level, date and provider. Keep a copy.
• For Level 3, ask whether the trainer will look at your own HACCP plan.

Proving it at an inspection

An inspector may ask how staff were trained and may ask staff to explain what they do. Keep a training record for each person: what they were shown, by whom, when, and copies of any certificates. The FSAI’s SC6 Hygiene Training Record is the usual form. Use our free staff training record, or keep the checks themselves on your phone with Hygivo, where every record shows who did it and when.

See the FSAI’s training and online learning page. Hygivo does not provide training courses. This is general information, not advice for your business. Your food safety management system (HACCP plan) and FSAI guidance are the reference. Hygivo is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FSAI.