The importance of food hygiene training

Basic Food Hygiene Training is an incredibly important part of working within the hospitality and food services industry. Many employers will not employ staff members if they don't have some training or knowledge about workplace hygiene procedures.

Food Hygiene is part common sense and part knowledge about different environments food should be stored in. Keeping things clean and making sure that hot foods stay hot and cold foods are kept cold. If you're working with food in your everyday job requirements, it's an important responsibility that you have to handle food correctly.

What responsibilities do you hold as a food handler?

As a staff member who handles food or works with a surface that comes into contact with food, you could be required to undergo a Food Hygiene Training Course. Handling food safely is a key role in the everyday work commitments of a food handler.

Without the proper food handling experience you may inadvertently cause food poisoning in your customers. Food poisoning is usually associated with vomiting, stomach pains and diarrhoea, however, in extreme cases or in cases with the elderly and young children, food poisoning can cause serious illness and even death. The other aspect of customers contracting food poisoning is it can be very costly to your employer through some of the following possibilities:-

1. Bad publicity and the loss of their reputation

2. Legal action taken by the customer(s)

3. Death of a customer in severe cases

4. Closure of the premises by the Health Authorities

5. Loss of jobs for staff members

As you can see the importance of proper food handling techniques isn’t just your employer’s responsibility, but yours as well. Food hygiene isn't only keeping things clean; it's about taking the appropriate steps to ensure that the food you handle is safe to serve and for your customers to eat. Making sure you follow the proper food hygiene procedures will make certain you have safe and happy customers, a clean and healthy workplace and you meet your legal requirements.

Food contamination
A food hazard is food contamination. This is when something makes its way into the food you're preparing or handling that shouldn't be there. These foreign items can be harmful once they make their way into the food. The three main types of contamination are:-

1. Physical Hazard - Things in the food that aren't meant to be there

2. Chemical Hazard - The food has been contaminated by pesticides or chemicals

3. Microbiological Hazards - Bacteria, mould, yeast or fungi

Food spoilage
Food spoilage is when food has gone off. Things like sour milk, mouldy bread or vegetables that have gone off or are rotten. If you think the food you're handling looks and feels out of date, or has gone off, speak to someone in charge right away. It's better to be safe than sorry.

Food poisoning
Food poisoning is different to food spoilage as the food still looks and feels normal however improper handling or storage has caused the food to be poisoned by bacteria.

Food Hygiene Courses Sydney

This hygiene course unit must be completed to meet the requirements of most of the Food & Beverage Units in the Hospitality Training Package.

This occupational hygiene course is recognised under the Australian Quality Training Framework, and VETAB (NSW).

You can book online or please call the office (02) 9286 3566 or email your request to attend This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .