Food Safety & Hygiene Training Course (Level 2)

The aim of this qualification is to provide individuals with a deeper knowledge and understanding of basic food safety practices and hygiene for better health. 

This includes understanding the hazards and risks to food safety and crew health. The course teaches you the cost-effective, practical control measures that will allow you to safely control the hygiene hazards that can lead to poisoning and foodborne illnesses and contamination.

• Microbiological hazards (bacteria)
  • When food becomes contaminated by microorganisms found in the air, food, water, soil, animals and the human body a microbiological hazard occurs. While many microorganisms are helpful and necessary for life itself, some microorganisms may cause a foodborne illness that can drastically affect a guest or a crew member’s health. Microorganisms that commonly associated with foodborne illnesses include bacteria, viruses and parasites.
• Spoilage and preservation
  • To extend the longevity of food used at sea, you can use refrigeration, freezing, canning, sugaring, salting, and even vacuum packing for meal preservation. Food spoilage occurs when there is a discernable change in the normal state and quality of the food. This would be any change to the smell, taste, touch or sight of the food. Spoilage is usually caused by bacteria, moulds or yeasts which are seen as a sign of bad hygiene. While spoilage doesn’t always mean that the meal is unsafe to eat, you should never serve spoiled food to guests or fellow crew. If food spoilage has been caused by harmful bacteria that has become unsafe to eat, this is what is known as pathogenic spoilage.
• Food poisoning and its control       
  • You will learn what the physical, chemical and biological effects to someone’s health are when food poisoning occurs. As well as the conditions that food poisoning bacteria thrive in, and die in. You will also learn about the symptoms and threats that are posed by most types of food poisoning and foodborne illnesses.
• Contamination hazards and controls
  • A hazard to your health is defined as a biological, chemical or physical agent that is reasonably likely to cause illness or injury.
• Food handlers and personal hygiene
  • Maintaining your personal hygiene and health is of critical importance to prevent food poisoning. When handling food, you need to wash your hands thoroughly and often to maintain hygiene. If you are sick, you should not work, because you can contaminate food more easily in bad health.
• Food premises and equipment
  • By law, all food premises should and must be kept clean in order to prevent the risks to health and vessel security that can be caused by contamination and harmful bacteria.
• Food pests and control
  • There are three main groups of pests: (1) rodents such as rats and mice, (2) insects such as cockroaches, beetles, ants and flies and (3) birds such as pigeons or seagulls. These pests can contaminate food and are a serious risk to hygiene and crew health.
• Cleaning and disinfection
  • To help ensure the safety and health of your food, it is essential that all surfaces and equipment are always visually clean.