4 replies to this topic

[Mariner]

Hello, I am looking for any information on mandatory food safety training (for food service establishments) in the countries of the UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy. So far, I have found guidance documents put forth by the FSA in the UK stating that food handlers should be trained but that by NO means should the training be formal or mandatory. I have found nothing on the other countries.

I have the EC regulations on hygiene practices and food but there doesn't seem to be anything about mandatory training in restaurants in the regs.

Can anyone help me answer the following questions?
1) Is food safety manager OR employee-level training mandatory in restaurants in any of the countries I've listed above?

2) Is there an approval process a restaurant has to go through to get their training program approved in any of the aforementioned countries?

3) Where training is mandatory, can you provide me with the country's regulations or recommendations?

All help is greatly appreciated! I know where to look for such information in the states but what we have on international regulations is very limited!

Thank you!
Selena

[Charles.C]

Dear Selena,

Welcome to the forum and many thks for yr query.
Hmm. Not entirely to my surprise, googling suggests you may be correct, at least for EU.

The only recent statement I could see was 852/2004 (which I'm sure you've seen already) containing –

"9.2.
Training (Annex II, Chapter XII)
Training is an important tool to ensure effective application of good hygienic
practices.
Training as referred to in Annex II, Chapter XII of the Regulation should be
commensurate to the tasks of staff in a particular food business and be
appropriate for the work to be carried out.
Training can be achieved in different ways. These include in-house training, the
organisation of training courses, information campaigns from professional
organisations or from the competent authorities, guides to good practice etc.
With regard to HACCP training for staff in small businesses, it must be kept in
mind that such training should be proportionate to the size and the nature of the
business and should relate to the way that HACCP is applied in the food
business. If guides to good practice for hygiene and for the application of
HACCP principles are used, training should aim to make staff familiar with the
content of such guides. If it is admitted that in certain food business where food
safety can be achieved by implementing prerequisite requirements, training
should be adapted to that situation."

This is apparently, ingeniously interpreted as (at least in Ireland) –

"Training as referred to in Annex II, Chapter XII of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004
must be seen in a broad context. Appropriate training does not necessarily involve
participation in training courses (although such training must be considered as most
efficient and useful). Training can also be achieved through information campaigns
from professional organisations or from the competent authorities, guides to good
practice etc.
It must be kept in mind that HACCP training of staff in food businesses should be
proportionate to the size and the nature of the business. Where in certain food
business the objective of controlling hazards can be achieved by implementing
prerequisite requirements, training can be easily ensured through information
campaigns."
( http://www.fsai.ie/c...al_130505_1.pdf )

However, although presumably not (eu) legally mandatory, the above does not in any way preclude (stronger), locally mandatory, individual country actions I think.

In the UK the “carrot” appears to be that the training for EU above may (sometimes?) be free, I guess the “stick” comes at inspection time – eg http://www.devonline...out-sffbfaq.htm

I anticipate other people "on-site" will reveal more shortly, as per yr request.
(If you already had other specific regulations in mind would be interesting to know?)

Rgds / Charles.C

added - it is interesting to note that other EU countries may be adjusting for the above reg. - eg
"The Federation demands that the same level playing field will also be reached in Malta, so that Malta-made food producers are not expected to reach a HACCP standard any higher than what is being imposed by their EU or non-EU competitors." (non-governmental statement)
http://www.foi.org.m...etail.asp?i=716

[Mariner]

Charles,
Thank you so very much!

Cheers!
Selena

[Charles.C]

Dear Selena,

Happy to help.
After a customary re-think, I believe I was perhaps a little over-pessimistic in my previous post (except for the Irish, then again, perhaps they're just being realistic).

Although I still cannot see any specific text requirements on the IT to fully match yr No1 or 2 for UK, Food Laws certainly existed prior 2004 which almost state them, for example “The Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) (Butchers' Shops) Amendment Regulations 2000” - http://www.opsi.gov....00/20000930.htm (I know, it’s not a restaurant but I predict analogs exist). I don’t know if all these pre-existing laws have been nullified by 852/2004?
The SFBB scheme in previous post could in principle be self-taught although it is a brave person IMO who would be willing to claim competency in HACCP (or even prerequisite programs) without attending any related training course or otj instruction program. Records is another thing.
Hopefully UKists on this forum will know more.
Equally interesting to know how yr other nominated countries follow 852/2004. Maybe they will also choose the Maltese logic.
BTW, is the USA much different in the prescriptive sense? I suspect not from memory of a recent thread on the acceptability of wearing facial jewelry in fast food establishments. Result was inconclusive.

Rgds / Charles.C

added - I just realised that the bit I extracted starting 9.2... in previous post comes from the guidance document for 852/2004 and not the original document, see http://ec.europa.eu/...852-2004_en.pdf

added (2) - Also just realised was truly a bit unfair to the Irish, should have said "ingeniously observant", their text variation was mainly borrowed from yet another guidance document, see
http://ec.europa.eu/...oc_haccp_en.pdf

[Simon]

Hello Selena, as Charles has already mentioned all UK food business must now carry out a HACCP study under EC 852/2004. As this is EC law all the countries you mention must also have adopted this legislation. Hygiene training may not be mandatory, but will be strongly encouraged as a prerequisite to a sound food safety system. In the UK local Environmental Health Officers (EHO's) inspect all food businesses (time permitting) to ensure they comply with the legislation and help them with understanding the requirements, providing ideas etc. I think that's how it works, but I stand to be corrected not being diretly involved.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Simon