Food safety training set to ensure hygiene standards

BASIC food safety training is to be enhanced for the sector’s estimated 500,000 employees. The programme was launched in Dublin yesterday by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).

“Food Safety and You” takes three hours to deliver, involves close liaison between management and staff and accommodates people with language or literacy difficulties.

The programme will assist employers in complying with their legal obligations to ensure that all staff in food production or preparation must be adequately trained and supervised in food hygiene practices.

A little over 60% of reported outbreaks of food-borne illnesses occur in the food service sector. A key factor is the breakdown of hygiene due to lack of training.

The FSAI developed the programme in response to its research, which shows that 72% of the food industry felt that their food safety training could be improved.

The programme, which incorporates a video, a DVD available in eight languages, a workbook and interactive training games, will be delivered by trainers and managers who have completed a two-day FSAI Train the Trainer workshop.

The FSAI’s industry research found that almost 30% of respondents believe that barriers to adequate training currently exist.

Two thirds (66%) cited cost of training as the main barrier and a quarter (25%) claimed that lack of time or lack of adequate staff cover were obstacles.

Alan Reilly, acting chief executive, FSAI, said the programme provides the basic food safety training in an easy way to ensure best practice and safeguard consumer health.

“It is quick and easy to implement and extremely cost effective.