Course sources and how we build it.
Every number or rule in the course comes from an official document we stored with its date and a digital fingerprint. The test questions are our own.
How we build the course
- We read the original texts on the FSAI website and the Irish Statute Book, not someone else's summary. EUR-Lex blocked our automated copy, so the EU regulation is stored from the copy of the adopted text on legislation.gov.uk.
- We store a copy of each document, with the date and its SHA-256 fingerprint, so we can show what it said.
- Every fact carries a word-for-word phrase. An automatic test checks the phrase is in the stored copy; if it isn't, the site does not build.
- The questions are our own. We do not copy questions from any exam or course.
- Reading times are counted from the real text of each lesson, at 180 words per minute.
- Written with AI, checked against the sources: we draft with AI from the official sources above, and every fact passes the word-for-word check. If you spot a mistake, email [email protected] and we'll fix it.
What each lesson covers
This table is the training record that comes with each certificate. The numbers are the Level 1 skills in the FSAI Guide to Food Safety Skills (1.x = Stage 1, before handling food; 2.x = Stage 2, within the first month). The laws are the ones cited by each lesson's facts.
| Lesson | Level 1 skills | Laws |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The law, your job and the inspector | 2.1, 2.10, 2.11 | Reg. (EC) 852/2004, S.I. 369/2006, S.I. 79/2020 |
| 2. Personal hygiene, handwashing and illness | 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.7, 1.8 | FSAI guidance |
| 3. Hazards and cross-contamination | 1.6, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5 | FSAI guidance |
| 4. Temperatures, records and HACCP | 2.6, 2.7 | Reg. (EC) 852/2004, S.I. 369/2006 |
| 5. Allergens | 1.6, 2.2 | S.I. 489/2014, Reg. (EU) 1169/2011 |
| 6. Cleaning, pests, waste and deliveries | 1.9, 2.8, 2.9, 2.12 | FSAI guidance |
- 1.1 Maintain a high standard of personal hygiene
- 1.2 Wear and maintain protective clothing hygienically
- 1.3 Maintain a high standard of handwashing
- 1.4 Demonstrate correct hygiene practice if suffering from any disease or illnesses that may affect food safety
- 1.5 Avoid unhygienic practices in a food operation
- 1.6 Demonstrate safe food handling practice (including allergens)
- 1.7 Maintain staff facilities in a hygienic condition
- 1.8 Obey food safety signs
- 1.9 Keep work area clean
- 2.1 Demonstrate their legal responsibility in ensuring safe food for the consumer
- 2.2 Recognise how food can be made unsafe by biological, chemical, physical or food allergen hazards
- 2.3 Demonstrate an understanding of cross-contamination and the hygiene practice necessary to prevent it
- 2.4 Explain the difference between high and low-risk activities
- 2.5 Avoid unnecessary handling of food, food utensils, equipment and surfaces
- 2.6 Record the temperature of foods and food storage equipment e.g. fridges, chills, freezers, display units, as required
- 2.7 Keep appropriate food safety records
- 2.8 Keep pests out of the food operation
- 2.9 Operate a satisfactory waste disposal system
- 2.10 Take action when aware of unhygienic practices that may put the safety of food at risk
- 2.11 Co-operate with inspectors/auditors
- 2.12 Check deliveries appropriately
What the rules say about this training
We are a private training provider, not a public body. We do not promise that an employer or an inspector will accept this course: the business decides for each job.
- EU Regulation 852/2004 (Annex II, Chapter XII) says food businesses must make sure food handlers are supervised and instructed and/or trained in food hygiene, in line with their work. [S8]
- The FSAI says food handlers must be supervised, and also instructed and/or trained in food hygiene, based on the level of activity they are involved in. [S1]
- The FSAI says you do not necessarily have to attend a food safety training course to meet the legal training requirement. [S1]
- Legally, the primary responsibility for food safety lies with the food business operator. [S3]
- The FSAI says an enforcement officer will not necessarily want to see a certificate from a particular training course. [S2]
- The FSAI gives advice on training but does not run food hygiene or HACCP courses itself. [S1]
- The FSAI publishes eLearning modules and other training materials on its Learning Portal. [S1]
- The FSAI recommends a face-to-face approach to training. [S3]
- For online learning, the FSAI says management support and follow-up are vital. [S1]
- The FSAI guide expects training to be assessed at work, for example with its competency checklists. [S3]
Sources
Checked on 2026-10-31.
- [S1] FSAI: Training - First Steps. Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). Web page on how food businesses can meet the training requirement, as it stood on the capture date. Checked 2026-10-31. SHA-256 of our stored copy:
e7894953a3c21dcc…
https://www.fsai.ie/business-advice/starting-a-food-business/training-and-online-learning - [S2] FSAI: Choosing a Food Safety Trainer. Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). Web page, as it stood on the capture date. Checked 2026-10-31. SHA-256 of our stored copy:
6d9b1633aa1d54f2…
https://www.fsai.ie/business-advice/starting-a-food-business/training-and-online-learning/choosing-a-trainer - [S3] FSAI Guide to Food Safety Skills (2025, PDF). Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). Current FSAI guide (© FSAI 2025): Level 1 Stage 1 and Stage 2, Level 2 and Level 3 skills. Text extracted in reading order. Checked 2026-10-31. SHA-256 of our stored copy:
e925dffb3860cc6a…
https://www.fsai.ie/getmedia/444f317a-4a63-4eeb-b744-f279c8224a78/FSAI-Guide-to-Food-Safety-Skills-Final-Accessible.pdf?ext=.pdf - [S4] FSAI: Temperature Control (advice for caterers). Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). Web page with the cooking, hot-holding, reheating, chilling, cooling, freezing and probe advice. Checked 2026-10-31. SHA-256 of our stored copy:
1526b1171a3e6db2…
https://www.fsai.ie/business-advice/running-a-food-business/caterers/temperature-control - [S5] FSAI: Allergen Information for Non-prepacked Food. Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). Web page on the Irish written-allergen rules (S.I. No. 489 of 2014, updated by S.I. No. 656 of 2024). Checked 2026-10-31. SHA-256 of our stored copy:
0471d7448705b6fb…
https://www.fsai.ie/business-advice/running-a-food-business/allergens/allergen-information-for-non-prepacked-food - [S6] FSAI: SC7 Fitness to Work (guidance and form, 2012, PDF). Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). Safe Catering record SC7 with the fitness-to-work guidance. Checked 2026-10-31. SHA-256 of our stored copy:
6b84783af694aed2…
https://www.fsai.ie/getmedia/1c707005-0675-4255-beb3-3451ae9170d3/SC7-2012-fitness.pdf - [S7] FSAI: List of 14 Allergens. Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). The allergens that must be declared in the EU (Annex II of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011), as listed by FSAI. Checked 2026-10-31. SHA-256 of our stored copy:
385b8c7197f66171…
https://www.fsai.ie/enforcement-and-legislation/legislation/food-legislation/food-information-fic-(labelling)/list-of-14-allergens - [S8] Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs, Annex II (text as adopted). European Parliament and Council; copy of the adopted text published by The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk). Original 2004 text of Annex II, including Chapter XII (Training). EUR-Lex refused an automated capture (HTTP 202 anti-bot response), so the adopted text was stored from legislation.gov.uk. Later EU amendments are not included. Checked 2026-10-31. SHA-256 of our stored copy:
95ec247b3076dd75…
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2004/852/annex/II/adopted - [S9] S.I. No. 369 of 2006, European Communities (Hygiene of Foodstuffs) Regulations 2006 (as made). Irish Statute Book (Office of the Attorney General). Irish regulations giving effect to Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 (offences in regulations 4 and 5). Amended since; amendments not stored. Checked 2026-10-31. SHA-256 of our stored copy:
b60133827cdacb3e…
https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2006/si/369/made/en/print - [S10] S.I. No. 79 of 2020, European Union (Official Controls in relation to Food Legislation) Regulations 2020 (as made). Irish Statute Book (Office of the Attorney General). Irish official-controls regulations: powers of authorised officers, compliance notices, prohibition and closure orders. Checked 2026-10-31. SHA-256 of our stored copy:
c9fbccd89f9755b0…
https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2020/si/79/made/en/print - [S11] Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Article 5: Hazard analysis and critical control points (text as adopted). European Parliament and Council; copy of the adopted text published by The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk). Original 2004 text of Article 5 (the HACCP requirement). Checked 2026-10-31. SHA-256 of our stored copy:
2c3f076792b93fb5…
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2004/852/article/5/adopted - [S12] Consumer Rights Act 2022 (No. 37 of 2022), as enacted. Irish Statute Book (Office of the Attorney General). Irish consumer law: information before a distance contract, confirmation, the right to cancel and its exception for digital content. Checked 2026-10-31. SHA-256 of our stored copy:
dc166feff6757cc7…
https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2022/act/37/enacted/en/print - [S13] FSAI: HACCP Based Procedures (advice for caterers). Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). Web page explaining HACCP, the seven principles and the low-risk flexibility. Checked 2026-10-31. SHA-256 of our stored copy:
385eb5266db2b46d…
https://www.fsai.ie/business-advice/running-a-food-business/caterers/haccp-based-procedures - [S14] FSAI: Competent Authorities. Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). Web page on which authority (HSE, DAFM, SFPA) typically inspects which businesses. Checked 2026-10-31. SHA-256 of our stored copy:
a8372175ff2787c8…
https://www.fsai.ie/business-advice/starting-a-food-business/competent-authorities