Food Safety and Hygiene: Level 2

This course is designed for early years professionals who handle or serve food as part of their wider role. This may include receiving catered meals, preparing snacks, reheating food, setting up eating areas and supervising children during meals.

Equipping You in Food Safety and Hygiene

Build a Strong Foundation in Food Safety

Gain essential knowledge in food safety practices tailored to early years settings. Learn how to prevent foodborne illnesses through effective handwashing, surface cleaning, and safe food storage.

Master Personal Hygiene and Safe Food Handling

Develop practical skills in personal hygiene and safe food handling, including best practices for storing and preparing food. Create a clean, safe environment that supports children’s health.

Minimise Choking Hazards in Mealtime Preparation

Learn techniques to reduce choking risks with age-appropriate food preparation methods, from safe cutting practices to mindful serving. Ensure children’s safety during meal and snack times.

Prevent
Cross-Contamination

Understand how to organise food storage and preparation areas to prevent cross-contamination, ensuring that raw and ready-to-eat foods remain safe and separate.

Foster a Hygienic Eating Environment for Children

Equip yourself with methods to maintain clean and hygienic snack and meal areas. Discover effective routines for cleaning utensils, highchairs, and tables to keep children healthy.

Ensure Compliance with Food Safety Standards

Stay informed on food safety regulations and best practices in early years settings, meeting required standards to protect children and build parental confidence.

Course Information

How To
Course Modules
Duration
Assessments
Disclaimer

Step 1
Click the 'Launch Course' button to begin your learning journey. Work through all the course content at your own pace, ensuring you fully understand each section. Don’t forget to complete and pass each module’s assessment. Once you’ve successfully completed all the modules, your course progress will show as 100% completed.

Step 2
Congratulations on completing the course! Your next step is to click the 'Feedback Form' button. Take a moment to share your thoughts on the course. Your feedback is invaluable and helps us continuously improve the learning experience for future users.

Step 3
You’ve now unlocked your personalised certificate! Click the 'View Certificate' button below to access and download your certificate. Celebrate your achievement by sharing it with your employer or adding it to your professional records.

This course is designed to take approximately 90 minutes to complete, though the actual time may vary depending on how deeply you engage with the material. Everyone learns at their own pace, so take the time you need to fully understand each concept.


Time Breakdown:

Module 1 should take around 30 minutes to complete.

Module 2 should take around 30 minutes to complete.

Module 3 should take around 30 minutes to complete.

To get the most out of this course, focus on absorbing the content rather than rushing through it. Reflect on the material, take notes, and think about how you can apply these insights to your daily practice. Meaningful learning is about understanding and growth, not just finishing quickly.

To successfully complete this course, you’ll need to achieve a score of 80% or higher on the final assessments at the end of each module. This course has 3 modules so there are 3 assessments. The landing page of each assessment will give further details. This pass mark ensures that you’ve understood the core concepts and are prepared to confidently apply them in practice.

You’re not limited to a single attempt - feel free to take the assessments as many times as you need to achieve your best result. Each assessment includes built-in feedback to help you reflect on your answers and deepen your understanding.

If you encounter any questions or need additional support, our experienced team is here to help. Don’t hesitate to reach out for guidance or clarification as you progress through the course. Remember, the assessments are designed to support your learning journey, not to cause stress. Take your time and aim for mastery!
All our courses are regularly reviewed and updated to align with the latest statutory guidance, legislation, and best practices in early years education. However, it is the responsibility of individual practitioners and organisations to ensure the training meets the specific requirements of their Local Authority or regulatory body. Local policies and procedures may differ, and additional training may be required to fully comply with their standards.

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and relevance of the course content, we cannot accept responsibility for any omissions or errors resulting from practitioners misinterpreting or failing to apply the guidance provided. Practitioners are expected to act within the boundaries of their role and adhere to professional and organisational guidelines at all times.

We maintain the integrity and validity of our courses by continually updating content to reflect changes in legislation, policies, and procedures. This course also includes public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, ensuring the information is accurate, accessible, and credible.

Module 1: Understanding Food Safety and Hazards

This module establishes the foundations of food safety in early years. You will explore why food safety matters, the different types of food safety hazard and why certain foods require particularly careful handling. You will also learn how to recognise spoilage, prevent contamination and cross-contamination, and protect children with food allergies or intolerances.


Module 2: Handling, Preparing and Serving Food Safely
This module follows food through the everyday routines of an early years setting. You will learn about personal hygiene, handwashing and illness, receiving and storing deliveries, stock rotation and temperature control. It also covers cooking, cooling, reheating and hot holding, preparing food and eating areas, and supervising children safely during meals and snacks.

Module 3: Cleaning, Food Safety Controls and Taking Safe Action
This module focuses on maintaining a hygienic food environment and recognising when normal controls have failed. You will learn the difference between cleaning and disinfection, how to manage waste, pests, premises and equipment, and how HACCP-based controls, checks and records help keep food safe. You will then apply the course principles to realistic situations where food must be stopped, separated, reported or replaced.

Our students tell us  

"This course gave me the confidence to ensure food safety in my workplace. I feel better equipped to protect myself and others."
— Jessica M., Office Manager
"Clear, concise, and informative. The food safety knowledge I gained from this course is invaluable!"
— Steven R., Care Facility Cook