Lesson 1Preparation and separation of raw and RTE operations: work flow, physical barriers, colour-coding, time limits for exposed RTE foodsCovers how raw and ready-to-eat operations must be separated to prevent cross-contamination. Explains workflow design, barriers, colour-coding, and time limits for exposed RTE foods, plus how inspectors verify controls in practice.
Assessing raw-to-RTE product flowsPhysical barriers and zoning controlsColour-coded tools and utensils policyTime limits for exposed RTE productsVerification of changeover proceduresLesson 2Packing room and finished product handling: packaging integrity, foreign-body prevention, packing line guards and metal detectorsCovers controls in packing rooms and finished product handling. Focuses on packaging suitability, integrity checks, foreign-body prevention, line design, guarding, metal detection, and how inspectors challenge test and review records.
Cleanliness of packing environmentPackaging material suitability checksLine guarding and physical barriersMetal detector setup and challenge testsPacked product integrity inspectionsLesson 3Labelling, traceability and complaint handling on-site: batch coding review, retained sample practice, consumer complaint log checksExplains how inspectors review labels, batch coding, and traceability to confirm products can be tracked and recalled. Covers retained samples, complaint logs, and how on-site records support rapid investigation of safety issues.
Mandatory label information checksBatch coding and date marking reviewTraceability one-step up, one-step downRetained sample storage and recordsConsumer complaint log verificationLesson 4Cooking, cooling and hot-holding controls: cooking validation, rapid cooling methods, hot-holding temperatures and monitoringExplains how to verify safe cooking, cooling, and hot-holding. Covers critical limits, validation studies, core temperature checks, rapid cooling methods, hot-holding temperatures, monitoring records, and handling of deviations.
Critical limits for cooking temperaturesValidation of cooking and reheating stepsCooling time and temperature controlsHot-holding temperature monitoringHandling undercooked product incidentsLesson 5Pest control, waste management and building fabric: evidences of pests, waste segregation, maintenance of ceilings/doors/lightingFocuses on pest control, waste handling, and building condition. Explains how to spot pest activity, assess contractor reports, verify waste segregation, and evaluate maintenance of doors, ceilings, drains, and lighting for food safety.
Evidence of pests and harbouragesPest control contracts and recordsWaste segregation and storage areasBuilding integrity and door conditionCeilings, drains and lighting hygieneLesson 6Cleaning procedures and equipment hygiene: cleaning schedules, validation, equipment design for cleanability, residue checksDescribes how to evaluate cleaning programmes and equipment hygiene. Covers written schedules, chemical use, validation and verification, equipment design for cleanability, and residue checks using visual, ATP, and microbiological methods.
Review of cleaning schedules and SSOPsDetergent and sanitiser selectionEquipment design for easy cleaningPost-clean visual and ATP checksMicrobiological verification of cleaningLesson 7Chilled storage and cold chain verification: refrigerator/freezer temp checks, load patterns, airflow and defrost impactsExplains how to assess chilled storage and the cold chain. Includes refrigerator and freezer temperature checks, load patterns, airflow, defrost cycles, alarm systems, and how records demonstrate continuous temperature control.
Refrigerator and freezer temp recordsProduct loading and stacking patternsAirflow, spacing and blockage risksDefrost cycles and ice buildup reviewTemperature alarms and response logsLesson 8Finished product cold store and dispatch controls: storage rotation (FIFO), temperature monitoring, dispatch checks and transport controlsDetails inspection of finished product cold stores and dispatch areas. Focuses on stock rotation, temperature monitoring, loading practices, and transport controls that preserve the cold chain and prevent temperature abuse before delivery.
Assessing FIFO and stock rotationCold room temperature records reviewLoading patterns and door openingVehicle temperature and seal checksPre-dispatch product condition checksLesson 9Personal hygiene facilities and staff behaviour: handwash stations, signage, changing rooms, sick policy adherenceCovers inspection of personal hygiene facilities and staff behaviour. Includes handwash station adequacy, soap and sanitiser, changing rooms, PPE use, sick policy adherence, and how to observe and question staff during routine tasks.
Handwash station location and designSoap, sanitiser and drying provisionsChanging rooms and locker controlsObservation of handwashing practiceSickness reporting and exclusion rulesLesson 10Raw material receiving and supplier verification: delivery checks, documentation, temperature on arrival, foreign-body controlsDetails inspection of raw material receiving and supplier controls. Includes delivery checks, temperature on arrival, packaging integrity, foreign-body controls, documentation, and how supplier approval and performance are verified.
Vehicle and load condition on arrivalTemperature checks for chilled and frozenPackaging integrity and contaminationDelivery documentation and COAsSupplier approval and review records
