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Can You Get Free Food Hygiene Training?
Yes, some is free. The FSA and Food Standards Scotland offer free guidance and allergen training. Here is what it covers and what it does not.
By the Food Hygiene Hub team · 2 min read
The short answer
Yes, some food safety training is free. The Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland offer free online allergen training and free guidance, and your local authority can advise on courses. Check that free training gives you what your employer wants before you rely on it.
What can you get for free?
These are good places to start:
- The FSA's free online food allergy training
- The FSA's free online labelling training
- Food Standards Scotland's free online allergen training, including an advanced course
- MenuCal, a free tool from Food Standards Scotland for managing allergen and calorie information
- MyHACCP, the FSA's free online HACCP tool
- Food safety packs you can download: Safer Food, Better Business in England and Wales, Safe Catering in Northern Ireland, and CookSafe and RetailSafe in Scotland
Why do people choose paid training?
Paid courses may offer a structured route through a whole topic, an assessment and a certificate for your records. Our lessons are free to study. For a single course, you only pay if you pass and want your certificate.
Our certificates are private training certificates of completion, not regulated qualifications. UK law does not require one specific food hygiene certificate. It requires food handlers to be supervised and instructed or trained appropriately. Employers decide what training each role needs, and a certificate does not replace practical instruction or supervision.
Relevant training
