Do You Need a Food Hygiene Certificate?

The short answer

No, UK law does not require food handlers to hold a specific certificate or level. It does require food businesses to make sure food handlers are supervised and instructed and/or trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their work. Many employers ask for a certificate because it is a simple way to show that training has taken place.

What does the law say?

The training duty sits with the food business. Food handlers must be supervised and instructed and/or trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their work. People responsible for a business's HACCP-based procedures must have adequate training. There is no fixed course, no required level and no legal expiry date.

The duty applies across the UK, under these laws:

• England: Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013
• Wales: Food Hygiene (Wales) Regulations 2006
• Scotland: Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006
• Northern Ireland: Food Hygiene Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006
• All four nations: Regulation (EC) 852/2004, which is assimilated law in Great Britain and applies directly in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework

Why are certificates so common?

A certificate is a convenient way to record that training has taken place. Officers may ask how staff were trained during an inspection, and records help a business to show due diligence. That means showing it took all reasonable precautions.

Is a certificate enough?

No. A certificate does not replace instruction on the job. Employers should check that staff understand what they have learned and use it at work. Training alone does not make a business compliant with the law.