Course and certificate
HACCP Level 2 (Ireland)
For food workers in Irish restaurants, cafés, pubs, shops and food factories who work under a HACCP-based food safety system and record its checks. Eight short lessons in plain English cover what HACCP is and what Irish and EU law require, prerequisite programmes, hazards and hazard analysis, critical control points and limits, monitoring and corrective action, verification and review, records, and inspections and your role, followed by a 25-question test.
- Jurisdiction
- 🇮🇪 Ireland
- Languages
- English, Español, Polski, Português, Română, Українська
- Lessons
- 8
- Time needed
- About 50 minutes for the lessons and the test
- Assessment
- 25 questions, pass mark 80%
- Refresher
- Recommended after 3 years
- Content updated
- 27 October 2026
- Certificate fee
- €19.00, payable after passing
01Who this course is for
- Cooks, chefs and kitchen assistants who probe, chill and hot-hold food
- Food workers in shops, delis, bakeries and supermarkets
- Production and packing staff in food factories
- Team leaders and supervisors who sign HACCP records
- Anyone who has to take temperatures and record checks under a food safety management system
02Syllabus
03Assessment
25 multiple-choice questions drawn from the whole course. The pass mark is 80%. The test is free and can be retaken as often as needed; wrong answers point to the lesson to read again.
04The certificate
- With your name, your score and the date you passed.
- A unique number, recorded in our register.
- Your employer or an inspector scans it to see that it is genuine.
- Download it, print it or show it on your phone.
05Sources
The course follows the published guidance below. We are not affiliated with the bodies that publish it.
- FSAI — HACCP
- Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Article 5
- FSAI — Temperature control (caterers)
- Codex — General Principles of Food Hygiene CXC 1-1969 (rev. 2020)
- FSAI — Prerequisite Programmes
- FSAI — Safe Catering
06Questions
Do I need a HACCP certificate to work with food in Ireland?
Irish and EU food law (Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Article 5 and Annex II, Chapter XII) requires food businesses to have procedures based on HACCP principles, and food handlers to be supervised and instructed or trained to suit their work. It names no particular certificate, but many employers ask for HACCP training as evidence that staff understand the checks they carry out.
Is this certificate accredited, or approved by the FSAI, QQI or FSTC?
No. The FSAI does not approve training courses, and this course is not approved or recognised by the FSAI, QQI, the FSTC or any other body. It is a certificate of completion: it shows you finished the course and passed its test. It is not a regulated or accredited qualification or a QQI award, and your employer decides whether this training meets their needs.
Does this course replace my employer’s own HACCP plan or training?
No. It teaches the principles and the typical checks. Your employer must still write and maintain their own HACCP-based procedures, explain their critical control points and limits, show you the equipment and records at your workplace, train you on site and supervise your work. A manager who develops the plan needs training in applying the HACCP principles.
How is this different from the Food Safety Level 1 and 2 course?
The Food Safety Level 1 and 2 course covers safe food handling as a whole, with one lesson on HACCP. This course goes further into HACCP itself: prerequisite programmes, hazard analysis, critical limits, monitoring, corrective action, verification, review and records.
How long does it take?
Most people finish the lessons and the 25-question test in about an hour. You can stop and come back at any time on the same device.
What if I fail the test?
Nothing is charged. You see which lessons to read again and can retake the test as often as you need.
When do I pay, and how much?
Only after you pass: €19 for the certificate. The course and the test are free.
How does my employer check the certificate?
Every certificate has a number and a QR code. Scanning it, or entering the number on our check page, shows your name, the course and the date you passed.
How long is the certificate valid?
The law sets no expiry date. Refresher training every three years is common practice, so the certificate shows a renewal date three years after you pass.
The certificate confirms that you completed this course and passed its test. It is not a regulated or accredited qualification; your employer decides whether this training meets their requirements.