Course and certificate
Level 2 Food Hygiene and Safety for Manufacturing
For anyone who works in a food factory, bakery, dairy, meat plant or other food production site in the UK. Ten short lessons in plain English cover food law and approval, hazards and foreign-body control, factory hygiene, zoning, cleaning and clean-in-place, temperature control, pests, allergens and labelling, traceability and recalls, HACCP, audits, food fraud and food defence, followed by a 30-question test.
- Jurisdiction
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Languages
- English, Български, Español, Italiano, Polski, Português, Română, Українська
- Lessons
- 10
- Time needed
- About 60 minutes for the lessons and the test
- Assessment
- 30 questions, pass mark 80%
- Refresher
- Recommended after 3 years
- Content updated
- 28 October 2026
- Certificate fee
- £12.00, payable after passing
01Who this course is for
- Production-line operatives, machine operators and packers in food factories
- Hygiene and cleaning operatives on food production sites
- Warehouse, goods-in and despatch staff handling food and ingredients
- New starters and agency workers in bakeries, dairies, meat plants and ready-meal factories
- Anyone starting a job in UK food manufacturing who needs the basics before site induction
02Syllabus
- 01Food law, approval and who inspects a food factory
- 02Hazards in production
- 03Foreign bodies: metal, glass, plastic and wood
- 04Personal hygiene and protective clothing in the factory
- 05Zoning and cross-contamination
- 06Cleaning, disinfection and clean-in-place
- 07Temperature control from goods in to despatch
- 08Pest control, premises and waste
- 09Allergens, labelling, traceability and recalls
- 10HACCP, your role, audits, food fraud and food defence
03Assessment
30 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.
- FSA — MyHACCP guidance
- Regulation (EC) 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs
- FSA — E. coli O157 cross-contamination guidance
- FSA — Cleaning effectively in your business
- FSA — Chilling food correctly in your business
- FSA — Allergen guidance for food businesses
06Questions
Do I need a food hygiene certificate to work in a food factory?
UK law requires food handlers to be supervised and instructed or trained in food hygiene to suit their work. It does not name a particular certificate, and the Food Standards Agency says handlers do not have to hold one. Many employers ask for a Level 2 course like this one as evidence of training.
Is this certificate accredited?
No. It is a certificate of completion: it shows you finished the course and passed its test. It is not a regulated or accredited qualification, and "Level 2" describes the depth of the course, not an Ofqual-regulated qualification. Your employer decides whether this training meets their requirements.
What must my employer still do?
This course teaches the basics. Your employer must still give you a site induction, explain the site's own rules and its food safety management system (HACCP), train you in practice on your own tasks and supervise your work. The course does not replace any of that.
How long does it take?
Most people finish the lessons and the 30-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: £12 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.