Course and certificate
HACCP Level 3
For supervisors, team leaders, chefs and food business owners who develop, run and review a HACCP-based food safety management system in the UK. Ten lessons in plain English cover the law and enforcement, the Codex preliminary steps, hazard analysis by likelihood and severity, allergens in the plan, critical control points and the decision tree, critical limits, monitoring and corrective actions, validation, verification and review, records, prerequisite programmes with SFBB and MyHACCP, and the HACCP team and training, followed by a 30-question test.
- Jurisdiction
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Languages
- English, Български, Español, Italiano, Polski, Português, Română, Українська
- Lessons
- 10
- Time needed
- About 55 minutes for the lessons and the test
- Assessment
- 30 questions, pass mark 80%
- Refresher
- Recommended after 3 years
- Content updated
- 27 October 2026
- Certificate fee
- £29.00, payable after passing
01Who this course is for
- Supervisors, team leaders and shift managers who run HACCP checks and sign the records
- Head chefs and kitchen managers who build and update their HACCP-based system
- Owners of small food businesses who must keep their own SFBB, Safe Catering, CookSafe or HACCP plan current
- Production and quality staff in food manufacturing who join the HACCP team
- Anyone who trains staff in the HACCP-based procedures of their workplace
02Syllabus
- 01The law behind HACCP and how it is enforced
- 02Codex HACCP and the five preliminary steps
- 03Hazard analysis: likelihood and severity
- 04Allergens in the hazard analysis
- 05Critical control points and the decision tree
- 06Critical limits, monitoring and corrective actions
- 07Validation, verification and review
- 08Documentation and record keeping
- 09Prerequisite programmes and tools for small businesses
- 10The HACCP team, supervision and training
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.
- Codex CXC 1-1969 (rev. 2020)
- FSA — HACCP principles
- FSA — Safer food, better business
- FSA — Allergen guidance for food businesses
- Regulation (EC) 852/2004, Article 5
- FSA — Cooking food safely
06Questions
Do I need a HACCP certificate to supervise a food business?
UK food law requires food businesses to have procedures based on HACCP principles (Regulation 852/2004, Article 5) and requires those who develop and maintain them to have adequate training in applying the HACCP principles. It names no particular certificate or level. Many employers and customers ask for evidence of HACCP training, and the employer decides what is adequate.
Is this an Ofqual-regulated Level 3 qualification?
No. "HACCP Level 3" is the name of this course, which is written for supervisors and managers. It is a certificate of completion: it shows you finished the course and passed its test. It is not an Ofqual-regulated Level 3 qualification, nor an accredited one, and your employer decides whether this training meets their requirements.
Is this certificate accredited?
No. It is a certificate of completion, not a regulated or accredited qualification. It shows that you completed the course and passed the test.
Does this course write my HACCP plan for me?
No. It teaches how a HACCP-based system is built, run and reviewed. Your business must still build a plan for its own premises, products and processes, validate it, train staff in it and keep it up to date. The course does not create a plan for you.
How is this different from the Level 2 HACCP course?
The Level 2 course explains the checks a food handler carries out. This course is for the people who design and maintain the system: the Codex preliminary steps and seven principles in depth, hazard analysis by likelihood and severity, decision trees, validation and verification, records, review, allergens as part of the analysis, and supervising staff.
Which UK nations does it cover?
England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The course explains the shared rules and points out where each nation has its own regulations and tools, such as SFBB, Safe Catering and CookSafe.
How long does it take?
Most people finish the ten lessons and the 30-question test in about two hours. 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: £29 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.