Course and certificate
Food Hygiene Training (Germany)
For everyone who works with food in Germany: in the kitchen, service, sales, a bakery, a butcher's shop, a canteen or a care home. Eight clear lessons explain the legal basis (section 4 LMHV, Regulation (EC) No 852/2004), micro-organisms, personal hygiene, storage and cross-contamination, temperatures, cleaning and pests, own checks (HACCP), and labelling and allergens. Then you take a test of 25 questions. This is not the instruction under section 43 IfSG.
- Jurisdiction
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- Languages
- Deutsch, Български, English, Italiano, Polski, Română, Українська
- Lessons
- 8
- Time needed
- About 50 minutes for the lessons and the test
- Assessment
- 25 questions, pass mark 80%
- Refresher
- No set period
- Content updated
- 27 October 2026
- Certificate fee
- €19.00, payable after passing
01Who this course is for
- Cooks, kitchen helpers and dishwashers in restaurants and hotels
- Service and counter staff who serve food and drinks
- Employees in bakeries, butchers' shops, supermarkets and food shops
- Employees in canteens, catering, nurseries, schools, care homes and clinics
- Casual workers, seasonal workers and career changers who are new to working with food
02Syllabus
- 01Legal basis and your duties
- 02Micro-organisms and foodborne infections
- 03Personal hygiene and health
- 04Receiving goods, storage and cross-contamination
- 05Temperatures: chilling, heating, hot holding, thawing
- 06Cleaning, disinfection, pests and waste
- 07Own checks, HACCP and traceability
- 08Labelling, shelf life and allergens
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.
- Gute Hygienepraxis
- BfR; Küchenhygiene
- VO (EG) 852/2004, Art. 5
- BfR
- VO (EG) 852/2004, Anh. II
- Anlage 1 LMHV
06Questions
Is this the instruction under section 43 of the Infection Protection Act (the “red card”, health certificate)?
No. Only the public health office (Gesundheitsamt) or a doctor appointed by it may give the initial instruction under section 43 IfSG. It is required before your first job in kitchens, catering and when handling certain foods. This course does not replace it. It also does not replace the follow-up instruction that the employer carries out every two years.
What training does the law require in the food sector?
Section 4 of the Food Hygiene Regulation (LMHV) and Annex II, Chapter XII of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 require people who make, handle or place on the market perishable food to be trained. The law does not prescribe a particular provider or form. Specialist knowledge must be proven if the authority asks. This course covers the subjects of Annex 1 to the LMHV in general terms. What applies in detail to your food and your workplace must be added by your business.
What exactly is this certificate?
It is a certificate of completion of the course: it shows that you worked through the lessons and passed the test. It is not a regulated qualification, and it is not accredited, not recognised by the state and not an official certificate. The standard DIN 10514 serves as a guide for training courses. We do not claim that this course meets it. Your employer decides whether the training is enough for your work.
What does my business still have to do itself?
General training does not replace the induction at your workplace. Your business must explain its own procedures, cleaning and temperature plans and its HACCP procedure to you, and guide and supervise you in practice. It also carries out the follow-up instruction under section 43 IfSG and documents training.
How long does the course take?
Most participants need about two hours for the eight lessons and the test of 25 questions. You can stop at any time and carry on later on the same device.
What happens if I fail the test?
It costs nothing. You can see which lessons you should read again, and you can take the test as many times as you like. To pass, you need 80 per cent correct answers.
When do I pay, and how much?
Only after you have passed the test: €19 for the certificate as a PDF. The course and the test are free.
How can my employer check the certificate?
Every certificate has a number and a QR code. Anyone who scans the code or types the number on our verification page sees your name, the course and the date you passed in the public register.
How long is the certificate valid, and how often must I repeat the training?
Section 4 LMHV sets no fixed deadline for repeating the training. But training should take place regularly. In their leaflets, many food control authorities expect a refresher at least once a year. The certificate therefore has no expiry date. Your employer decides when you refresh your training.
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.