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Basic Food Safety
and Hygiene Certificate

This course is approved by all New Zealand Councils and Verifiers, and certification auditors globally. Expert-led basic food safety and hygiene course by NZQA Registered PTE.

Google Rating
5.0
Based on 919 reviews
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About our Food Safety Course

Our Level 2, Basic Food Safety Certificate Training Course is expertly designed and used by the following organizations and learners who have trained with us:

  • Cafes, bars, restaurants, takeaways, bakeries, pizza shops & hotels
  • Home food businesses, Farmers markets (baking, jams & sauces) & Night markets
  • ECE Cooks, Early Childcare Centre Services & Food allergy care
  • Residential care, Drop-in meals, Birthcare & Midwives
  • Aged care facilities, Rest homes, Retirement villages and Meals on wheels
  • Hospitals, Medical centers, Post-surgery care, Hospices & Funeral homes
  • MSD job seekers (WINZ), Transition-to-work programs & ACC Return-to-work
  • School lunch programs, After-school care & School holiday programs
  • Maraes, Kōhanga Reo, Iwi whānau health care – Mātauranga Māori approaches to Kaimoana harvesting & Home-kill
  • Mobile food trucks, Coffee carts, Trailers & Real fruit ice cream stalls
  • Packaging & food companies
  • Events, Function catering, Weddings, Camps & Conferences
  • Community care, Churches, Youth groups, Food Rescue, Pātaka Kai, Food hubs (kiwi harvest) & Charity groups
  • Supermarkets, Dairies and Convenience stores
  • Ships, Rigs, Super Yachts & Off-shore vessels  – Galley Crew, Pursers & Stewards (Global Standards)
  • Fruit picking, Pack houses & Farms
  • Small and large food businesses and any person or workplace handling food

Our food safety course is accepted by all Councils and Verifiers and delivered by a category 1, NZQA-Registered PTE.

This Basic Food Safety and Hygiene Certificate Course is also known as Food Handling Certificate NZ, Food Hygiene Certificate, Food Handlers Certificate, Food Certificate NZ, Food Hygiene Certificate NZ, and Food Safety and Hygiene Certificate. We also include bonus content by way of a basic understanding to HACCP. 

  • Course Duration: 5 hours
  • Course Delivery: LIVE Online Video Conference Training and Onsite Training Options available
  • Outcome: Recognised Certificate of Achievement after successful completion of the assessment

Our training is customized for any person, and small and large food businesses that require learning about food safety methods and food safety controls. We aim to operate to best food safety practices as part of the Food Act 2014, Food Regulations 2015, and local council Bylaws around New Zealand and international Codex Alimentarius global standards.

Google Rating
5.0
Based on 919 reviews
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Basic Food Safety Certificate
Training Course Content

  • Knowledge of basic food safety and why this course is an investment
  • Answers to questions such as: Can I cook food from home for sale? What does a verifier look for when auditing me? What does jargon such as a “Level 2 National Programme FCP” mean?
  • Information on effective personal hygiene
  • Norovirus, Rotavirus, RSV, and COVID-19 controls to reduce food handling hazards
  • An understanding of the science of allergic reactions, immune response, food intolerance, and special diets such as Celiac.
  • Knowledge of the primary allergen groups (applicable worldwide) and implementing an allergen identification list for a Food Control Plan
  • Effective allergen management tools in a food business such as labelling and cleaning.
  • Learning key HACCP training NZ temperatures to global standards including both Celsius (°C) and Fahrenheit (°F), and recording temperature of high-risk food. This training has been used by our trainees around the world.
  • Knowledge of hazards that cause foodborne illness and food spoilage in a food business including pathogenic bacteria, mould, and viruses
  • Knowledge of methods used to control hazards that cause foodborne illness and food spoilage in a food business.
  • Identifying common examples of food safety risks
  • Pest control methods and how to control pests
  • Criteria for verifier inspections and audit checklists
  • Overview of legislation including the Food Standards Code 2002, Food Act 2014, Food Regulations and how the law applies to a workplace or food business
  • Knowledge of the key elements of a Food Control Plan – FCP + 3 Step Corrective Action – Codex Alimentarius
  • Practice filling out key food safety recordsFood Control Plan Diary
  • Gain insights into Council and Verifier Audits, and how to achieve an A Grade Council Audit
  • Extra research and microbiology information based on our MOC with AUT University – School of Applied Sciences.
Cover image of Food Safe's Basic Food Safety and Hygiene Certificate Training Food Safety Course Content

Basic Food Safety and Hygiene Certificate Course is suitable for:

Our food safety certificate (also referred to as a food hygiene certificate) suits the following types of food businesses and workplaces:

  • Hospitality
  • Home food businesses
  • Early Childcare and Early Learning Centres
  • Hospitals, Healthcare services, Aged care and senior living facilities
  • Tuck shops and School cafeterias
  • Maraes and Kōhanga Reo
  • Mobile food trailers
  • Event catering services
  • Community & Charity groups
  • Food Sampling promotions and Snack vendors
  • Horticulture sector & Produce handling roles
  • Growers of mushrooms, sprouts, microgreens, and berries, wild food collectors and foragers
  • Cold storage, supply chain, logistics & warehouses
  • Pet food companies
  • Honey processing businesses
  • Water bottling, beverage, wine, beer & drinks
  • Seafood processing (Fish, Pāua, kūtai, kina, pipi, cockles), meat, poultry, and dairy export companies

Our food safety course is also suitable for:

  • Butchers, smokehouses, jerky and sausage processors, primary processing (slaughter) businesses including Halal & Kosher
  • Employees, students, F&B staff, operators, team leaders & supervisors
  • Hygiene & cleaning, fogging, disinfecting & equipment sanitising businesses as well as Critical Hygiene Area (CHA) Sanitising
  • Tour guides, Farm stays, Bed & Breakfasts, Tourism companies, Ferry & Airbnb
  • Anyone looking to start a home food business (to understand the law)
  • Any person looking to up-skill, re-tool, and improve their CV for a job in a food company
  • Preparing for Food Safety Audits by MPI Verifiers or Council EHO
  • People new to New Zealand and looking for work on a farm or ski resort
  • Gaining recognized training for an Overseas Experience (OE)
  • Home carers, Babysitters, Au Pairs looking to care for special diets
  • Provedors & Chandler maritime supplies
  • People in technical roles on ships, rigs, super yachts & off-shore vessels  – Galley crew (training delivered by an expert trainer with global experience to international standards)
  • Food importers and distributors, food exporters, operators with FCP, National Programs & Risk Management Programmes – RMPs
  • Business with Food Control Plans (FCP Template & Custom) and National Programs (NP 1, NP 2 & NP 3)
A man certified in Basic Food Safety and Hygiene Certificate Training on an organic farm handling produce and microgreens.
Food truck employee trained in basic food safety and hygiene by Food Safe.

About Food Safe

Food Safe Ltd is a Category 1 NZQA-Registered PTE. Our food safety courses comply with Council Food Safety Bylaws, Verifier Audits, Food Control Plans, and Risk Management Programmes right across New Zealand.

Our food safety training is trusted by both well-known New Zealand and Global food companies and heaps of small teams too!

Why Choose us for your Food Safety Certificate Training?

  • We have collaborated and delivered food safety and hygiene certification training for a number of performance-fuelled organizations and global brands.
  • The topics we cover and the information we provide on food safety is the very latest.
  • Students gain knowledge and learn in an engaging and interactive environment
  • Our course presentation style suits all learner types. We use slides, pictures, and a show-me-how approach to our food safety training.
  • Food Safe Trainers are industry experts with Lead Audit ISO 22000 qualifications and have extensive practical experience in high-compliance food manufacture, which we bring to the classroom.

Don’t miss out! Read our 5-star Facebook & Google trainee reviews.

Food Safe students received their Food Safety Training Certificates Onsite and Online.

Food Safety Training Delivery

We deliver Expert-Led Online Food Safety Courses and On-Site Food Safety Certificate NZ Courses and Training across New Zealand.

ONLINE FOOD SAFETY COURSES:
Delivered LIVE Online via video conferencing

ON-SITE FOOD SAFETY COURSES:
For your convenience, we hold our Food Safety Certificate NZ course and our other food safety training courses at a number of locations across New Zealand. This includes food safety courses in Auckland, Christchurch, and Hamilton.

We have successfully delivered customised food safety training courses at companies from South Island to the Northland and across from Waiheke in the east to Hokitika in the West!

We go well beyond just basic food safety training to nurture your business plans post-training. One of our invaluable services includes an EXCLUSIVE and passionate post-training Facebook community support group. Our former trainees and successful business owners help support and guide each other on their food business journeys.

Food Safety Training Locations

In addition to training options New Zealand wide our Food Safety Certificate Auckland Course is also delivered at a number of locations Auckland wide:

  • In the North Shore, Albany, Auckland: Food Safety Certificate North Shore for the convenience of Aucklanders living on the North Shore Area from Birkenhead to Orewa
  • In Grey Lynn, Auckland: For the convenience of people in the CBD, Viaduct Ponsonby, New Market, Parnell, Onehunga, New Lynn, Henderson
  • In Manukau, Auckland: Food Safety Course Manukau: For the convenience of people who also live in Papakura, Pukekohe, Papatoetoe, Takanini, Manurewa, Mangere, East Tamaki, Howick & Flat Bush

A great perk we include in our Auckland and all NZ courses is free off-street parking, an invisible and additional cost you need to consider when choosing your food safety course provider.

Our basic food safety course includes FCP resources in Te Reo Māori, Mandarin 普通话, Hindi हिंदी, Korean 한국의, Thai ภาษาไทย, Khmer/Cambodian, and Vietnamese Việt.

Training Location: Online
LIVE Online
ZOOM Video Conferencing
New Zealand

All New Zealand

Training Location: Auckland
Surrey Hotel
465, Great North Road
Auckland, New Zealand

Get Directions

Training Location: Christchurch
Russley Golf Club & Function Centre
428 Memorial Avenue
Christchurch, New Zealand

Get Directions

Training Location: Hamilton
Ventura Inn & Suites
23 Clarence Street
Hamilton, New Zealand

Get Directions
A trainee holding her Food Safety Certification after completing Food Safe's basic food safety and hygiene certificate training course.

Food Safety Certificate: How long does my Food Safety Certification last?

  • Best practice for Cafes and Restaurants: Refresh your food safety course knowledge and renew your certificate every 3 years at the latest.
  • Food Manufacture, Customised food Control Plans & Risk Management Programmes: Refresh your course knowledge and renew your certificate every year.

99

PASS RATE

916

5-STAR TRAINEE REVIEWS

100

FUN HAD

Read our Facebook & Google 5
trainee reviews

★★★★★ Love it. To be recommended. Keith was great! Session was interesting and enjoyable.Keith shared heaps of useful information and delivered it with professionalism.Concepts were explained effectively.It was a positive learning experience, very enriching. Thank you!Sonia SimaoSonia Simao ★★★★★ Very enjoyable/informative online course! Keith answered any questions with ease and provided me with new information which I can implement in my career. Thanks a bunch!Sarah McleodSarah Mcleod ★★★★★ Excellent tutor, lots of up to date relevant information. Highly recommend. ThankyouEmma Sa do PradoEmma Sa do Prado ★★★★★ Great experience with Keith today, goes over all the points that need to be addressed and explained everything in a way for all participants in different jobs at every step to be able to understand, I have done HACCP training before and this was better than my last experienceskaryn fowkekaryn fowke ★★★★★ The course was very informative and fun. I am grateful to gain more knowledge about food safety to ensure the safety of our families, customers and people in general.Thank you Keith for sharing your knowledge.Pela AndrewPela Andrew ★★★★☆ Very informative relevate and up to date information provided by Keith on food safetyMurdock OrmsbyMurdock Ormsby ★★★★★ Great class and personally for me has been a great refresher but some really good information and guidance for people getting into hospitality and starting their own business - Thanks very much Keith and all the bestGarett HuijsGarett Huijs ★★★★☆ The course was done via zoom. Being able to attend the course in the comfort of your own home while still getting that personal classroom feel was a bonus. A good learning experience with loads of information to help you be successful in your career path.Janine SadlierJanine Sadlier ★★★★★ The training is very helpful and clearKristine Pere - PaderKristine Pere - Pader ★★★★★ The course itself was awesome and very engaging, the course instructor was amazing and nice, very worth it!Lucky MinLucky Min ★★★★★ very informative and enjoyable, great tutorDavid SlyDavid Sly ★★★★★ Keith who taught us was great, and I learned so much! It was well worth doing and I feel I gained a lot of knowledge. Thank you.Merina FosterMerina Foster ★★★★★ Trainer was fun to work with and explained everything clearly.Mathew RendellMathew Rendell ★★★★★ My basic food safety and hygiene online course was taught with knowledge, patience and plenty of personal feedback to address the particular situation of all the participants from childcare centres to new business start ups. I would definitely recommend this not only yo those who must hold a certificate for their careers but also to churches and charities to ensure their food safety is up to date with national standardslouise shawlouise shaw ★★★★★ Experienced Tutor with excellent teaching techniques. The course was specific to the learning needs of each individual student, by explaining specifics for the variety of industries where this certification is relevantMartha WilsonMartha Wilson ★★★★★ What a great experience. Instructor is well versed and answered every questions we had. Extremely recommended for 1st time food business owners or planning to be one.Felix III CervantesFelix III Cervantes ★★★★★ Amazing training with this course.Keith is awesome training and funny but also this course has taught me alot that I didn't know about food safety and was well worth it.Robyn WalshRobyn Walsh ★★★★★ Terrific course. Keith was personable and knowledgeable, and his tutoring style made it a fun and inclusive experience.Grant DobsonGrant Dobson ★★★★★ Great coursejemma farrelljemma farrell ★★★★★ The course was well structured and run. Thanks very much.Stu CliffinStu Cliffinjs_loader

HOW IT WORKS: Steps to Book Your Course

1

Booking Your Basic Food Safety Course

Click the 'Book Course' button. Choose your preferred date and training type (Online or Onsite) and place your booking.

Payment options: Bank Transfer and Credit Card.

2

Process your payment

You will receive a 'Booking Received' email after you have placed your booking which will include the payment details for your training.

Please process the invoice so we can confirm and reserve your place in the class and connect with you online if you have selected online training.

If you have already paid your course fees by credit card as part of our booking check-out, your booking is automatically confirmed and you will receive a 'Booking Confirmed' email. See point 4 below for next steps.

3

Booking Confirmed

Upon receipt of your payment, your booking will be confirmed.
4

Pre-Training

If you have booked Online Training, we will email you the link to join your training the day before.
If you have booked Onsite Training (face-to-face), there is nothing further to do. Simply come to class on the day of your training. We will send you an email reminder with information the day before your food safety training.
When you receive a course confirmation from us this means we exclusively reserve a place for you in our class which has limited space. If a trainee cannot attend on their booked day, we will do our best to slot you into another class but we cannot guarantee a space as our classes do get booked out in advance. Requesting a new training date or postponement is not deemed to be a new booking. It is simply a postponement and done in good faith. Any cancellations/refund requests relating to this will be based on the original booking date, and apply as per our terms and conditions.
5

Training Day

If you have booked Online Training, please be online 15 minutes before your class start time to say hello to the trainer.

If you have booked Onsite Training (face-to-face), please arrive 15 minutes before your class starts. Double-check your training venue address which is different to the Food Safe Corporate Office address.

FAQs

Do I have to do a Food Safety Assessment?

Yes. At the completion of your training, your trainer will give you an assessment, covering food safety topics, to complete. This assessment requires no typing or writing for you to do. Only yes/no, tick box type of answers. You have to achieve 70% to pass your assessment and to receive your food safety course certification.

Is the Food Safety Assessment hard?

As long as participants are attentive in class and are taking notes along the way, the assessment is not hard. Participants may refer to their notes during the open-book assessment.

When will I receive my Food Safety Certificate?

People who pass the course will receive a Food Safety Certificate of Achievement, on the day of the training, on successful completion of the assessment.

What happens if I do not pass my Assessment?

Your trainer will ask students who don’t pass [Not Yet Achieved] to take the assessment again. You can take the assessment as many times as you like. You will not be charged anything additional for taking the assessment again.

Do I have to prepare before coming to class?

No prior knowledge or homework is required. Your trainer will coach you about food safety methods and food safety risk controls including record-keeping and other relevant food safety topics and information in class.

What kind of job can I get after I achieve my Food Safety Certificate?

Our trainees have applied for roles in Cafes, Supermarkets, Childcare centres, Hospitals, Food Companies, Community Centres, Maraes, School Cafeterias, and Aged Care facilities. A number of our trainees have also set up their own successful home food businesses.

Food Safety Guidance for Food Act 2014

All new food businesses need to register under the Food Act before they start selling food. Check how the law applies to your business. Use the Where do I fit? tool on the MPI website. The tool will tell you whether you need to use a food control plan or national programme.

You’ll need to register with your local council or MPI. This depends on where you operate, and what type of plan or programme you are registering.

Companies we work with

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