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This information can be used to develop food safety and quality programs that meet the requirements of modern Regulatory, Customer and Industry Standards:
When considering the development, documentation, and implementation of Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements within food safety and quality management systems, the following information should be considered to ensure effective outcomes:
Procedures and schedules for Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements must be developed, documented, and implemented to ensure personnel, visitors and contractors have the skills and knowledge necessary to maintain required food safety, food quality, and regulatory standards. Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements must be reviewed and verified on an ongoing basis to ensure ongoing positive outcomes.
Personnel engaged in food operations that come directly or indirectly into contact with food should be trained, and/or instructed in food hygiene to a level appropriate to the operations they are to perform. Training is fundamentally important to any food hygiene system. Inadequate hygiene training, and/or instruction and supervision of all people involved in food-related activities pose a potential threat to the safety of food and its suitability for consumption. All personnel should be aware of their role and responsibility in protecting food from contamination or deterioration. Food handlers should have the necessary knowledge and skills to enable them to handle food hygienically. Those who handle strong cleaning chemicals or other potentially hazardous chemicals should be instructed in safe handling techniques.
The nomination of training as a component of a Food Safety Program is to assess the skills and knowledge of participating personnel roles in Food Safety activities. It is not generally the intention of this inclusion to require mandatory training, as it is generally recognized that skills and knowledge may be gained in different ways. Depending on the location and type of business activities, you may be required to display details of officially recognized training on specified roles within the Food Safety Program. Persons managing or participating in food handling and/or processing operations must possess skills and knowledge about the scope of their workplace activities.
The skill and knowledge requirements for each staff member should correspond directly with the scope of work activities. The skills and knowledge required by a chef are different from those required by a cleaner. Skill and knowledge-based training may be considered in numerous forms, and it must involve food hygiene as well as general food safety concepts.
Food handlers involved in any stage of food production should receive sufficient training in hygienic food handling practices and personal hygiene. Some of the most successful approaches to obtaining task-related skills and knowledge include:
It is the responsibility of management to ensure that all employees are fully aware of food safety and food hygiene practices that are important to their job in the food business.
There are various methods for training employees. As a minimum, all staff employed by a food manufacturer should receive induction training and job-specific training. Outcomes of job-specific training should also include “competency” verification to ensure appropriate outcomes. Following a training activity, monitoring the performance of employees will assist in determining the effectiveness of the training outcomes, including the identification of where the additional emphasis is needed. Observing an employee conducting their tasks is crucial for ensuring that the employee has an understanding and is putting into practice proper food safety and sanitation methods.
Initial training of employees may be done in groups or one-on-one. Group training requires more organization and formal presentation, but it is generally an effective method of getting information to employees who have not been previously trained in the requirements of your food business operation.
One-on-one training is effective for an employee who is replacing another. Its primary value is that food safety and sanitation information can be tailored to the type of work the employee will be doing. For example, a cleaning and sanitation staff member who does not handle food does not necessarily need to be trained in temperature control of food. Training in personal hygiene and cleaning and sanitation procedures may be sufficient for this.
Food Safety Supervisor Training Programs are available to help supervisors become knowledgeable about food safety concepts. A supervisor cannot train, recognize or monitor food safety within the food establishment unless he or she knows such concepts.
All staff involved with the handling of food must be trained to recognize and practice good manufacturing practices and safe working procedures at all times. It is generally considered best practice to ensure all new employees complete relevant induction training before actually starting within their new position. As a base level requirement, food and personal hygiene training should be addressed for all relevant staff during the induction process. Supervisory staff may be required to undertake specific and more comprehensive food safety training in the related areas.
Induction training commonly includes the following Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements:
It is also important to consider that Visitors and Contractors may also require induction training commensurate with their interactions within any food business. Food business policies should define what induction, GMP, and personal hygiene training are required for non-staff members entering the premises.
Job descriptions are a useful tool, not only in formalizing a role for a staff member both for their information and for company reference but also serve the purpose as a training checklist that the trainer may use to ensure that the employee has been given specific training for all parts of the role.
A record of training should be kept for every employee that undergoes training no matter how short the employment term is. Each record should detail the type of training given, the date, and a brief outline of content and signatures of both the trainer and the trainee. Copies of any relevant formal training an employee has undergone externally should also be kept in the training record. Training records should be kept on file for the lifetime of an employee.
A training matrix is a useful document to track and summarize all employees against all the different types of training that may be given. Degrees of competency may also be captured in a training matrix.
Factors to take into account in assessing the level of training required for a particular individual or group may include:
The owner or operator of a food business should assume that the training of food workers will be a continual and necessary function. Supervisors or Managers must assume primary responsibility for food safety training in a food establishment. In most cases, supervisors occupy the important position between management and the other employees. His or her role is often to train employees in their procedural tasks and provide ongoing supervision. During this procedural training, food safety training should be included.
Adequate training will certainly contribute to a better understanding of food safety and sanitation. With this knowledge and with responsible performance, a reduced threat of foodborne disease outbreaks can be facilitated. In addition, the food establishment will undoubtedly receive better outcomes through regulatory and third-party inspections. Although each food establishment has the primary responsibility for training its employees, your local health department may be able to provide additional assistance. For information on how your health agency can help you with your training needs, contact your local health department.
This website is designed to serve as a resource for food safety training and management. There are various training methods and different training needs for food establishment employees. Therefore, no specified method or agenda is proposed on this website. It is to be used as the management or supervisor sees fit in conjunction with the specified requirements for training within your industry sector. All materials contained within these web pages may be used in any way as long as the terms of use are not broken.
If your food business supplies foodstuffs manufactured to a customer’s specifications, it is important to consider any specific Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements Development requirements in relation to their items.
Document: A document provides guidance and/or direction for performing work, making decisions, or rendering judgments that affect the safety or quality of the products or services that customers receive.
Documented policies, procedures, work instructions, and schedules form the basis of any food safety and quality management system. The following documentation formats may be considered to ensure ongoing compliance with specified requirements for Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements:
If your food business supplies foodstuffs manufactured to a customer’s specifications, it is important to consider any specific Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements Documentation requirements in relation to their items.
You may wish to visit the Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements Templates section of haccp.com for examples of Training, Competency and Resources Requirements documentation, record, and resource formats commonly applied within food safety and quality systems.
Implementation: Implementation is the application of documented food safety and quality system elements into the actual business operation.
The implementation of Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements within any food business requires genuine commitment from senior management, staff, and visitors to ensure the nominated goals of implementation are achievable on an ongoing basis. It is a step that requires significant planning and consideration of general and specific food business circumstances to ensure the outcomes of Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements do not negatively impact the safety and quality of the food items dispatched from the business.
Implementation of Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements must include a clear definition of responsibilities and authorities for all levels of participation by senior management, staff, and visitors to the site.
When implementing Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements within the food safety and quality system, you may wish to consider the following requirements before completion:
If your food business supplies foodstuffs manufactured to a customer’s specifications, it is important to consider any specific Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements Implementation requirements in relation to their items.
Monitoring: Monitoring is the act of reviewing and confirming measurable parameters of a defined process or product status.
Monitoring requirements within food industry sectors are generally identified against limits of acceptability defined within HACCP plans, implementation procedures, and work instructions. Monitoring usually includes some element of record-keeping, which may be maintained manually or through digital systems. It is important to consider that advancements in technology have spawned many systems and processes which are self-monitored and or self-adjusted when variances are identified. Regardless of the system used; The goal of any monitoring activity is to provide sufficient evidence that any limit of acceptability has been met.
Traditional Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements monitoring requirements include manual recording and the application of corrective actions when the results of monitoring are found to be outside acceptable limits. Corrective Actions should also generally be strongly linked to the monitoring process where applied to ensure full traceability of the applied actions.
Common monitoring activities and record formats may apply to Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements:
In general, food establishments have periodic meetings with employees to discuss operations and other matters. No such meeting should be without some aspect of food safety and sanitation training. The subject is every bit as important as the subject matter for which the meeting was called.
If your food business supplies foodstuffs manufactured to a customer’s specifications, it is important to consider any specific Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements Monitoring requirements in relation to their items.
You may wish to visit the Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements Templates section of haccp.com for examples of Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements documentation, record, and resource formats commonly applied within food safety and quality systems.
Corrective Action: Corrective action is mandatory action to be taken when a deviation to the Quality System occurs, particularly in relation to a Critical Control Point.
Preventative Action: At any step in the process where a hazard has been identified, preventive action must be put into place to prevent re-occurrence.
Corrective Action and Preventative Action are implemented to ensure that any identified non-conformance issues are documented, investigated, and rectified within appropriate time frames.
Corrective action is any action applied to regain control over a product, process, policy, or procedure that has been identified as being non-conforming outside nominated limits of acceptability.
Preventative action is any action applied to prevent any identified non-conformance from reoccurring.
The outcomes of corrective and preventative actions should result in regained process control after effective application. Specified corrective actions are commonly linked to the HACCP Plans and the food business certification process.
Below are Corrective Action and Preventative Action examples which may be associated with Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements related non-conformance:
When an employee is seen not complying with any of the policies outlined in the food safety program, it is the responsibility of the supervisor/manager to recognize this and provide the employee with new or refresher training.
If your food business supplies foodstuffs manufactured to a customer’s specifications, it is important to consider any specific Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements Corrective Action requirements in relation to their items.
You may wish to visit the Corrective Action and Preventative Action section of haccp.com for examples of best practice applications for this food safety and quality system element.
Verification: The act of reviewing, inspecting, testing, checking, auditing, or otherwise establishing and documenting whether items, processes, services, or documents conform to specified requirements.
Verification is the detailed review of all food safety and quality system elements to confirm that they are effectively developed, documented, implemented, monitored, and reviewed. All food safety and quality system elements, including documented policies, procedures, training, HACCP plans, and their operational applications must be verified on an ongoing scheduled basis. The verification process commonly includes a defined schedule for which verification activities are required, how often they are conducted, who is responsible, and detailed documented procedures for each nominated verification activity.
The general goal of an established verification process is to ensure any systemic non-conformance issues are identified and rectified within an appropriate time frame. When non-conformance issues are identified through the verification process, Corrective Actions and Preventative Actions should be implemented to ensure they do not impact the effectiveness of the food safety and quality system.
The following examples of verification activities may apply to Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements:
If your food business supplies foodstuffs manufactured to a customer’s specifications, it is important to consider any specific Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements Verification requirements in relation to their items.
You may wish to visit the Verification Activities section of haccp.com for examples of best practice applications for this food safety and quality system element.
Validation: The process of gathering evidence to provide a scientific basis for the documented act of demonstrating that a procedure, process, and activity will consistently lead to the expected results. It often includes the qualification of systems and equipment.
Validation is the provision of evidence to support the limits of control or acceptability for food safety or quality parameters nominated within systemic elements. Limits of control or acceptability are commonly included within documented food safety and quality systems elements such as procedures, HACCP plans, and specifications.
Common sources of validation include regulatory and legislative standards, finished product specifications and customer requirements, industry codes of practice and guidelines, verified and validated research, historical product, and process control outcomes, and analytical testing.
The general goal of an established validation process is to ensure any systemic non-conformance issues are identified and rectified within an appropriate time frame. When non-conformance issues are identified through the verification process, Corrective Actions and Preventative Actions should be implemented to ensure they do not impact the effectiveness of the food safety and quality system.
Validation activities are commonly defined within the verification schedules and procedures of established food safety and quality management systems.
The following examples may apply to validation of the limits of control or acceptability for Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements:
If your food business supplies foodstuffs manufactured to a customer’s specifications, it is important to consider any specific Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements Validation requirements in relation to their items.
You may wish to visit the Validation Activities section of haccp.com for examples of best practice applications for this food safety and quality system element.
Skills and Knowledge: Skills and knowledge are attributes of human interactions commonly linked to competency within any specified job-related task.
Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements must be ongoing, including regularly scheduled reviews to ensure the effectiveness of Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements outcomes.
Team members who have defined responsibilities regarding Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements should have knowledge including:
Team members who have defined responsibilities regarding Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements should have skills including:
Team members who have defined responsibilities regarding Training, Competency, and Resources Requirements should have access to resources including:
If your food business supplies foodstuffs manufactured to a customer’s specifications, it is important to consider any specific Training, Competency and Resources Requirements Training, Competency, and Resources requirements in relation to their items.
You may wish to visit the Training, Competency, and Resources section of haccp.com for examples of best practice applications for this food safety and quality system element.
haccp.com was created to support food businesses and food industry professionals in achieving and maintaining the stringent requirements of food industry compliance.