Posted By Dave Wilson As an EX EHO dont think there is but must be part of their qualification to become a teacher in this subject, I wold ask the Local Env Health Dept Food Section, remember this is for teaching school pupils to prepare,cook and present food not for preparing and selling food to the public so dont know if food hygiene regs apply (not a commercial activity)

Posted By Bill Elliott The training should be comensurate with the level of involvement with food and the risk. It may be that local instruction will be all that is necessary however, the food safety risk assessment will identify the level of risk and the controls necessary to minimise the risks particularly at those points "critical for ensuring food safety". The whole point of the Food Safety Act was to ensure food safety "from farm to plate" (and every point in between). Selling is not important - if food is available - it must be protected. I would agree that kitchen staff would need the basic certificate AT THE VERY LEAST - supervisory staff or those with managerial responsibility for food safety also need to be trained - so they are aware of the risks and how to prevent problems occuring.

Posted By Ian Minty It does not matter whether the food is for sale or not. There is still a "duty of care" to ensure the children are not poisoned. To ensure that this is not the case, all our primary teachers who teach cooking are put through a basic food hygiene course.

Posted By Ian Minty This is what we do in our area. We are particularly tight on food safety in our primary schools after a pupil was allowed to take in "some of granny's goat cheese" for everyone to sample. This ended with around 40 pupils and staff with e-coli and an HSE prosecution. So we thought that it would be prudent to train teachers basic food hygiene and increase their awareness of high risk foodstuffs and suitable suppliers etc.

Posted By Tracey Thompson Thank you very much for all your responses, they have been very helpful. Tracey