We offer both a full-time and part-time Certificate of Higher Education in Food Safety & Food Legislation at undergraduate level. This qualification provides the academic learning required to gain the Higher Certificate in Food Control awarded by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH).
The Certificate of Higher Education in Food Safety and Food Legislation is a qualification issued by the University after successful completion of 120 credits of work in approved modules.
It follows the syllabus provided by the CIEH and is a route to qualify as a food safety officer.
Below is a list of some the subjects covered over the 2 years part-time or 1 year full-time.
- The main hygiene laws that apply to food businesses
- The powers of enforcement officers
- Food premises inspections
- HACCP
- Food microbiology
- Food identification and judgement of fitness
- Advanced food legislation & enforcement
- Hygiene management
- Food technologies
- Food Standards, labelling and composition.
- Advanced food microbiology
Once you have completed this course, if your aim is to become a food officer working for a local authority, then you will need to complete a Competency Development Portfolio (CDP) which demonstrates some practical experience. This is easiest done by gaining some work experience with a local authority. Then finally you will need to attend an interview with the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH). The portfolio and interview are administered by the CIEH and cost an additional £650. The CIEH's website contains further details of the CDP and interview.
Successful completion of the 3 elements will result in you being granted the Higher Certificate in Food Control which is the formal qualification mentioned in the Food Law Code of Practice. This will allow you to be authorised as an officer to carry out official controls such as inspections.
Not all students who attend the course however go on to work for local authorities. Some recent students have found work with independent auditing companies, and many find the course useful in their jobs within the food industry too.
The Certificate of Higher Education in Food Safety and Food Legislation provides specialist learning opportunities in food safety to practitioners in the food industry who are in supervisory, training or management positions and to Local Authority Inspectors. The programme will be of interest if you:
- Own or manage a food business
- Supervise a catering section or food production unit
- Are a head chef in a large catering kitchen
- Manage a housekeeping, catering or food production section
- Are responsible for writing or implementing food safety systems such as HACCP
- Provide advice or training on food safety, food hygiene or law
- Are a technical officer in a Local Authority with responsibility for food
- Have a particular interest in food safety and food law.
Why study the Certificate of Higher Education in Food Safety & Food Legislation at Birmingham?
- To increase your knowledge of common food legislation and the general framework in which it functions;
- To gain a fundamental understanding of the principles of Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment (HACCP) in relation to food safety;
- To learn about the common food borne pathogens and their significance in terms of food safety;
- To be able to critically assess current issues in food safety;
- To cover the academic syllabus for the Higher Certificate in Food Control.