
Highfield Level 3 Award in Food Allergen Management in Catering (RQF)
Who is this qualification for?
This qualification is aimed at individuals responsible for the purchase, delivery, production and serving of food in the catering industry and is also suitable for those who own/manage a small catering business.
This qualification is supported by Allergy UK, who regard it as suitable staff training for catering outlets that wish to apply for their Allergy Aware Scheme.
Topics Covered
- These include the manager’s role in ensuring that food ingredients and allergens are effectively managed, procedures relating to the communication of ingredient information from supplier to consumer, the importance of implementing controls to prevent contamination from allergenic ingredients, and the methods for managing ingredient controls and procedures
Why is it important?
According to Allergy UK:
- The UK has some of the highest prevalence rates of allergic conditions in the world. Over 20% of the population affected by one or more allergic disorder.
- A staggering 44% of British adults now suffer from at least one allergy. Furthermore, the number of sufferers is on the rise, growing by around 2 million between 2008 and 2009 alone. Almost half (48%) of sufferers
The course also includes details of The UK Food Information Amendment, also known as Natasha’s Law, which comes into effect from October 2021.
This new legislation requires all food businesses to provide full ingredient lists and allergen labelling on foods prepackaged for direct sale on the premises. The legislation is being introduced to protect allergy sufferers and give them confidence in the food they buy.
Developing food allergen awareness and management processes within your team are, therefore, key to complying with these regulations. Your customers need to be confident that the information you have provided is complete and correct. If they have a food allergy, they need to be confident that the food you are serving is safe to eat.
People who unknowingly eat food which contains an allergen may cause them to have an allergic reaction. Some of these people may even die.
As an employer, failing to comply with the Food Information Regulations can carry heavy penalties. In other words, fines, a bad reputation and possibly even imprisonment.
How long will it take?
One Day.
Topics covered
The qualification is designed to provide knowledge and understanding of food allergens and foods that commonly cause intolerances, their characteristics and effects, the importance of effectively communicating information regarding allergenic ingredients to customers, and how staff can minimise the risk of cross-contamination from allergenic ingredients.
Assessment method
This qualification is assessed by a one hour 30 question multiple choice question paper with a pass mark of 18 correct answers or distinction of 24 correct answers.