How long does a food allergy certificate last?

While Food Allergy Awareness Training does not technically run out, it is best practice to renew it every three years. However Virtual College are constantly updating our courses to keep up to date with food hygiene, legislation and guidance therefore some organisations encourage retaking each year.

What is Allergen Training?

It's essential that food handlers in retail and catering settings have an awareness of what food allergens are, how they can affect the safety of customers, and how they should communicate the right allergen information to those who need to know. Our online Food Allergen Awareness course will teach you how to comply with the UK's allergen laws, so you understand which foods commonly cause allergic reactions, how these should be labelled on food products under the EU Food Information for Consumers (FIC) Regulation, and how to ensure customers are provided with accurate information about the food they are purchasing.

Who should receive training in Allergen Awareness?

The course is aimed at food handlers and anyone working in a role that involves contact with food, or the management of such people. If you manage or work in a food-related business, you need to make sure your operations are compliant with EU Food Information for Consumers Regulation No.1169/2011 / Food Information for Consumers Regulation (FIC) and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No. 78 / 2014 amending Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 1169 / 2011.

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Food Allergy Awareness Online Training Course

For millions of allergy sufferers in the UK, their safety depends on proper preparation and handling of food. Our online food allergy training gives anyone working in a food-related business the practical knowledge and confidence to protect their customers. You’ll learn how to handle allergens safely and professionally, including updates for Natasha’s Law.

Course Overview

Format

Intermediate
1-2 hours
Online Study
Self-Printed Certificate

Accreditation

3 CPD Points
RoSPA Assured

Course description

This Food Allergy Awareness Training course is designed to help learners identify the fourteen particular food allergens which must, by law, be recognised and to understand why foods containing allergens must be handled carefully.

Did you know that there's no cure for food allergies and intolerances? One mistake with allergens can cause life-threatening harm, which is why proper allergen control is essential for every food and beverage business.

Keep your customers safe

Our allergy-focused food safety training will teach you how to confidently handle allergen enquiries and prevent cross-contamination to keep customers safe.

Stay legally compliant

With Natasha's Law PPDS Regulations now in effect, it’s your job to understand your responsibilities to the latest food information regulations. Our RoSPA Assured training covers all current legal requirements so your knowledge is up to date.

Expand your professional knowledge

Master the identification and handling of all 14 most common allergens
Learn effective communication with customers about ingredients
Develop confidence in managing emergency situations
Earn 3 CPD points for your professional development

Virtual College’s online learning makes it simple

It’s time to rethink your perception of food hygiene courses. Gone are the days of classrooms, time limits and dry content. Virtual College’s online food allergy training makes learning essential knowledge simple, engaging & memorable.

Complete the course at your own pace
Interactive materials that give real workplace scenarios
Immediate certification upon completion
24/7 course access on any device

This allergen training course is aimed at food handlers and anyone working in a role that involves contact with food, or the management of such people. Learners are introduced to the fourteen common food allergens and the importance of handling food containing allergens carefully.

The material is provided in an interactive format that is designed to be engaging and accessible. A basic knowledge of food hygiene will mean learners progress quickly, but the course is designed for anyone working in the service or hospitality sectors and should be suitable for any staff member to give them the knowledge needed to work effectively and safely.

Course Content

Our course experts have carefully structured each module to build your confidence and capabilities. Here’s an overview of each module in our food allergy and intolerance training course.

Module	What it includes
Introduction	An introduction to the course structure, learning outcomes and who the course is for.
What is a Food Allergy	We look at what a food allergy is, explain the importance of controlling food allergens in regard to consumer safety, and we describe the cause and symptoms of food allergens and intollerances.
Food Safety Hazards	We explore some of the hazards involved with food allergies including physical, chemical, biological and allergenic. We also give you the facts and figures of the food allergy rates from the last 15 years.
How to Deal with a Medical Emergency	This module focuses on what to do in the event of an emergency involving an allergic reaction. We cover an emergency checklist,including calling 999, effectively communicating symptoms and reassuring the customer.
Legislation - Food Information for Consumers	We explore the food safety laws and requirements to sell food to the public and the food allergens that need to be identified by law including celery, eggs, milk, sesame seeds, milk and more. We also show you how to recognise allergens of product labels.
Loose Foods and Communication Between Consumers and Staff	We explain the responsibilties of being aware of what ingredients are present when preparing foods to be sold to a consumer and the best ways of presenting this information. We also explore avoiding cross contamination and preparing foods safely.

Each module includes interactive content and real examples to help you apply what you've just learned to your own workplace.

Certification & assessment

We believe in making certification straightforward and impactful which is why we’re proud to have a 75% pass mark. Our assessment process will test what you’ve learned. You’ll have:

Practical multiple-choice questions that test your understanding
Six attempts at passing
An instant digital certificate upon completion

Once completed, your certification demonstrates to employers and customers that you take food safety seriously.

Legislation

The most important piece of legislation currently in force when it comes to allergens in food is the Food Information for Consumers Regulation 2014. This is an EU ruling designed to help make sure that people who suffer from allergies can quickly, easily and reliably determine which foods are safe or not safe for them to eat.

The primary requirement for the Food Information for Consumers Regulation 2014 is that items containing any of the 14 primary allergens must be clearly labelled on pre-packaged food so that consumers know what they are purchasing.

All food handlers have a legal duty-of-care to take all precaution to ensure that the food they produce, sell and served is safe for the customer to consume. It is therefore vital that food handlers undergo food allergy training so they are aware of any potential triggers for allergic reactions.

This food allergy training course will teach learners how to keep customers as safe as possible, and the importance of having an understanding of what the safest food to offer allergy sufferers is.

The 14 allergens that must be labelled or indicated as being present in foods are:

Celery
Cereals containing gluten
Crustaceans
Eggs
Fish
Lupin
Milk
Molluscs – such as mussels and oysters
Mustard
Nuts - including almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts
Peanuts
Sesame seeds
Soybeans
Sulphur dioxide and sulphites

Who is this course for?

This allergen training course is for anyone who owns, manages or works in a food-related business as they need to make sure their operations are compliant with EU Food Information for Consumers Regulation No.1169/2011 / Food Information for Consumers Regulation (FIC) and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No. 78 / 2014 amending Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 1169 / 2011.

The Food Allergy Awareness Training Course is therefore suitable for food handlers, as well as those with a role that involves contact with food, or managing workers who do.

Why take this course?

By the end of the food allergy and intolerance training course, learners will:

Understand what both a food allergy and intolerance are
Learn to recognise the symptoms of an allergic reaction
Know which ingredients could cause allergies
Understand what allergy information is required on pre-packed food labels
Understand what to consider to keep consumers safe
Know how to provide allergen information specific to their food business

Course accreditation

Our Food Allergy Awareness Training Course is RoSPA Assured and the certificate, awarded upon successful completion of the training, includes their logo.

The content of the Food Allergy Awareness Training Course has been independently certified as conforming to universally accepted Continuous Professional Development (CPD) guidelines.

Course duration

The Food Allergy Awareness Training Course should take one to two hours to complete, but this depends entirely on how quickly each individual learns and absorbs the study material.

As the course is self-paced and progress is recorded throughout, learners can complete the training in stages.

Entry requirements

There are no specific entry requirements for this course.

This course is not a formal RQF food safety & hygiene qualification, the levels only indicate the type of course so that businesses can choose whom it is suitable for.

You will learn

What both a food allergy and intolerance are

How to recognise the symptoms of an allergic action

Which ingredients could cause allergies

What allergy information is required on pre-packed food labels

What to consider to keep consumers safe

How to provide allergen information specific to your food business

Who is it for?

Roles including:

Food business owners and managers responsible for compliance with EU Food Information Regulation No. 1169/2011 (FIR) / Food Information for Consumers Regulation (FIC)

Kitchen staff and food handlers

Restaurant and café owners

Hotel and catering managers

School and hospital kitchen teams

Takeaway and fast food staff

Food retail workers

Anyone whose role involves contact with food

Whether you're responsible for a team or working in hands-on food preparation, this food allergy course will help you become allergy-aware in your role

Legislation

Legislation covered in this course includes:

EU Food Information Regulation No. 1169/2011 (FIR) / Food Information for Consumers Regulation (FIC)

Article 14 of EU General Food Law Regulation 178/20021

Food Allergy FAQs

How long does a food allergy certificate last?

While Food Allergy Awareness Training does not technically run out, it is best practice to renew it every three years. However Virtual College are constantly updating our courses to keep up to date with food hygiene, legislation and guidance therefore some organisations encourage retaking each year.
What is Allergen Training?

It's essential that food handlers in retail and catering settings have an awareness of what food allergens are, how they can affect the safety of customers, and how they should communicate the right allergen information to those who need to know.
Our online Food Allergen Awareness course will teach you how to comply with the UK's allergen laws, so you understand which foods commonly cause allergic reactions, how these should be labelled on food products under the EU Food Information for Consumers (FIC) Regulation, and how to ensure customers are provided with accurate information about the food they are purchasing.
Who should receive training in Allergen Awareness?

The course is aimed at food handlers and anyone working in a role that involves contact with food, or the management of such people.
If you manage or work in a food-related business, you need to make sure your operations are compliant with EU Food Information for Consumers Regulation No.1169/2011 / Food Information for Consumers Regulation (FIC) and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No. 78 / 2014 amending Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 1169 / 2011.

How the online courses work

Find a course

To begin searching for your online training you can click on the course category section on our website and browse through all of our training categories.
Alternatively if you already know the title of the training you’re looking for you can use the search bar located in the centre of the homepage and go directly to the course you want.
Buy the course

When buying one of our courses, you will need to enter a valid email address which will be used to create your account with our Learning Management System – Enable – where you will take the training. We will also send your purchase receipt to this email address, and any additional courses purchased in future using the same email address will be added to your system account.
Once you have purchased a course, you will be able to send this course to other people using your system account with Enable by entering the new learner’s email address so that they may access the training and set up their own system account with our Learning Management System.
If you are not 100% satisfied with your course then we offer a 30-day, no hassle money-back guarantee. To request a refund, you should email our learner support team with your receipt stating why you would like to be reimbursed. You, or your learners, must not have completed the training in order to make a valid refund claim. Any claim made after the training has been completed will be invalidated.
Take the course

This online course consists of a series of pages in which an instructor will talk learners through the lesson material. Pages may include supporting pictures, graphs, animation or extra sounds to help with the learning where appropriate. Some lessons will include challenges/quizzes to help learners stay engaged and interested in the material. Lessons can be taken in any order and each lesson may be paused and resumed at any stage.
The course is self-paced so learners decide how fast or slow the training goes. There is no deadline for completion but some of our courses have a test at the end to check that learners have understood the material. If the course has a test at the end then learners are required to achieve a 75% pass mark to successfully complete the course. Once learners have passed the test they are awarded a certificate, which can either be downloaded digitally or sent as a physical copy if this option was chosen when purchasing the course.
Your Certificate

Upon completion of any of our courses, learners will be able to download a digital certificate from Virtual College which will include the accrediting bodies logo where applicable, the learner's name, the title of the course and the date of completion.
If you have purchased the posted certificate option, available on selected courses, a high quality, seal embossed, certificate will be sent out the following working week after completion.