Level 3 HACCP Training

A strong food safety system is essential, and everyone in the food industry must understand how it works. Although systems can be tailored to each business, EU law requires them to follow HACCP principles, making a HACCP certification vital for all food staff.

HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points and is a seven-principle system designed to assess and address potential hazards in food industry workplaces. Employers can only demonstrate safe compliance if their staff are trained in line with the seven principles of HACCP.

Our HACCP Level 3 course is designed for managers, supervisors, team leaders, and business owners responsible for developing and maintaining these systems, ensuring you and your team meet recognised safety standards.

Throughout this online course, learners will master how to create and maintain an effective food safety system, apply HACCP principles to their specific business type, and establish the necessary procedures for consistently safe food production.

While food handlers and preparation staff should complete our Level 2 HACCP Training Course, this Level 3 qualification is specifically for those with team management duties and responsibility for implementing HACCP systems. You’ll also need to take a Level 3 Food Safety Course for Supervisors, which we also provide.

What you will learn

On completion of this e-learning course and assessment, supervisors and managers will be able to:

• Outline the need for, and understand the importance of HACCP-based food safety management systems
• Describe the HACCP approach to food safety procedures
• Describe the importance of prerequisite programmes and what they should contain
• Explain and evaluate the five preliminary steps in the logical application of HACCP
• Easily identify hazards and risks in a food preparation or production process
• Determine what is a critical control point (CCP) for significant hazards and establish critical limits
• Describe the procedures required for monitoring CCPs and the corrective action procedures

Suitable for

This HACCP Level 3 online course is essential for food safety managers and supervisors responsible for developing and maintaining HACCP systems. It's ideal for business owners and managers across the catering and retail sectors, including restaurants, cafés, takeaways, food trucks, school kitchens, bars, and pubs.

The online course enables you to implement effective food safety systems that comply with Regulation 852/2004, Article 5, while avoiding disruptive off-site training. Your team will learn to analyse hazards and determine control points effectively, demonstrating your commitment to food safety excellence through convenient, first-class HACCP training.

If you’re wondering which HACCP course is right for you, we have a handy guide.

Other people who would be suited for this course are:

• Senior Manager
• Senior Bar Manager
• Senior Hotel Manager
• Senior Café Manager
• Senior Takeaway Manager
• Business Owners
• Anyone involved in the implementation of a HACCP system

Certification and accreditation

This Level 3 HACCP course is CPD certified, demonstrating its commitment to professional development standards in food safety training. Upon successful completion of the 30-question multiple choice assessment (requiring an 80% pass mark), you'll receive an instant digital certificate.

Your HACCP Level 3 certificate will feature:

• CPD and Virtual College certification logos
• Your name and achievement date
• Unique certificate number
• Course modules covered

You have six attempts to achieve the pass mark at no additional cost, with further attempts available through our support team if needed. We recommend keeping your certificate safely stored for training records and compliance purposes.

If you are looking for the foundational course, you can take our Level 2 HACCP Training before moving on to your Level 3.

Why is HACCP important?

A successful food safety system is fundamental to any food business, and HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is the internationally recognised approach. This seven-principle system is designed to assess and address potential hazards in food industry workplaces, and EU law requires all food safety systems to be based on HACCP guidelines.

By implementing HACCP effectively, businesses can:

• Demonstrate their qualification to fulfil duties safely
• Meet legal requirements for food safety management
• Protect consumers through systematic hazard prevention
• Maintain consistent food safety standards
• Document and verify their food safety procedures

Does this course meet food safety legislation requirements?

Yes, this HACCP Level 3 online course is designed to help your business comply with EU food law Regulation 852/2004, Article 5, which requires all food businesses to implement and maintain HACCP-based food safety procedures. By completing this course, you and your team will learn how to:

• Implement the mandatory HACCP procedures required by law
• Create and maintain documented food safety management systems
• Meet your legal obligations for staff training in food safety
• Demonstrate compliance during food safety inspections

The course content is regularly updated to reflect current food safety legislation and best practices, ensuring your business stays compliant while protecting both consumers and your reputation.

Legislation covered in this course includes:

The key legislation regarding HACCP is the EU food law, Regulation 852/2004, Article 5. It was introduced on 1st January 2006, making it mandatory that all food businesses both implement and maintain a permanent procedure based on the HACCP system.

This was first just a recommended procedure in the 1990s, but it was soon discovered that failure to implement these procedures could have disastrous consequences for both consumers and businesses. Therefore, following this law, businesses within the food industry need to put measures in place to protect consumers from unsafe food, and HACCP is considered the best way of achieving this.

Course duration

This Level 3 HACCP Training course should take two to three hours to complete, but this depends on how quickly each individual absorbs the study material.

Progress is recorded and automatically saved throughout by the Virtual College Learning Management System, meaning learners can take as long as they need to complete the HACCP training.

Entry requirements

There are no specific entry requirements for this Level 3 HACCP training course.