In many ways, a food handling certificate is more than just a piece of paper with your name on it. Yes, it is required in a wide range of situations (see below), but the benefits run a fair bit deeper. It shows that you’ve put your time in, learning everything you need about handling and serving food safely and how to best take care of the patrons in a bar, cafe or restaurant. It shows that you’re serious about your job and that you’re dedicated to the idea of making the hospitality industry as safe, as inviting and as strong as possible.
Thankfully, the process of getting your food handling certificate is relatively straightforward. You just need to keep a few key things in mind.
Who Needs a Food Handling Certificate?
If you work in an Australian business in the tourism, hospitality or catering fields and you directly handle food, you will need to obtain your food handling certificate before you begin employment. Just a few of the positions that require this certificate include, but are not limited to, ones like:
- Bar, food and beverage attendants
- Caterers
- Chefs
- Cooks
- Kitchen hands
- Kitchen stewards and more
Obtaining Your Food Handling Certificate
The process of obtaining your food handling certificate begins with a food handling course, like the kind currently offered by RSA Melbourne. These are extensive, one-day courses that cover a wide range of essential topics like:
- The basics of food safety, including why it is so important in different industries.
- Best practices with regards to how to actively monitor food safety in the workplace.
- Procedures that you can use to control food safety risks in an environment like a kitchen.
- Techniques that you can use to properly identify and assess the various food safety risks that may exist.
The course structure of this type of class will vary depending on exactly which type you’re talking about. Obtaining your Level One certificate in Food Handling and your Level Two certificate as a Food Safety Supervisor each takes about three hours to complete, or you can combine the two into one six-hour course and do them in the same day.
The food handling course that you take will cover all essential topics, from hygiene training and basic cleaning to other vital skills you need to work in the hospitality industry. Once you complete the course, you will obtain your Nationally Recognised Unit of Competency SITXFSA101 Use Hygienic Practices for Food Safety Certificate. You’ll then be in a great position to work in a kitchen, a cafe, at a kiosk, in a bar, at a restaurant or a hotel. At that point, the choice is truly yours and your career is about to begin in earnest.
If you’d like to find out more information about how to get your food handling certificate, or if you have any other important questions that you need to get answers to, don’t delay – contact RSA Melbourne today.
