in this guide

What the law requires What "due diligence" means Why training is central Which course your staff need

If your business makes, processes or handles food, you carry significant legal responsibility for keeping it safe. The good news: the law is built around a clear, practical idea — take all reasonable precautions, and be able to prove it. That's the heart of the due-diligence defence, and staff training is one of its most important pillars.

What the law requires

Two key pieces of legislation set the standard in the UK:

  • The Food Safety Act 1990 — makes it an offence to sell food that is unsafe, or not of the nature, substance or quality demanded.
  • Retained Regulation (EC) 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs — requires food businesses to put in place food safety management procedures based on HACCP principles, and to ensure staff are supervised, instructed and trained in food hygiene appropriate to their role.

In other words, training your food handlers isn't a "nice to have" — it's written into the hygiene regulations.

What "due diligence" means

If something does go wrong, the Food Safety Act provides a defence: that you took all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence to avoid the offence. To rely on it, you need evidence — and trained, certificated staff are a core part of that evidence trail, alongside your HACCP plan, cleaning schedules, temperature records and supplier checks.

Put simply: due diligence is doing everything reasonable to keep food safe — and keeping the records to prove it.

Why training is central

Well-trained staff prevent contamination before it happens. A Level 2 food safety qualification gives your team a shared understanding of hazards, personal hygiene, cleaning and the principles behind your HACCP system — so your procedures are actually followed on the floor, not just written in a folder. It also demonstrates, on paper, that you've instructed your people to a recognised standard.

Which course your staff need

For staff working in a manufacturing or processing environment, our Level 2 Award in Food Safety for Manufacturing is the right fit — it's tailored to manufacturing settings rather than catering. It's a one-day course with a nationally-recognised, Ofqual-regulated certificate valid for 3 years.

Not sure whether you need the manufacturing, catering or retail pathway? Ask us and we'll point you to the right one.

Note: This guide is general information, not legal advice. Refer to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and your local authority's environmental health team for guidance specific to your business.