Level 2 Food Hygiene & Safety for Catering
4.8 Excellent
Pivotal University
The accredited training academy of Pivotal. Practical, certified courses that take you from new star...
£29.00
Enrol now — £29.00
FOR TEAMS
Train your whole team
Buy seats, invite your people, and track everyone’s progress from one place.
Instant access · Learn at your own pace
51 lessons
12h 37m total
Lifetime access
A comprehensive Level 2 Food Hygiene and Safety course for catering. Built for anyone who prepares, cooks, handles or serves food — in restaurants, cafés, takeaways, pubs, hotels, schools and care settings — it is one of the most thorough and best-illustrated Level 2 courses available online.
Across nine in-depth modules you'll cover the full breadth of Level 2 food hygiene topics: food safety law and your responsibilities, the bacteria behind food poisoning, contamination and the 14 allergens, personal hygiene, temperature control from delivery to service, cleaning and disinfection, pest control, and HACCP-based food safety management — each brought to life with clear, branded diagrams of the danger zone, chopping-board colours, the six stages of cleaning and more.
Finish with a comprehensive final assessment (80% to pass, unlimited attempts, every answer explained) and earn your Certificate of Completion.
On completion you'll earn a Certificate of Completion you can log towards your CPD. This course builds food hygiene knowledge to a Level 2 standard; it is not an Ofqual/RQF-regulated qualification, and your workplace's own food safety management system and procedures always apply on top.
Across nine in-depth modules you'll cover the full breadth of Level 2 food hygiene topics: food safety law and your responsibilities, the bacteria behind food poisoning, contamination and the 14 allergens, personal hygiene, temperature control from delivery to service, cleaning and disinfection, pest control, and HACCP-based food safety management — each brought to life with clear, branded diagrams of the danger zone, chopping-board colours, the six stages of cleaning and more.
Finish with a comprehensive final assessment (80% to pass, unlimited attempts, every answer explained) and earn your Certificate of Completion.
On completion you'll earn a Certificate of Completion you can log towards your CPD. This course builds food hygiene knowledge to a Level 2 standard; it is not an Ofqual/RQF-regulated qualification, and your workplace's own food safety management system and procedures always apply on top.
Course Curriculum
11 sections · 51 lessons · 12h 37m
Introduction to Food Safety and the Law
Why Food Safety Matters: The Human and Business Case
20 min
UK Food Safety Legislation: The Legal Framework
25 min
Responsibilities, Due Diligence and Enforcement
25 min
Knowledge Check
3 min
Microbiological Hazards and Food Poisoning
Understanding Micro-organisms: Friend, Foe and Spoiler
15 min
How Bacteria Multiply: FAT TOM and the Conditions for Growth
20 min
The Danger Zone: Temperatures That Matter
15 min
Spores, Toxins and Why Cooking Isn't Always Enough
15 min
The Named Pathogens: Salmonella to Botulinum
25 min
Vulnerable Groups, Symptoms and High-Risk Foods
15 min
Knowledge Check
3 min
Contamination and Cross-Contamination
The Four Types of Contamination
10 min
Cross-Contamination: Routes and Vehicles
20 min
Preventing Cross-Contamination and the 4 Cs
20 min
Physical and Chemical Contamination
15 min
Food Allergies and Anaphylaxis: The Stakes
15 min
The 14 Named Allergens and Natasha's Law
25 min
Knowledge Check
3 min
Personal Hygiene
The Food Handler as a Source of Contamination
10 min
Hand Washing: The Single Most Important Habit
20 min
Protective Clothing, Cuts and Personal Conduct
20 min
Fitness to Work: Reporting Illness
15 min
Knowledge Check
3 min
Temperature Control: Delivery, Storage, Chilling and Freezing
Safe Deliveries and Back-Door Food Safety
15 min
Stock Rotation, FIFO and Date Labelling
15 min
Chilled and Frozen Storage
15 min
Cooling and Thawing Safely
15 min
Monitoring, Recording and Probe Calibration
15 min
Knowledge Check
3 min
Temperature Control: Cooking, Hot-Holding, Reheating and Serving
Thorough Cooking and Time/Temperature Combinations
20 min
High-Risk Cooking: Poultry, Mince, Eggs and Rice
20 min
Hot Holding, Reheating and the Single-Reheat Rule
15 min
Cold Display, Service and the Two-Hour/Four-Hour Rule
15 min
Knowledge Check
3 min
Cleaning, Disinfection and Waste
Cleaning, Disinfection and Sanitising: Knowing the Difference
15 min
The Six Stages of Cleaning and Two-Stage Cleaning
15 min
Cleaning Schedules, Clean as You Go and Waste Management
20 min
Knowledge Check
3 min
Pest Control and Food Premises
Why Pests Are a Serious Hazard
10 min
Common UK Food Pests and Signs of Infestation
20 min
Preventing and Dealing with Pest Infestations
15 min
Premises and Equipment Design for Food Safety
15 min
Knowledge Check
3 min
Food Safety Management: HACCP in Practice
Food Safety Management Systems and Safer Food, Better Business
15 min
The Seven Principles of HACCP
25 min
Critical Control Points in Action
20 min
Capstone: Bringing It All Together as a Responsible Food Handler
25 min
Knowledge Check
3 min
Resources & Glossary
Quick Reference & Glossary
5 min
Final Assessment & Certification
Final Assessment
20 min
Frequently asked questions
How long is the certificate valid?
There is no fixed legal expiry, but food hygiene training is commonly refreshed every three years as good practice and in line with many employer policies.
Who is this course for?
Anyone who handles, prepares or serves food in a catering setting: kitchen and waiting staff, chefs, baristas, care and hospitality workers, and food business owners inducting new team members.
Is this course accredited or recognised?
It is CPD-aligned and certificated on completion, but Pivotal University holds no external accreditation, so it is not a regulated or Ofqual qualification. It maps to the Level 2 Food Hygiene and Safety for Catering syllabus and is widely used as evidence of training; always check your employer or local EHO requirements.
How long does the course take?
There is around 12 hours and 37 minutes of content across 51 lessons. Because it is self-paced, you can work through it in one go or spread it over several sessions, and your progress is saved as you go.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. When you complete the modules and pass the final assessment (80% to pass, with unlimited attempts and every answer explained), you earn a Certificate of Completion. You can download it and add it to your CV or LinkedIn profile.
Is it self-paced, and are there any prerequisites?
Yes. Every course is fully online and self-paced with lifetime access, so you can start anytime and learn at your own pace on any device. There are no prerequisites unless the course says otherwise.
Course reviews
4.8 / 5
Excellent
Passed first time
Clear, quick and genuinely useful. The certificate was instant — exactly what I needed.
S
Sarah M.
Verified learner
Great for the team
Rolled it out to my whole team. Easy to track and looks really professional.
D
David P.
Verified learner
Really solid
Well structured and easy to follow. Took me an afternoon and I felt confident throughout.
A
Aisha K.
Verified learner
Highly recommend
Brilliant refresher and the diagrams made everything stick. Would happily do another.
T
Tom B.
Verified learner
£29.00
4.8
Enrol now — £29.00
FOR TEAMS
Train your whole team
Buy seats, invite your people, and track everyone’s progress from one place.
Instant access · Learn at your own pace
51 lessons
12h 37m total
Lifetime access