FOOD HYGIENE ratings that were introduced by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), have now become commonplace as all food outlets have to comply with and display them.
While the “scores on the doors”scheme has recently been the subject of much discussion, the Welsh Food and Drink Skills Project is proactively driving change and supporting food premises in Wales to understand better how the scheme works and how they can improve. The fully accredited courses have been developed by Food Business Assistance in collaboration with Lantra, after research into the Food and Drinks Supply Chain (FDSC) in Wales revealed a shortage of key skills to drive the industry forward in the coming years. Caryl Tudor Jones, Project Coordinator for The Welsh Food and Drink Skills Project said: “As consumers we should be confident that food outlets are operating responsibly and the food hygiene ratings scheme helps in giving us that confidence. “However our research tells us there is a need to improve the skills of workers within the food sector to better understand what is required and how they can meet the requirements. “Our courses have been developed with the needs of businesses at the very forefront of the training so they are not just another box-ticking exercise, but fundamental to the success of the business. Scoring lowly on the Food Hygiene Rating is not good enough, when, with simple, practical and affordable training, all Welsh businesses could achieve the very highest marks which is what we want to see, the business want to see, and of course the people who eat or buy their food there.” Upcoming Food Hygiene Rating training courses are on Wednesday, June 18 at the Food Centre Wales, Horeb, Llandysul (£42) and on Wednesday, July 2, at Glynd?r University (£42). Despite the FDSC being Wales’s largest collective employer, employing 230,000 people and generating £6.5 billion a year, The Welsh Food and Drinks Skills Project has found that skills gaps will stifle this vital industry unless addressed now. Food Hygiene Rating training courses are just one of the many that the Project have on offer to close the skills gap, and get the FDSC ready to meet the needs of the coming years. To learn more about Lantra’s accredited Food Hygiene Rating training courses, or to find out what other courses we have that may be of interest to you, please contact The Welsh Food and Drink Skills team on 01982 552646 or visit www.foodanddrinkskills.co.uk.
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