[reblogged from raglanplayers]

  It is a scientifically proven fact that too much inactivity leaves you feeling lousy.  Human beings are naturally active creatures, so if we do not get enough mental stimulation it will have a negative effect on our mood.  And not only will this cause us to feel miserable, but it can even bring about physical symptoms.  Lethargy, muscle wasting and weight gain are all direct results of inactivity.

   If you have ever had a period of unemployment, then you will know how easy it is to just not bother.  You can soon convince yourself that it is pointless to look around for work and better to sit around watching the TV instead.  But this is a vicious circle; the more you mope around not bothering, the harder it will become to make an effort.

   We should never give up on ourselves, even if we have lost a good job.  And if there isn’t anything to apply for, then it can be a great time to get some additional training under your belt.  Going off to college and completing a joinery, plastering or food hygiene course will keep you mentally active and it will also make you feel far more positive!

[reblogged from flickr]

  Food may be an essential component to us all, but it goes far beyond that.  Most of us get a huge amount of pleasure from the act of eating and we will shape many of our activities around it; picnics, romantic dinners and buffets for example.  We even incorporate food into party games such as ‘bobbing for apples’ or seeing how many cream crackers we can get in our mouths at once!

  But food is also a massive global industry.  Every single day, hundreds of thousands of meals are being cooked or prepared by chefs and handed over to hungry customers.  And most of our colleges will run their own food hygiene course for the Jamie Olivers’ and Delia Smiths of tomorrow.

  The past couple of years have taught us all that many careers are not as safe as we once thought, but catering will always be a thriving industry.  That is, until eating goes out of fashion!

Let’s get the facts straight about food hygiene certificates and find out which is the most suitable for you. Yes, a food hygiene course taken online will be accepted by an Environmental Health officer and by local authorities.  They are specifically designed to help you meet the legal requirement for food handlers.  No, you don’t have to go to a local college or sit in a classroom to achieve your food hygiene certificate; you can take it online and sit back while your new food hygiene certificate finds its way to you through the post.

How do I know which course to take?

That’s easy. One simple rule:

If you make food to be sold, or sell food directl,  you need the Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate for Catering.

It’s the most popular course by far, but be sure to bear in mind that Environmental Health officer will be looking to see that you have refreshed your food hygiene training every 3 years!

What’s the law?

It’s fairly straight forward. Many people have doubts over whether their local authority, council, or specific company will accept their food hygiene certificate, and are looking for a guarantee that their Food Hygiene Certificate will be accepted.  The bottom line is, that in doing this training, you have met the legal obligation.

The Environmental Health officer is looking to see that food handlers are appropriately trained, and if you don’t have 2-3 hours for food hygiene training, you are at risk of failing your Environmental Health Officer inspection.

About the author:

Vincent Norland is an expert in training food handlers and reducing preventable food related illnesses. He recommends all food handlers obtain a food hygiene certificate.

Supplementary

There are different levels of Food Hygiene training, so we won’t get too caught up with these right now but I will give an outline of what they are.

Level 1 is just an awareness level, and so it is unsuitable for food handlers. If you make food to be sold or serve the food directly to the public this is inadequate. This old foundation or basic awareness course has been replaced by the Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate.

Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate is by far the most popular course. As a food handler, you will need to take this course every 3 years. This can easily be done online.

Level 3 is usually a 3 or 4 day course that would need to be booked at a local college, and is likely to be designed to allow you to manage a team of food handlers.

Level 4 allows you to train others in food handling.

In the run-up to the 2012 Olympic Games, Newham Council are starting a new scheme designed to help all hot food outlets and shops become better caterers.  The Healthworks programme will help all outlets comply with EU food hygiene regulations by providing food officers to help workshops, one-to-one coaching and nutritional advice.  The scheme is especially aimed at providing food safety training for those outlets that have had problems with food hygiene in the past.

Being the largest Olympic borough, it’s important that food outlets in Newham provide delicious and safe food to both the local residents and visitors for the Olympic Games.  As part of the Standards Agency’s Safer Food Better Business scheme, over sixty workshops will take place over the next two years to ensure all businesses and staff understand the principles behind food safety and how to implement these principles in the workplace.  Especially high on the priority list will be advice on how to store and serve food correctly, to avoid contamination and food poisoning.

As a country that has been mocked for its food for decades, perhaps the Olympic Games is our chance to show the world what we are really capable of doing!