When it comes to keeping food safe, HACCP and food hygiene training are often mentioned together, but they’re not the same thing. Understanding the difference is essential for anyone working with food, whether you’re running a food business or applying for a job in a kitchen.
Let’s break it down — and explain why you might need both to stay compliant and protect your customers.
What Is Food Hygiene?
Food hygiene refers to the practices, conditions, and precautions taken to ensure that food is safe to be consumed. These include things like:
- Personal hygiene (e.g. correct hand washing, correct PPE to be used or worn)
- Storing food at the right temperature
- Preventing cross-contamination
- Keeping workstations clean (cleaning and sanitising of equipment and work surfaces)
- Safe cooking temperatures
Essential food hygiene training teaches staff how to safely handle, store, and prepare food within their daily tasks. It’s about creating safe habits in the kitchen and following the rules established by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). It is a legal requirement for all food handlers to have the appropriate Food Hygiene training before handling and preparing food.
What Is HACCP?
HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points. It’s a systematic, preventative approach used by food businesses to identify and manage food safety risks.
In short:
🛑 HACCP = What might happen, and how do we stop it?
These involve:
- Analysing potential hazards (biological, chemical, physical)
- Identifying critical control points in the food production process
- Setting up monitoring procedures and corrective actions
- Keeping records to prove due diligence
HACCP is a legal requirement for most UK food businesses.
So… What’s the Difference?
| Feature | Food Hygiene | HACCP |
| Focus | Day-to-day cleanliness and handling | System-wide risk management |
| Required for | All food handlers | Food business operators/managers |
| Teaches | Clean habits, legal compliance | Risk analysis, monitoring & control |
| Training level | Level 1–3 | Level 1 –3 HACCP training |
| Legal requirement | Yes (for food handlers) | Yes (for food businesses) |
Why You Might Need Both
If you’re a food handler, you need basic food hygiene training (minimum Level 2) to work in a kitchen or food production area legally.
If you’re a business owner, supervisor, or manager, you need to have a HACCP system in place — by taking a training course, this will provide the knowledge and understanding of HACCP, to then be able to implement a HACCP system effectively.
- 🍽️ A kitchen porter or chef needs solid food hygiene training to do their job safely.
- 🏪 A business owner needs HACCP knowledge to design and maintain a food safety management system.
- 📄 If you’re working your way up the hospitality ladder, having both certificates not only shows you’re compliant — it shows you’re serious.
Still unsure? A good rule of thumb:
If you prepare, cook, serve, or manage food processes, you need both hygiene awareness and HACCP understanding.
If you require training in Food Hygiene and HACCP, take a look at our accredited online courses, designed for all food handlers.
