Food Handler in Singapore

In Singapore, food handlers play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and hygiene of food and beverages. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) regulates food establishments and requires food handlers to register and undergo training.

Who is Considered a Food Handler?

They include:

  • Chefs
  • Sous chefs
  • Cooks
  • Kitchen assistants
  • Food/ hawker stall assistants
  • Food manufacturing workers

These individuals are directly involved in food manufacturing and preparation, including activities such as:

  • Culturing
  • Canning
  • Deboning
  • Cutting
  • Defrosting
  • Cooking
  • Packing

Handle Food or Beverages? 🫵🏼 You are a food handler. 

WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1

The Course is Mandatory

As of July 1, 2023, all food handlers in retail and non-retail food businesses must pass the WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1 to ensure compliance with SFA regulations. This requirement aims to:

  • Enhance food safety and hygiene knowledge
  • Prevent food-borne illnesses
  • Protect public health

Consequences of Non-Compliance

Non-retail food establishments that fail to comply with the training requirement by July 1, 2023, or hire someone without the valid course certificate may face enforcement actions. You cannot work as a food handler unless you are trained and registered with the WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1.

Course Overview

We are a training provider approved by SFA and SSG to conduct WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1. The course is based on a national curriculum accredited by SFA. The course was previously known as Basic Food Hygiene Course before November 2020.

This course equips food handlers with essential knowledge and skills to ensure food safety and hygiene in Singapore’s Food and Beverage (F&B) industry.

By passing WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1, food handlers can:

  • Commence work as a food handler
  • Enhance career prospects in the F&B industry
  • Gain essential knowledge and skills in food safety and hygiene
  • Contribute to a safer and healthier food environment

Course Objectives

  • Train food handlers to follow food safety and hygiene policies and procedures
  • Ensure compliance with Environmental Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations

Course Content

  1. Practise Good Personal Hygiene
    • Importance of good personal hygiene
    • Impact of good personal hygiene on prevention of food-borne illnesses
    • Apply hand washing procedures
    • Importance of working only when in good health
    • Environmental Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations
  2. Use Safe Ingredients
    • Use safe and wholesome food ingredients
    • How to clean and wash food as required
  3. Handle Food Safely
    • Impact of safe defrosting to prevent contamination
    • Importance of preventing cross-contamination
    • Considerations for handling high-risk food
    • Considerations for handling ready-to-eat food
    • Importance of maintaining food hygiene during food transportation
    • Environmental Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations
    • Separate and label meat grinders used for processing mutton, pork, and beef
  4. Store Food Safely
    • How temperature affects the growth of germs in food and expiry date
    • Importance of holding and storing food at proper temperatures
    • Importance of maintaining proper storage conditions
    • Importance of ensuring that food products and items used in food preparation and service are stored away from potential sites of contamination
    • Importance of stock rotation, such as first expire, first out (FEFO) system
    • Environmental Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations
  5. Maintain Cleanliness of Utensils, Equipment, and Service/Storage Areas
    • Importance of using correct procedures during cleaning
    • Importance of using clean and safe utensils and equipment to prepare food
    • Importance of keeping premises clean to prepare food safely
    • Impact of good refuse management
    • Importance of effective pest control at food establishments
    • Environmental Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations

Who Must Attend

  • Anyone seeking work involving the handling and preparing of food and beverages
  • Food handlers in SFA-licensed food establishments
  • Kitchen managers, supervisors, chefs, cooks, and food stall assistants

Minimum Entry Requirements

  • At least 17 years old
  • Basic English or Mandarin proficiency

We conduct WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1 in English, 中文 and Malay

Course Details

  • Duration: 1 day (6 hours of training and 1.5 hours of assessment)
  • Mode of Delivery: Classroom. Our venue is within 5-minute walk from Marymount MRT (Circle Line). We are convenient for those at Bishan, Ang Mo Kio, Punggol, Hougang, Thomson, Novena, Newton, Balestier, Toa Payoh, Serangoon, Yio Chu Kang, Yishun.
  • Assessment: Multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, and practical performance
COURSE TITLE
TECHNICAL SKILL COMPETENCY CODE		ENQUIRE
WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1
FSS-FRC-1004-1.1		Register
食品安全课程1级(中文)
FSS-FRC-1004-1.1		报名课程

Certification

  • Letter of Attainment (LOA) issued by us, for your immediate registration as a food handler with SFA
  • Statement of Attainment (SOA) issued by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG)
  • Validity: Permitted to engage in food handling activities for up to 5 years upon completion

Registration as a Certified Food Handler

Food handlers can register with SFA through the Food Handlers Digital DataHub (FHD2H) platform with our LOA or SOA, prior to commencing work.

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