Pupils clean up with food hygiene training

Thursday 6 September 2007

Thousands of Scottish schoolchildren will receive accredited elementary food hygiene training with the help of Food Standards Agency Scotland funding.

So far, more than 8,600 children from 110 secondaries are registered, but schools can still apply for financial support to offer the course, certified by the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland, to youngsters.

The Agency has committed £270,000 to the project, over a three-year period, to help with funding towards the cost of student registration, course materials, certificates and examination fees.

Food Standards Agency Scotland Assistant Director Jim Thomson said: 'This is an excellent opportunity for us to work closely in partnership with both REHIS and Scottish secondary schools to help improve food hygiene, an essential part of what we do here at the Agency.

'We know that many schools are already delivering or are set up to deliver some form of certified food hygiene training.

'This funding, by helping to facilitate this training, will help give children vital food hygiene skills early on, which hopefully they will use and pass on throughout their lives.'

Graham Walker, REHIS Director of Training, said: 'The Institute is extremely grateful to the Agency for making this funding available for Scottish secondary schools to allow them to deliver the REHIS Elementary Food Hygiene Course. This training initiative will provide pupils with a nationally recognised qualification and will ensure that they have the knowledge to handle food safely, not only at home but also at work if they gain employment in the food industry when they leave school.'

Schools wishing to participate should notify the Food Standards Agency Scotland and then register interest with REHIS as soon as possible.

For further information on the funding, schools should contact FSAS_enforcement_branch@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk or call 01224 285100.