Food is one of the most important things for the sustainability of human beings. And it is equally important for food to be safe to be nutritious for humans. Every year, almost 1 in 10 people fall ill due to contaminated food. One must know about the precautions that should be taken while having food you can know all these key points through food safety online courses.
So, food safety has been increasingly discussed to make individuals aware of how to save consumers from the risk of food-borne illnesses. A number of digital courses are available to educate you about the significance of food safety in our daily lives.
List of Best Food Safety Online Courses and Certificate Programs
Here is a well-researched list of the top food safety online courses offered by trusted online platforms and universities. This is a very beneficial course that will provide you with the opportunity to explore the basics of food safety in an extensive manner.
1. Certified Professional – Food Safety (CP-FS) – NEHA
The National Environmental Health Association has provided an online course on food safety. This course has been prepared by industry experts who discuss the various food safety disciplines to ensure that the quality of the food is under control and well maintained. This is a certified professional course that helps students prepare for the national environmental health Association CP-FS examination. There are a total number of 40 lectures in this course. Upon the completion of the course, they will have an evaluation to test the knowledge learned.
Course Highlights:
- Understand the concept of food safety and security
- Learn about the causes of foodborne diseases and illnesses
- Identify the importance of food sanitation
- Cover the legal aspects of food security
- Become aware of the sampling of foods in laboratories
- Review the HACCP plans
Course Duration: Self Paced
2. Food Safety for Managers and Supervisors – Udemy
An online course has been developed on Udemy To educate individuals about food safety from the perspective of managers and supervisors. This course highlights the importance of HACCP in food safety and security. Experts from organizations such as EHO have been called for engaging in discussions And imparting their knowledge. There is a free workbook that can be downloaded in the form of a PDF to help you understand the basic terminologies of the subject. Each course contains quizzes to test your knowledge side-by-side.
Course Highlights:
- Get a brief introduction to the importance of food safety through flow diagrams
- Familiarise yourself with the seven principles of HACCP
- Introduce yourself to the core aspects of food safety management
- Understand the food safety law and its overall development throughout the years
- Study the brief history of pest control and food sanitation
- Cover all the aspects of food safety and security
Course Duration: 2 hours
3. Food Safety, Quality and Standards Training – NSF International
The National Sanitation Foundation has provided an opportunity to all individuals interested in learning something about food safety through its e-learning at home. This course promises a lot, including virtual courses, hands-on projects, engaging activities, interactive discussions, and extensive training. The Food safety and quality online program includes many online courses which can be taken to fully understand and master this concept. These courses are available online, through virtual training and offline through in-person teaching.
Course Highlights:
- Identify the framework for the implementation of food safety systems
- Understand the concept of food safety and its various aspects
- Learn about the global food safety rules and regulations
- Review food-producing industries to ensure that seafood production complies with the international laws
- Realize food fraud vulnerability assessment
- Gain the supervisory skills to prevent food fraud
Course Duration: Self Paced
4. Nutrition and Health: Food Safety – edX
Fourth on the list of food safety online courses is Nutrition and Health: Food Safety by edX. Wageningen University Has launched an online self-guided course on edX to help young learners become aware of the growing concern around food safety. This course promises to improve your skills in food safety and security by exploring the risks involved in them and learning to manage them. The videos are put together in a very interesting and engrossing manner which makes the viewers inquisitive about the topic. This course provides a certificate of completion. However, the certificate will be provided only when the participant upgrades their registration.
Course Highlights:
- Learn about the building blocks of food safety
- Get an overview of the food hazards
- Analyse the risks involved and learn how to manage them
- Introduce yourself to the concept of risk reporting and risk interpreting
- Understand the different types of microorganisms that influence food
- Identify the ways to reduce risks in food and ensure their safety
Course Duration: 8 weeks
5. Diploma in Food Safety – Alison
This is an online self-regulated course on food safety that indulges in telling people about the practices and techniques for good food hygiene and management. It explores the guidelines and principles of food safety and hygiene. The skills of restaurant management, food service and food technology are also thoroughly discussed to provide the attending individuals with a holistic perspective of food safety. This course is designed keeping in mind the food safety managers and supervisors who need to study this topic in depth.
Course Highlights:
- Introduce yourself to the concept of personal hygiene and water quality
- Learn about the basic concepts of food safety
- Recognize the various food hazards present
- Realize the importance of pest control in food safety
- Review the cleanliness policies in the food service industry
- Identify the foodborne illnesses and learn to teach them
Course Duration: 20 hours
6. Online Food Safety Training – Foods Standard Agency
Food standards agency has offered online training on food security and safety. Under this training, the individuals will be familiarised with allergens, labelling, root cause analysis, traceability, and vacuum packing. These are free courses that provide you with a general understanding of the core aspects of food safety. These courses will be taught through self-study, on-the-job training, and extra reading materials. Apart from this, you will be able to download an information pack called Safer food, better business through the official website.
Course Highlights:
- Learn about the fundamentals of food safety
- Examine the managing allergens in a kitchen
- Familiarise yourself with the food labelling legislation
- Know what is the root cause analysis and incorporate it into food businesses
- Understand the role of traceability in food business operations
- Comprehend the importance of food hygiene and sanitation for food safety
Course Duration: Self Paced
7. FS 250 Basics of Food Safety & Quality – NC State University
NC State University has promised to inculcate knowledge in young minds on the basics of food safety and quality. This course examines the need to maintain food quality and safety in food processing units and industries. It is designed on the pattern of the regulations and international standards set by the FDA. This course is available in spring as well as fall. There are a few prerequisites that need to be fulfilled to apply for this course. Individuals who want to take up food safety as a profession must take up this course.
Course Highlights:
- Have an introduction to the basics of food safety and quality
- Get real-life examples and case studies to learn the concepts better
- Review the food industries and their safety regulations
- Study in detail through the documentaries and presentations provided
- Learn about the importance of sanitation in the food manufacturing units
- Test your knowledge through self-assessments
Course Duration: 3 hours
8. Food Safety & Sanitation for Food Manufacturers (Online Course) – Penn State College
Penn State College of agriculture sciences has provided a digital learning course on food safety and sanitary practices. This is a self-paced independent study course. In this short-duration program, you will be introduced to the essential components of food safety, and the practice is to maintain the highest standards of sanitation. This course is suited for anyone who wants to know about the details of this topic. There are no such prerequisites for attending this course. A verified certificate of completion will be provided at the end of the course.
Course Highlights:
- Familiarise yourself with the scientific principles of food safety and sanitation practices
- How to maintain a reputation of food safety sanitation
- Identify the various types of hazards in food processing units
- Practice personal hygiene techniques to prevent food contamination
- Analyse the HACCP concepts and plans
- Introduce yourself to the sanitation pieces of equipment and methodologies
Duration: Self Paced
9. Online MS in Food Safety Program – Michigan State University
This course is ninth on the list of food safety online courses. Michigan State University has launched an online program on food safety in its summer semester. It is a professional science Masters’s program that provides a degree at the end of the course. It provides an advanced study of food safety and quality through understanding the broad range of information available. This program is of great benefit to people looking to pursue a career in the food processing or manufacturing industry. This program consists of 10 three-credit courses that are equal to 30 credit-hour programs.
Course Highlights:
- Learn about essential components of food safety and sanitation
- Evaluate the information available on food safety to successfully manage it
- Understand the growing concern regarding food security
- Develop the skills of critical thinking and leadership by studying food security
- Review the existing food security and safety rules and regulations
- Identify the food hazards and foodborne illnesses
Course Duration: 3 years
10. Graduate Certificate in Food Safety – USC Online
The University of Southern California has organised an online graduate program on the subject of food safety and security. This is a course, taken by the Department of Regulatory and Quality Science, that provides online accredited graduate degrees to all the young and keen learners who want to participate in the food processing and management industry in future. As this course is at an advanced level, some prior knowledge about food safety is assumed to be known by the registered individual.
Course Highlights:
- Learn about the effectiveness of food safety management
- Gain the basic knowledge of the tools used in food safety
- Discuss the framework of policies adopted in food and its related industries
- Examine the rules governing traditional foods
- Strengthen your toolkit in the basic knowledge of food safety
- Master the skill of risk management
Course Duration: Self Paced
11. Food Safety in the Event of Disasters: An Introduction ER310
National Environmental Health Association has developed another online self-regulated course on food safety. This course examines the importance of food safety in the mishappening of a disaster or an emergency. This course has been made to train food safety inspectors with the basic knowledge to use ROH techniques and methods. This is a unique course with module lectures and interactive sessions with fellow course takers.
Course Highlights:
- Learn about the building blocks of food safety
- Get an overview of the roles and responsibilities of food safety inspectors
- Identify the types of food-borne diseases
- Know the treatment of food-borne illnesses
- Understand the concept of risk management
- Analyse the ROH techniques and learn to use them
Course Duration: Self Paced
Eduinformer rating – 4.6 / 5
12. Fun Food Safety and Sanitation Course – Udemy
This course is twelfth in the list of food safety online courses and is an entertaining yet educational online course that teaches the fundamentals of food safety, security and sanitation. With learned instructors and academics, this course goes into the details of discussing the basics of keeping food hygienic and safe to eat at the beginner’s level. One hour of on-demand video, one article, 13 downloadable resources and a certificate of completion are some of the many perks of this online self-learning course. There are quizzes to test you after each subtopic.
Course Highlights:
- Understand the importance of good cooking
- Learn about the unknown facts about food safety and hygiene
- Identify the types of contamination of food
- Develop ways to prevent these contaminations
- Study in-depth the role of HACCP
- Expand your knowledge through extra reading material
Course Duration: 1 hour
13. Introduction to Food Safety – Australian Institute of Food Safety
The Australian Institute of Food Safety has provided an introductory digital course on the subject of food safety and quality management. People who are looking to start their profession in this stream or are just looking to expand their knowledge can take this course. This program contains four short lecture courses, each of them covering an important aspect of food safety. Those who sign up and successfully finish the course will receive a recognized certificate of completion and access to a library of downloadable resources.
Course Highlights:
- Get a preview of the food allergies and intolerances
- Analyze the data and statistics recorded concerning food allergies
- Highlight the significance of food safety and sanitation
- Learn to maintain a clean workplace
- Know about the importance of personal hygiene in food safety
- Familiarise yourself with the rules and regulations associated with food safety
Course Duration: 2 hours
14. Introduction to Nutrition and Food Safety – FutureLearn
Individuals seeking to enrich themselves by learning the introduction of food safety and its management have an opportunity on the digital platform of FutureLearn to do so. The topics of Nutrition and longevity, Nutrition in adulthood, Pesticide residues in food, Food adulteration, and inspection are thoroughly discussed and covered in this online self-guided program. A mixture of virtual classrooms and interactive sessions with professionals makes this a very engrossing course on food safety.
Course Highlights:
- Recognize the nutritional requirements of infants and elders
- Analyze the food hazards and illnesses
- Learn the building blocks of nutrition and food safety
- Identify the harmful food additives and how they influence the body
- Unleash the truth about food adulteration
- Establish a link between nutrition and food safety
Course Duration: 4 weeks
15. Level 1 Food Hygiene & Safety Certificate Online – High-Speed Training
Environmental Health Officers have approved and audited this course on food safety and quality management. Being a beginner’s level course, this program covers all the possible aspects of food satay, its rules and legislations, features and components in a detailed manner. This course provides a certificate of completion, accredited by the CPD Certification Service after the participant has achieved at least 80% in their final assessment.
Course Highlights:
- Know about food safety, food hygiene law, and the importance of food safety
- Understand the food safety hazards and the 4 Cs
- Identify the cleanliness and personal hygiene in food safety
- Learn about the 4 Cs: Cross-Contamination
- Examine the importance of temperature control, food deliveries and many more
- Test your knowledge about food safety through an assignment
Course Duration: 2 hours
