FSAI Level 2 Food Safety Skills study plan

Classify the four hazard categories (biological, chemical, physical, allergenic) and sort 20 example scenarios into the correct category

Distinguish between contamination and cross-contamination and describe three routes by which each occurs in a food business

Identify the 14 named allergens and state two practical controls for preventing allergen cross-contact in storage, preparation and service

Explain how poor food handling, pests and equipment design each contribute to contamination events

Describe the conditions bacteria need to multiply (food, moisture, temperature, time, acidity, oxygen) and apply them to predict whether a given food scenario supports growth

Differentiate between food infection, food intoxication and toxicoinfection and give one causative organism for each

Name the key foodborne pathogens of concern (e.g. Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157, Campylobacter, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens, Bacillus cereus) with their main food sources

Outline the groups most vulnerable to foodborne illness and explain why they need stricter controls

State the safe temperature ranges for chilled storage, hot holding and the danger zone, and justify each limit

Describe the cooking and reheating temperatures needed to make foods safe and explain how to verify them with a probe thermometer

Explain the two-stage cooling requirement and the time limits that apply to cooling cooked food

Distinguish use-by from best-before dates and state the storage rules that follow from each

Describe correct practices for defrosting, freezing and cold display of food

List the personal hygiene requirements for food handlers covering hands, clothing, hair, jewellery and reporting illness

Explain the correct handwashing procedure and identify the moments when hands must be washed

Describe the legal and practical meaning of fitness to work and the exclusion rules for vomiting, diarrhoea and other relevant symptoms

Explain how a food handler's own health, cuts and skin conditions can contaminate food and how these are managed

Distinguish cleaning from disinfection and state when each is required

Explain the two-stage cleaning and disinfection process and the factors that affect its effectiveness (contact time, concentration, temperature)

Describe how to set up and use a cleaning schedule and how to verify cleaning has worked

Identify signs of pest activity and outline the control measures for preventing and managing pests

Explain safe chemical storage, labelling and dilution practices

Describe the design and layout features of food premises that support safe food handling, including surfaces, ventilation and drainage

Explain how equipment should be designed, installed and maintained to be cleanable and safe

Outline the requirements for waste storage, segregation and removal and how waste can become a contamination source

Describe the facilities required for food handlers (handwash basins, changing areas, toilets) and how their absence creates risk

Explain the purpose and structure of a HACCP-based food safety management system and define hazard analysis, CCP, critical limit, monitoring, corrective action and verification

Apply the HACCP principles to a simple process flow and identify at least two CCPs with their limits

Summarise the responsibilities of food business operators under food law, including record keeping and traceability

Explain what records must be kept and why accurate, contemporaneous records matter in an inspection

Integrate hazard, microbiological and temperature knowledge by answering mixed scenario questions across all domains

Review and correct any weak areas identified in earlier weeks using targeted re-study

Complete timed practice under exam conditions and analyse errors by domain

Consolidate key legal and HACCP definitions into a single revision summary