Staff Training, Records and Verification
Training
All food handlers need allergen awareness training at induction and refresher training at planned intervals (commonly annually) and when processes or menus change. Training should be role-specific: kitchen staff need cross-contact controls; front-of-house staff need communication, signposting and escalation. Training must be recorded (who, when, content, trainer, assessment) and effective - competence should be checked, not just attendance.
Records
Keep records of: allergen risk assessments; supplier specifications and approvals; recipes and ingredient lists; allergen matrices; cleaning schedules and checks; training; incident reports and complaints; verification checks; and traceability. Records must be accurate, legible, dated, retained for the required period, and available for inspection.
Verification
Verification proves controls are working: internal audits, spot checks (e.g. asking staff a menu question), label checks, cleaning verification, supplier audits, and reviewing complaints and incidents. Verification findings must feed back into the risk assessment. Understand the difference between monitoring (ongoing checks) and verification (confirming the system works).
Traps
- Training attendance alone is not evidence of competence.
- Records that are undated or unsigned undermine the defence.
- Verification is not the same as monitoring.
- Refresher training must be triggered by change, not only by the calendar.
Worked example
A manager runs a monthly spot check: three staff are asked whether a named dish contains sesame. Any wrong answer triggers retraining and a review of the allergen matrix, with the check recorded and dated.