RSPH Level 1 Food Hygiene Awareness is an Ofqual-regulated qualification (number 601/8307/X) issued by the Royal Society for Public Health. It is the entry-level award for people who do not directly prepare open high-risk food, but whose work brings them into contact with a food environment — kitchen porters, cleaners, waiting staff, warehouse pickers, drivers and front-of-house teams.

UK food safety law requires every food handler to be trained, instructed or supervised to a level appropriate to their role under Retained Regulation (EC) No 852/2004. For staff who do not handle open high-risk food, an Ofqual-regulated Level 1 qualification is what most Environmental Health Officers and insurers expect to see on file. Failing to evidence baseline training is one of the issues that pulls down an FSA Food Hygiene Rating at inspection.

Level 1 suits staff in supporting roles around food — porters, cleaners, waiting staff, retail assistants handling wrapped products, warehouse pickers and delivery drivers. Anyone who directly prepares, cooks or serves open high-risk food should be trained to Level 2 instead. If you are unsure which level a role needs, our trainer will steer you on the call.

Kitchen Tonic delivers Level 1 as an in-house session at your premises only — the qualification is designed for whole teams and does not run as a public scheduled course. The session takes one working day (4 guided learning hours) and finishes with the official RSPH-supplied 16-question multiple-choice exam under invigilation.

The official RSPH specification covers basic food safety law, food hazards (microbial, chemical, physical and allergenic), personal hygiene, handwashing and reporting illness, basic cleaning and waste handling, and an introduction to temperature control. It is the practical baseline knowledge needed to work safely around food without preparing it directly.

Assessment is a single 20-minute multiple-choice paper with 16 questions, supplied and marked against the RSPH standard. The pass mark is 12 out of 16. The exam is sat at the end of the training day under invigilation by Kitchen Tonic, and certificates are issued directly by RSPH on successful completion.

Yes. The certificate is Ofqual-regulated and issued directly by the Royal Society for Public Health. It is recognised by Environmental Health Officers across the UK and accepted by employers, insurers and primary authorities as evidence of regulated baseline food hygiene training.

There is no statutory expiry date for food hygiene training in the UK, but the Food Standards Agency and most EHOs recommend refresher training every 3 years. Staff who progress into roles handling open high-risk food should move up to Level 2 rather than refreshing at Level 1.