"Can we take a shortcut? Can I skip the class, or have someone else attend on my behalf, and you just issue me the certificate?
According to Regulation 30 of the Food Hygiene Regulations 2009, all food handlers must attend the Food Handler Training Course and obtain a certificate. Violators can be fined up to RM10,000 or imprisoned for up to two years. When health officers inspect food premises, they will definitely check whether all food handlers hold this certificate. So, is the value of this course merely a document for officers to inspect? Absolutely not! There are several benefits you might not have noticed yet.
New employees, especially those who have never worked in a food establishment, may feel uncertain about food handling tasks. Let's think about where they typically learn how to handle food:
- Probably they learn from movies
- Probably they learn from parents or elders (if their family business is/was in the F&B industry)
- Probably they learn from watching other F&B employees
- From bosses, superiors, or senior colleagues
- or based on their own assumptions (because "that's how mom does it at home")
Attending the LPM course allows employees to understand the basic requirements for keeping food clean and safe, which are also necessary knowledge for complying with Ministry of Health regulations. After taking this course, food handlers can independently check whether their daily operations are correct. Moreover, employees who are willing to honestly sit through a 3-hour class literally show a the willingness to work in a food establishment.
Therefore, bosses can use this opportunity to test whether new employees are truly willing to work in the food sector. I once had an employee who, even after attending my class, continued to wear nail polish and heavy makeup to work over the following days. The boss was baffled, thinking I had given the wrong advice, and asked me to have a conversation with his staff. When guide them, I found out that this employee didn't misunderstand what I taught—she simply lacked the mindset to be a competent food handler. I also learned that their previous job was working as a front-desk receptionist in heels and full makeup. After that session, not long ago, I heard they quit their job.
A leader once told me: "It's great that our QA (Quality Assurance) team is rigorous, but if we can cultivate everyone as a QC, then we won't have to worry about food safety." Everyone is a valuable asset to the company and can help safeguard food hygiene and safety. Therefore, training is an indispensable part of any business. Through this course, employees not only learn food handling concepts and comply with Ministry of Health regulations, but they also obtain a permanent certificate that is valid nationwide. One stone kills 3 birds eh?
Students will learn the following in class:
- Personal hygiene, especially when handling food
- How to select qualified tools, keep them clean, and use them properly
- How to maintain hygiene inside and outside food premises and control pests
- How to select save raw food, along with proper handling and storage methods
- How to produce/prepare safe food
- How to handle cooked food... and more.
Look at these contents. If we were to cover everything in detail, I feel 3 hours of teaching is barely enough. However, just give me three hours!
Some bosses have asked: "Do bosses need to take the class? Surely not, right?"
I believe that if you are in management, you need to understand the correct concepts of food handling even more. Once you understand this course, you can supervise whether your employees are doing things right. This way, if a problem is found, it can be corrected immediately rather than waiting for health officers to inspect and discover operational errors.
Even though employees have completed the 3-hour course and get high score in the tests, it does not mean they have "graduated" or are ready to "take charge." NO! After taking the class, food handlers need practice and must cultivate good habits; they must not only do the job right, but also do it skillfully. At this point, if management exercises strict control, the food safety standards of the establishment will gradually improve, and a culture of maintaining food safety will eventually form.
Regulations state that everyone handling food in an establishment must take this course. I believe management, especially business licensees, should take the class so they can easily supervise the work of food handlers. Furthermore, applications for various food licenses—such as canteen tenders, MeSTI (processing plants), BeSS (restaurants), and Home-based Food enterprises—all require the licensee to hold a Food Handler Training Course certificate.
In recent years, I have noticed that the Food Handler Training Course has gradually become even more crucial. Many major cities have begun implementing policies where a primary condition for supplying local food products to government sectors is having certification. To obtain that certification, all food handlers must possess LPM certificate.
It may seem like this course is merely an "entry ticket" to getting certified, but let's think about this: if your employees realised the importance of food hygiene and food safety and started to practise accordingly after attending the training, they will surely be able to help you take great care of your food business. Do you agree? Welcome to share your thoughts in the comments section.
