FOOD PREMISES INSPECTION TRAINING PROGRAMME

FOR

 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PRACTITIONERS IN NIGERIA.

 APPROVED BY

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICER REGISTRATION COUNCIL OF NIGERIA

IN COLLABORATION WITH

INSTITUTE   FOR TOURISM   PROFESSIONALS.

 

FOOD SAFETY INSPECTION TRAINING PROGRAMME

FOR

Environmental Health Practitioners in Nigeria.

POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN FOOD PREMISES INSPECTION. (Level 6)

 Requirements for Regulated Premises(Food Business)

The establishment in which food is being handled stored, and distributed, produced, by the food business operator and the persons handling them should conform to the sanitary and hygienic requirements, food safety measures and other standard as specified below. It shall also be deemed to be the responsibility of the food business operator to ensure adherence to necessary requirements.

Environmental Health Practitioner (EHP): is a regulatory professional responsible for conducting food safety inspections of one or more of the following types of establishments:

• Public and Private Organisations food services,
• Tourism, Hospitality, Catering, Leisure, Road Side, Grocery stores, Restaurants, and other food services.

In addition to inspecting premises for food safety, Environmental Health Practitioners (EHP),carry out food standards inspections. Food standards include the quality, composition, labelling, presentation and advertising of food and also materials or articles in contact with food.

“Food business operators are to ensure that food handlers are supervised and instructed and/or trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their job description.

“Environmental Health Practitioners are to enforce the universally agreed norms on food hygiene which requires that Food Business Operators must make sure that staff are adequately supervised and instructed and/or trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their job description. Also those persons involved in the development and maintenance of the food safety management system i.e. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) must receive adequate training in relation to this.

FOOD BUSINESS OPERATION COMPETENCE.

 In addition to the above, Environmental Health Practitioner (EHP): conducting food safety inspections  need to be trained in the activities of food business, which are critical to ensuring food safety, and ensure that adequate safety procedures are identified, implemented, maintained and reviewed periodically. The following specifications (physical and operational standards) that would assist in compliance, and should be interpreted in relation to the needs of each premises, including size, scale and type of operations.

Physical Standards.Location and Surroundings, Design and Construction, Services, Interior Surfaces, Equipment, Facilities, Lighting, Ventilation, Staff facilities, Customer Areas and Equipment Maintenance

Operational Standards:-Purchases, Delivery, Storage, Preparation, Temperature Control, Cleaning and Disinfection, Stock Rotation, Pest Control, Refuse Storage and Disposal, Structure and Equipment, Health and Safety. 

INSPECTION OF FOOD PREMISES.

To perform effectively as environmental health  practitioner conducting food safety inspections in establishment in which food is being handled stored, and distributed, produced, the following skills will be enhanced.

1. investigative skill;
2. analytical skill;

• communicative skill;

1. educative skill;
2. organizational skill and
3. attitudinal skill.