The hygiene passport project
In Finland, employees working in food premises and handling unpacked perishable foodstuffs need to have a hygiene passport as evidence of their food hygiene competence. The national requirement has been in force since 2002. The aim of the hygiene proficiency system is to improve the knowledge and skills of employees in the food sector and thus promote food safety.
The objective of this study is to improve the national hygiene proficiency system. The importance of the Finnish hygiene passport system as evidence of competence in food hygiene will be evaluated. The level of knowledge of those who passed the proficiency test and the factors that influenced their performance will also be assessed.
Based on the results of the study, food legislation and the Finnish hygiene proficiency system could be improved. Food control authorities could take the results into account in risk-based food control and risk communication. Companies could plan the training of their employees based on the results.
Research group
Auli Vaarala (Evira, Risk Assessment Research Unit)
Pirkko Tuominen (Evira, Risk Assessment Research Unit)
Janne Lundén (University of Helsinki, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health)
Timetable
2017 - 2018
Project funding
Ruokavirasto
Additional information
Auli Vaarala, auli.vaarala@foodauthority.fi