EU-01 · full course
Food Industry and Food Technology
Plan, make, price and sell one small food product safely, from first idea to a 30-day pilot with real buyers.
about this course
What you will be able to do
Plan, make, price and sell one small food product safely, from first idea to a 30-day pilot with real buyers.
- Understand Explain the main food hazards and how a simple hazard-control plan stops them.
- Apply Scale a recipe, run trial batches and log yield, time and temperature.
- Analyse Calculate cost per unit, margin and waste, and find the biggest cost.
- Evaluate Judge shelf life from tests and decide scale, change or stop.
- Create Design a compliant label, a pack and a one-page product file.
Task, condition and standard
Task
Run a 30-day pilot of one small food product with a local anchor partner and keep a full record.
Condition
About 150 hours over 3 to 6 months. A licensed shared kitchen or partner premises, a scale, a thermometer, a free spreadsheet, a mentor and a peer circle.
Standard
Hazard plan complete; every batch logged; cost sheet reviewed by a mentor; label checked with the local food authority; at least 70% on the check.
Process learning only. You must follow your local food-safety law and may only sell from premises and with registrations your local food authority accepts.
Requirements: None. Currency is shown on every number.
lesson by lesson
8 modules with worked examples (150 h guided)
Module 1 Find a gap and a first buyer 5 hUnderstand
Good food businesses start with a person who will pay, not a recipe. Spend an hour in a market or shop and see what is missing.
- Write down 10 products with price per kilo or pack (with currency) and who buys them.
- Look for a gap: taste, size, diet, price point, freshness, convenience.
- Talk to 5 possible buyers (a cafe, a shop, a canteen, neighbours): what do you buy now, how often, what do you pay, what annoys you?
- Write a one-page idea: product, buyer, hoped-for price, pack size.
Activity. Complete the market table and the 5 buyer notes; draft the one-page idea.
Standard to meet. Price ten products, speak to five buyers, and name one buyer.
Module 2 Food safety as a way of thinking 6 hApply
Hazard thinking means: list each step, ask what could go wrong, and decide how you stop it. The aim is not paperwork; it is preventing harm.
- Four kinds of hazard: germs (biological), chemical, foreign bodies (physical) and allergens.
- Control points: cooking temperature, cooling time, cold storage, cleaning, hand washing, separating raw from ready food.
- Safe temperatures: keep cold food cold and hot food hot; the danger zone is the range where germs grow quickly. Use your authority's exact figures.
- Records: a simple daily log of temperatures, cleaning and batch codes is your proof.
Activity. Draw the flow of your product from delivery to sale and mark every hazard and control.
Standard to meet. Write a hazard question and a control for every step, and complete the allergen list.
Module 3 Recipe, scaling and yield 10 hApply
A home recipe is not a production recipe. Weigh everything and record process, time and temperature.
- Convert to weight (grams) not cups: weight is repeatable.
- Scale by a factor, then test: some things (salt, spice, baking time) do not scale in a straight line.
- Yield = weight out divided by weight in. Track it for every batch.
- Change one thing per trial; record taste, texture, colour and yield.
Activity. Build three trial batches, one change each; record all in a table.
Standard to meet. Complete three records with yield, and choose a final recipe with reasons.
Module 4 Shelf life and storage 8 hAnalyse
Shelf life is what you can prove, not what you hope. Heat, water in the food, acid, salt, sugar, air and packaging all matter.
- Keep samples of each batch in the same pack as sold and check on days 1, 3, 7 and 14.
- Judge look, smell, texture and (with your authority's guidance) safe testing.
- Use a date label that is shorter than the tested life, with a safety margin.
- Store and transport at the temperature your tests used.
Activity. Run a shelf-life test and decide the date label.
Standard to meet. Sample records for four dates; label date is shorter than tested life.
Module 5 Packs and labels 8 hCreate
A label is a legal document and a sales tool. Each country has its own rules; write down the rule you must follow and who told you.
- Usual items: name, ingredients in weight order, allergens clearly shown, net weight, batch code, date, maker contact.
- Never print health claims such as 'cures' or 'boosts immunity'.
- Pack choice affects shelf life, cost and waste; avoid over-packing.
- Ask the local food authority to check your label draft before printing.
Activity. Draft the label and get one expert comment.
Standard to meet. Check that all required items are present, allergens are highlighted, and no claims are made.
Module 6 Costing and pricing 12 hEvaluate
Know the cost of one unit before you set the price. Many beginners forget packaging, energy, rent share, delivery and waste.
- Cost per unit = total cost divided by units sold (not units made).
- Margin = (price minus cost) divided by price.
- Include labour at a fair hourly rate, even if you pay yourself.
- Check the break-even: fixed costs divided by margin per unit.
Activity. Build your cost sheet with currency on every line; present it to your peer circle.
Standard to meet. Calculate the margin twice by different routes, so that the mentor finds no missing cost.
Module 7 Run the 30-day pilot 60 hApply
Pilot means small, real and recorded. Sell to real buyers, or offer a paid trial, and learn quickly.
- Daily log: date, batch code, cost, units made, sold, waste, complaints.
- Keep a sample of every batch until it expires.
- Write down each complaint: what happened and what you changed.
- Review weekly with your mentor.
Activity. Run the 30 days and keep the log.
Standard to meet. Record 30 days, answer every complaint, and keep weekly review notes.
Module 8 Present, decide and plan 41 hEvaluate
A decision beats a feeling. Compare your first plan with what happened, and choose scale, change or stop.
- Make a before/after table: cost per unit, waste percent, repeat buyers.
- Write three lessons learned.
- Decide: scale (what you need), change (what), or stop (why).
- Give two peers written feedback: one thing strong, one thing to fix.
Activity. Present to a review room; collect a written note from one buyer.
Standard to meet. Support the decision with numbers, and give two peer reviews.
assessment
How you are checked
Evidence: your record, numbers and reflections. Two peers and one mentor mark it with this rubric. Pass: no criterion at "Not yet" and at least 70% on the check.
| Criterion | Not yet | Meets | Exceeds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batch records | Batches made with no log | Each trial batch has yield, time and temperature logged | Logs show the yield spread across batches and the change made because of it |
| Cost per unit | Price set without a cost | Cost per unit and margin worked from receipts, with currency | Cost per unit tested at two batch sizes, with the biggest cost named |
| Food safety | Hazards not listed | Hazard plan names each step's control and limit | Plan checked with the food authority's guidance and a written note kept |
| Shelf life and label | Date guessed | Shelf life set from a test, label lists allergens and date | Label checked against the local rule and shelf-life test repeated once |
| Buyers | No real buyer | Pilot sold to real buyers with a sales record | Buyer feedback turned into a dated change to the product or price |
Ten-question check, with model answers
Q1. Name the four kinds of food hazard.
Model answer: Biological (germs), chemical, physical (foreign bodies), allergens. (Covered in module 2: Food safety as a way of thinking. To pass that module: Write a hazard question and a control for every step, and complete the allergen list.)
Q2. Why separate raw and ready foods?
Model answer: To stop germs moving from raw to food that will not be cooked again. (Covered in module 2: Food safety as a way of thinking. To pass that module: Write a hazard question and a control for every step, and complete the allergen list.)
Q3. Yield for 4.0 kg out from 5.0 kg in?
Model answer: 80%. (Covered in module 3: Recipe, scaling and yield. To pass that module: Complete three records with yield, and choose a final recipe with reasons.)
Q4. Margin: price EUR 1.20, cost EUR 0.75?
Model answer: (EUR 1.20 - EUR 0.75) / EUR 1.20 = 37.5%. (Covered in module 6: Costing and pricing. To pass that module: Calculate the margin twice by different routes, so that the mentor finds no missing cost.)
Q5. What must a label show?
Model answer: Name, ingredients by weight, allergens, net weight, batch code, date, maker contact. (Covered in module 5: Packs and labels. To pass that module: Check that all required items are present, allergens are highlighted, and no claims are made.)
Q6. Two factors that lengthen shelf life?
Model answer: Lower temperature, acid, salt, sugar, less water, suitable packaging. (Covered in module 4: Shelf life and storage. To pass that module: Sample records for four dates; label date is shorter than tested life.)
Q7. Why keep a sample from each batch?
Model answer: To check what happens to a batch over its life and trace problems. (Covered in module 4: Shelf life and storage. To pass that module: Sample records for four dates; label date is shorter than tested life.)
Q8. What do you do after a complaint?
Model answer: Record it, find the cause, change the process, note the change. (Covered in module 7: Run the 30-day pilot. To pass that module: Record 30 days, answer every complaint, and keep weekly review notes.)
Q9. Which costs do beginners forget?
Model answer: Packaging, energy, rent share, delivery, waste, labour. (Covered in module 6: Costing and pricing. To pass that module: Calculate the margin twice by different routes, so that the mentor finds no missing cost.)
Q10. What decision options end the pilot?
Model answer: Scale, change or stop, with reasons from the numbers. (Covered in module 8: Present, decide and plan. To pass that module: Support the decision with numbers, and give two peer reviews.)
ladder L1 to L7
Slide by slide, with notes
Seven slides, one for each level. Step in at your level and move up; credits stack.
Slide 1. L1 Basic: What food technology is
On the slide: L1 Basic · What food technology is. Focus module: Food safety as a way of thinking (Apply, 6 h). Hazard thinking means: list each step, ask what could go wrong, and decide how you stop it. The aim is not paperwork; it is preventing harm. Key points: Four kinds of hazard: germs (biological), chemical, foreign bodies (physical) and allergens. Control points: cooking temperature, cooling time, cold storage, cleaning, hand washing, separating raw from ready food. Safe temperatures: keep cold food cold and hot food hot; the danger zone is the range where germs grow quickly. Use your authority's exact figures. Records: a simple daily log of temperatures, cleaning and batch codes is your proof.
Notes: Name the steps from recipe to shelf and one hazard. Notes: use a biscuit as the example; no tools needed. Teach: open with the worked example. Step 'cool cooked rice': hazard = spores grow if left warm; control = cool quickly to the authority's limit and refrigerate; check = timed temperature log; if it fails, discard. Then set the activity: Draw the flow of your product from delivery to sale and mark every hazard and control. Mark against the standard: Write a hazard question and a control for every step, and complete the allergen list. Check at this level: Name the four kinds of food hazard. Model answer: Biological (germs), chemical, physical (foreign bodies), allergens.
Slide 2. L2 Awareness: Hygiene and allergen awareness
On the slide: L2 Awareness · Hygiene and allergen awareness. Focus module: Packs and labels (Create, 8 h). A label is a legal document and a sales tool. Each country has its own rules; write down the rule you must follow and who told you. Key points: Usual items: name, ingredients in weight order, allergens clearly shown, net weight, batch code, date, maker contact. Never print health claims such as 'cures' or 'boosts immunity'. Pack choice affects shelf life, cost and waste; avoid over-packing. Ask the local food authority to check your label draft before printing.
Notes: Follow hand, surface and allergen rules. Notes: learners mark which labels name milk or wheat correctly. Teach: open with the worked example. A label draft shows 'Oat biscuits. Ingredients: oats, butter (milk), sugar, flour (wheat). Contains: milk, wheat. Net weight 250 g. Batch 0417. Use by 24.05.' It was checked by the authority. Then set the activity: Draft the label and get one expert comment. Mark against the standard: Check that all required items are present, allergens are highlighted, and no claims are made. Check at this level: What must a label show? Model answer: Name, ingredients by weight, allergens, net weight, batch code, date, maker contact.
Slide 3. L3 Foundation: Make and scale a recipe
On the slide: L3 Foundation · Make and scale a recipe. Focus module: Recipe, scaling and yield (Apply, 10 h). A home recipe is not a production recipe. Weigh everything and record process, time and temperature. Key points: Convert to weight (grams) not cups: weight is repeatable. Scale by a factor, then test: some things (salt, spice, baking time) do not scale in a straight line. Yield = weight out divided by weight in. Track it for every batch. Change one thing per trial; record taste, texture, colour and yield.
Notes: Scale a recipe and work out yield. Notes: 1.0 kg of dough giving 0.85 kg is 85 per cent yield, so 5 kg gives 4.25 kg. Teach: open with the worked example. Batch of 1.0 kg dough bakes to 0.85 kg: yield 85%. Scaling to 5 kg gives 4.25 kg expected. If you get 4.0 kg, investigate: oven time, moisture, measuring error. Then set the activity: Build three trial batches, one change each; record all in a table. Mark against the standard: Complete three records with yield, and choose a final recipe with reasons. Check at this level: Yield for 4.0 kg out from 5.0 kg in? Model answer: 80%.
Slide 4. L4 Practitioner: Run a 30-day food pilot
On the slide: L4 Practitioner · Run a 30-day food pilot. Focus module: Run the 30-day pilot (Apply, 60 h). Pilot means small, real and recorded. Sell to real buyers, or offer a paid trial, and learn quickly. Key points: Daily log: date, batch code, cost, units made, sold, waste, complaints. Keep a sample of every batch until it expires. Write down each complaint: what happened and what you changed. Review weekly with your mentor.
Notes: Run a small pilot with a food-safety plan and a log. Notes: practise cooling cooked rice quickly; record waste and returns. Teach: open with the worked example. Week 2 log shows 12 returned units from one batch. Cause found: under-baked centre. Fix: add a timed check and a core-temperature rule. Returns fall to 2 in week 3. Then set the activity: Run the 30 days and keep the log. Mark against the standard: Record 30 days, answer every complaint, and keep weekly review notes. Check at this level: What do you do after a complaint? Model answer: Record it, find the cause, change the process, note the change.
Slide 5. L5 Specialist: Shelf life, labels and cost
On the slide: L5 Specialist · Shelf life, labels and cost. Focus module: Shelf life and storage (Analyse, 8 h). Shelf life is what you can prove, not what you hope. Heat, water in the food, acid, salt, sugar, air and packaging all matter. Key points: Keep samples of each batch in the same pack as sold and check on days 1, 3, 7 and 14. Judge look, smell, texture and (with your authority's guidance) safe testing. Use a date label that is shorter than the tested life, with a safety margin. Store and transport at the temperature your tests used.
Notes: Set a use-by date with a safety margin and cost a batch. Notes: good to day 10 means a 7-day use-by; learners price 100 biscuits from their own costs. Teach: open with the worked example. Samples stored at 5 °C stay good to day 10. You set a 7-day 'use by' with a 3-day safety margin. Then set the activity: Run a shelf-life test and decide the date label. Mark against the standard: Sample records for four dates; label date is shorter than tested life. Check at this level: Two factors that lengthen shelf life? Model answer: Lower temperature, acid, salt, sugar, less water, suitable packaging.
Slide 6. L6 Advanced: Lead a food quality check
On the slide: L6 Advanced · Lead a food quality check. Focus module: Food safety as a way of thinking (Apply, 6 h). Hazard thinking means: list each step, ask what could go wrong, and decide how you stop it. The aim is not paperwork; it is preventing harm. Key points: Four kinds of hazard: germs (biological), chemical, foreign bodies (physical) and allergens. Control points: cooking temperature, cooling time, cold storage, cleaning, hand washing, separating raw from ready food. Safe temperatures: keep cold food cold and hot food hot; the danger zone is the range where germs grow quickly. Use your authority's exact figures. Records: a simple daily log of temperatures, cleaning and batch codes is your proof.
Notes: Audit a small kitchen against its plan. Notes: sample three records; check that fixes such as under-baked centres are logged. Teach: open with the worked example. Step 'cool cooked rice': hazard = spores grow if left warm; control = cool quickly to the authority's limit and refrigerate; check = timed temperature log; if it fails, discard. Then set the activity: Draw the flow of your product from delivery to sale and mark every hazard and control. Mark against the standard: Write a hazard question and a control for every step, and complete the allergen list. Check at this level: Name the four kinds of food hazard. Model answer: Biological (germs), chemical, physical (foreign bodies), allergens.
Slide 7. L7 Super expert: Design a food product line
On the slide: L7 Super expert · Design a food product line. Focus module: Present, decide and plan (Evaluate, 41 h). A decision beats a feeling. Compare your first plan with what happened, and choose scale, change or stop. Key points: Make a before/after table: cost per unit, waste percent, repeat buyers. Write three lessons learned. Decide: scale (what you need), change (what), or stop (why). Give two peers written feedback: one thing strong, one thing to fix.
Notes: Plan a range with safety, labelling and costing for several buyers. Notes: review risks and margins; present a 12-month plan. Teach: open with the worked example. Result: waste fell from 14% to 5%; repeat buyers 6 of 9. Decision: scale to two cafes, buy a second tray rack, keep price. Then set the activity: Present to a review room; collect a written note from one buyer. Mark against the standard: Support the decision with numbers, and give two peer reviews. Check at this level: What decision options end the pilot? Model answer: Scale, change or stop, with reasons from the numbers.
jobs this leads to
Where this takes you
- Small-batch food producer
- Production assistant in a food factory
- Food-safety record keeper
- Cafe or canteen supplier
- Quality assistant
ten locations and global
Your place
Use your own currency, language and local rules. Check each rule with your local authority.
India (Bengaluru)
Currency INR; language English, Hindi, Kannada; set up legally: Udyam (small business) or company registration with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs; personal data: Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023; where to practise: an industrial-training institute, a polytechnic, a small-business cluster or a Bengaluru incubator.
Netherlands (Eindhoven area)
Currency EUR; language Dutch, English; set up legally: registration with the Chamber of Commerce (KvK); personal data: EU GDPR (Dutch: AVG), supervised by the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens; where to practise: a regional college (MBO), a maker space or a small firm in the region.
UAE (Dubai and Abu Dhabi)
Currency AED; language Arabic, English; set up legally: a trade licence from the emirate economic department or a free-zone licence; personal data: Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 (personal data protection); where to practise: a free-zone business centre, a training institute or a municipality-licensed operator.
Brazil (Sao Paulo)
Currency BRL; language Portuguese (Spanish and English support); set up legally: CNPJ registration, or MEI for micro-entrepreneurs; personal data: LGPD (Lei Geral de Protecao de Dados); where to practise: a small-business support agency, a technical school or a local cooperative.
Canada (Toronto)
Currency CAD; language English, French; set up legally: federal or Ontario business registration; personal data: PIPEDA, with provincial rules where they apply; where to practise: a community college, a settlement agency or a Toronto business hub.
United States
Currency USD; language English, Spanish; set up legally: state registration (Secretary of State) and a federal tax ID; personal data: state privacy laws (for example California), and COPPA for children under 13; where to practise: a community college, a workforce board or a small-business development centre.
Singapore
Currency SGD; language English, Mandarin, Malay, Tamil; set up legally: registration with ACRA; personal data: Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA); where to practise: a channel partner, a polytechnic or an approved training provider.
Australia
Currency AUD; language English; set up legally: an ABN and, for companies, ASIC registration; personal data: the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles; where to practise: a vocational college or registered training organisation, or a regional business chamber.
Hong Kong (Eastern Asia)
Currency HKD; language Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin), English; set up legally: a business registration and, for companies, the Companies Registry; personal data: the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance; where to practise: a college, training body or business chamber.
Georgia and Israel (Western Asia)
Currency GEL or ILS; language Georgian, Hebrew, Arabic, English; set up legally: local business registration in the country where you work; personal data: the personal data law of the country where the learner lives; where to practise: a local college, chamber or training body.
Cayman Islands (Caribbean)
Currency KYD; language English; set up legally: a trade and business licence or company registration; personal data: the Data Protection Act; where to practise: a local training body or business chamber.
Mexico
Currency MXN; language Spanish, English; set up legally: tax registration (RFC) and company or sole-trader registration; personal data: the federal law on personal data held by private parties; where to practise: a technical college or business chamber.
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