SOFT DRINKS INDUSTRY QUALIFICATIONS

The British Soft Drinks Assocation (BSDA)

The British Soft Drinks Association represents UK producers of soft drinks, including carbonated drinks, still and dilutable drinks, fruit juices and bottled waters. BSDA is an independent organisation with offices in central London, employing a full time staff. Membership at present includes around 90% of the manufacturers of Britain's soft drinks.

The BSDA's core training programme includes the following courses:

Manufacturing Soft Drinks Today (MSDT)

Course topics include water quality and treatment, carbonation and filling, fruit juice production, bottled water production, ingredients and flavourings and primary and secondary packaging. Basic microbiology relating to soft drinks is also covered.

Food Safety in Soft Drinks Today (FSSDT)

A five-day residential training course for those wishing to become in-house food safety trainers and deliver the BSDA Food Safety in Soft Drinks Today Training Scheme. This is a 5 day course. The course will provide delegates with knowledge on all aspects of food hygiene manufacture to maintain standards of hygiene, to improve and develop personal skills as trainers and enable delegates to use the BSDA training package.

Introduction to Basic Microbiology (IBM)

In soft drinks manufacture an understanding of how micro-organisms may contaminate and grow in a drink product is essential. This two-day, laboratory based workshop (non-residential) is specifically designed for those involved in microbiological examination with limited knowledge and/or formal training.

Tailor-made and delivered in a laboratory environment this workshop includes a mixture of lectures, demonstrations, and practical sessions which aim to provide an introduction to spoilage, pathogenic and beneficial micro organisms of significance to the industry.

Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points (HCCP)

The course provides a practical training programme giving guidance on the implementation of HACCP principles and how they should be applied to the manufacture of soft drinks, fruit juices and bottled waters in a factory environment.

The main topics of the programme are as follows:

Introduction to HACCP and its development
Legal obligations and future legislation
Defining hazards, possible causes and risks
Application of HACCP principles using the WHO/Codex approach
Practical exercises in how to HACCP – making HACCP work for your company
Management considerations of HACCP for analysis
Implementation and maintenance of HACCP
Revision and examination technique
The Royal Society for Public Health's level 3 Award in HACCP for Food Manufacturing
There are no mandatory pre-course requirements for entry to the course. However, it is strongly recommended that candidates hold a foundation level HACCP qualification or have previously acquired basic food hygiene and safety knowledge and understanding appropriate to foundation level