Cashew factory supervisors and packing-line staff
Kernels are handled by hand and eaten as packed, so cleaning routines, hand hygiene and tree-nut allergen labelling matter at every step.
Course snapshot
CourseFood Safety for Catering Training
DurationHalf Day
Validity2 years
CourseFood Safety for Catering, half day
FeeAsk our team
CertificateiMost, valid 2 years
Not the same asFSSAI FoSTaC
Kollam to campusAbout 146 km by road
Train to Ernakulam TownAbout 2 h 10 min
Cashew floors, fish auctions and a lake full of boats
Wikipedia calls Kollam the cashew capital of the world, with more than 600 processing units and about 800,000 tonnes of raw cashew imported a year. The state-owned Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation, based at Mundakkal, is said to run 30 factories, 24 of them in the district. Counts of working units differ widely between sources, and Down To Earth reported years ago that a large share had shut and that close to 90 per cent of those affected were women. We will not give you a number. What matters here is the nature of the product: a kernel is peeled, graded and packed by hand, then eaten without cooking. Hand hygiene, clean packing tables and pest control on a grading floor are therefore food safety questions, not only quality ones.
On the water side, Neendakara and Sakthikulangara are twin fishing harbours on opposite banks of Ashtamudi Lake. Wikipedia says Neendakara can hold more than 500 boats at a time, lands over 100,000 tonnes of fish a year and has an auction hall of about 6,270 square metres. It also lists most of Kollam's seafood export companies in Maruthadi, Sakthikulangara and Neendakara. Fish goes from boat to auction to ice to kitchen within hours, and every handover is a chance for temperature to slip. Kerala's food safety department ran a statewide fish drive in April 2022, Operation Matsya, with 1,766 raids and 1,002 samples, so fish traders and kitchens know the attention this trade attracts.
Tourism sits on the same lake. Wikipedia describes Ashtamudi as Kerala's second-largest wetland ecosystem and notes that its clam fishery was India's first to be MSC-certified. Operators run day cruises by houseboat, motorboat and canoe, plus a flagship eight-hour cruise of about 55 km to Alappuzha. A houseboat or cruise-boat galley is a small kitchen with a hot roof, limited cold storage and guests who eat what is served. Resort and restaurant kitchens along the shore have similar pressures, with fish arriving fresh and demand peaking on weekends.
The rules are plain. Kerala has required food-service staff to hold a health card since early 2023, which is a medical check, and food businesses need an FSSAI licence. Neither teaches a cook how to cool a pot or a packer how to keep a bench clean. That is what the half day covers.
Cashew processing
Wikipedia counts more than 600 units and calls Kollam the cashew capital of the world; the state corporation runs 24 of its 30 factories here.
Neendakara fishing harbour
Space for over 500 boats, more than 100,000 tonnes of fish landed a year, and a 6,270 sq m auction hall (Wikipedia).
Ashtamudi Lake
Kerala's second-largest wetland ecosystem, with a clam fishery that was India's first MSC-certified one.
Seafood export cluster
Most export companies are in Maruthadi, Sakthikulangara and Neendakara, according to Wikipedia.
Kollam to Alappuzha cruise
A flagship eight-hour, 55 km backwater cruise that keeps lakeside hotels and boat kitchens busy.
Kollam teams that gain the most
Fish handlers and cooks at harbour-side eateries
They take fish within hours of landing, and ice, separation of raw and cooked items and quick cooling decide how safe the plate is.
Seafood export packing staff
Packers work with chilled product on a clock. Gloves, aprons and temperature checks have to be habits, not reminders.
Houseboat and cruise-boat galley crews
A small galley has no spare room for mistakes: one prep board, one sink, one fridge, and guests who cannot go elsewhere.
Resort, hotel and restaurant cooks and stewards
Weekend and holiday peaks bring large orders at short notice, which is when shortcuts in holding and reheating creep in.
Wedding and function caterers
Food is cooked early, moved by vehicle and served later, so holding time is the control point.
Food Safety, HACCP or another course for a Kollam business
Use Food Safety for Catering for everyone who handles food: packers, cooks, stewards, galley hands and drivers. Add HACCP for the one person in a cashew unit, seafood plant or hotel group who has to write the hazard plan, since export buyers and larger customers may ask to see one. Lifting crates of ice and fish, or sacks of kernels, is a different risk and suits Manual Handling. Galley fires on boats and fryer fires in kitchens suit Fire Extinguisher training. FSSAI's own supervisor scheme is separate, so confirm what your licence calls for.
HACCP Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points Training →
A quality manager in a cashew or seafood unit who must write and maintain a documented hazard plan.
Manual Handling Training →
Crews who lift crates, ice blocks and sacks all day at the harbour or factory.
Fire Extinguisher Training →
Kitchens and boat galleys using LPG and fryers.
Basic First Aid Training →
Boat crews and kitchen teams who work with knives, hot oil and wet decks.
Six modules, translated for shell, hull and kernel
Classroom teaching is combined with demonstrations and case studies, and you are assessed by a written paper, a practical demonstration and oral questions. The notes below show how each module reads in Kollam.
- 01
Introduction to food safety and legislation
What causes foodborne illness and what a food business must comply with. For cashew and seafood units the focus is on products that reach customers without further cooking.
- 02
Food safety management systems (FSMS)
HACCP-style thinking: identify the step that matters, measure it and fix it when it drifts. On a fish line that step is temperature, and on a cashew line it is the packing table.
- 03
Personal hygiene standards
Hand washing, clean clothing and staying off the line when ill. Long shifts in warm, damp workplaces make this the habit that slips first.
- 04
Cleaning, disinfection and waste disposal
Choosing cleaning agents, disinfecting surfaces and separating waste. Fish waste, shells, boat decks and cashew packing floors each get their own routine.
- 05
Contamination risks and controls
Biological, chemical and physical hazards, with allergens covered separately. Tree nuts near other ingredients and raw fish near cooked food are the cases we work through.
- 06
Temperature control and monitoring
The range in which bacteria multiply, and safe cooking, cooling, reheating and chilled storage with a thermometer. Ice and cold storage for catch, and cooling for hotel curries, are the examples used.
For Kollam factories, harbour traders, hotels and boat operators
Buyers include cashew processors, seafood traders and exporters, hotel and resort owners, boat operators and caterers. Production schedules and tides do not wait, so teams usually attend in two groups.
Standards that shape training in Kerala
FSSAI licence conditionsYour licence sets hygiene conditions for your premises, and larger operations may be asked for trained supervisors. Read the licence you hold.
FoSTaC, FSSAI's supervisor schemeProvided by FSSAI-authorised bodies. Our certificate is from iMost and is not FoSTaC.
Kerala health cardA medical fitness card for food-service staff since early 2023. It is separate from training.
State food safety drivesOperation Matsya in April 2022 covered fish with 1,766 raids statewide, showing how closely this trade is watched.
What employers commonly ask for
| Course | Requirement note |
|---|---|
| Food Safety for Catering Training | A baseline for packers, cooks, stewards and galley crew, with a dated record. |
| HACCP Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points Training | For quality managers who maintain a written hazard plan for customers. |
| Manual Handling Training | For lifting crews at harbour and factory sites. |
Planning a group booking
- We do not publish this fee. Send a headcount and we will quote the current rate and any group terms.
- Plan around your seasons. Fishing and cashew calendars differ, so tell us your quieter weeks and we will look for matching batches.
- A corporate account at portal.imostacademy.in/register holds GST invoices, rate-card prices and certificate dates for every unit.
- If an export buyer or hotel brand names a training requirement, share the wording so we can compare it with our syllabus.
Operators and clients set their own requirements; confirm with your contract or HSE department.
Kollam to Njarakkal and back in a day
Plan your visit around the course reporting time, including any same-day journey.
Kollam is about 146 km from the campus by road, but the rail line makes a same-day half-day course workable. The Vande Bharat reaches Ernakulam Town before breakfast and a return train leaves in the evening.
Vande Bharat 20634 out
A third-party timetable lists 20634 leaving Kollam Junction at 06:05 and reaching Ernakulam Town at 08:17. It is not shown running on Thursdays, so confirm on NTES. Ernakulam Town is about 14 km from the campus.
Vande Bharat 20633 home
The same source lists 20633 leaving Ernakulam Town at 19:15 and reaching Kollam at 21:34. That leaves time for the session and the road back over the bridges.
MEMU and other trains
Wikipedia lists MEMU services between Kollam and Ernakulam. They are slower but suit larger groups on a tight budget. Check timings with the railway.
Own vehicle by NH 66
About 146 km by road. A hotel or factory team can share one vehicle, but traffic around Ernakulam is heavy at peak hours.
A same-day plan from Kollam
- 1
Name the group and the shifts
List packers, cooks, stewards, galley hands and drivers. Plan two batches if one line cannot stop.
- 2
Check licence and customer clauses
Read the FSSAI licence conditions and any export-buyer, hotel-brand or landlord wording about training.
- 3
Ask for dates and the fee
Write to info@imostacademy.in or WhatsApp +91 8075 787307 with the headcount, the month and the note that you are coming from Kollam.
- 4
Morning train, session on campus
Take the 06:05 train, reach Ernakulam Town at 08:17 and go on to the campus once we have confirmed the batch start time. Bring photo ID and comfortable clothing.
- 5
Evening train home
Catch the 19:15 from Ernakulam Town, or an earlier service if the session ends sooner. Next week, put up a cooling and temperature chart at each station and diarise the two-year renewal.