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Food Safety Certificate | About Mobile Food Vending Businesses
The SITXFSA001 (Use Hygienic Practices for Food Safety) is a nationally recognised food safety certificate that certifies a person is ready to work in the retail, hospitality, and transport and distributions sectors of Queensland, Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria. The certification tackles proper hygienic preparation of food, as well as appropriate methods of cleaning, sanitising, handling, and storing of foodstuffs and related tools.
This certification is offered through Registered Training Organisations (also known as RTOs), and the related coursework can be completed within a day. The certification is also offered in online and face-to-face delivery methods. The certification comes with a nationally recognised Statement of Attainment, which is emailed to the course taker the same* or following business day after completion of the course.
The certification is one of the requirements for those seeking work with or intending to set up a mobile food vending business. A mobile food vending business, more commonly referred to as mobile food vendors, are retail food businesses that sell food and beverage to the public from a vehicle, such as food carts, food trucks, and mobile concessionaires.
Here are the basics of mobile food vending businesses.
Most mobile food vending businesses practice on-site food preparation for food such as hamburgers, hot dogs, and kebabs. There are also mobile food vendors that prepare relatively more complicated meals such as salads and burritos, sell pre-packaged food like ice cream, and make single-step preparation foods such as popcorn, coffee, and squeezed juices. Mobile food vending businesses are continuously diversifying and are currently a multi-billion dollar industry.
Mobile food vending businesses are required to notify their local council via application with their business and food activity details. Councils are responsible for the approvals of mobile food vending businesses, and such approvals can come with associated costs depending on the location. If a mobile food vending business intends to sell or operate in various locations that are individually overseen by different councils, council approvals are needed for every location. Not having the appropriate council approvals can lead to penalties, fines, or the suspension of operations for a mobile food vending business.
These businesses also require a Food Safety Supervisor among their staff to be allowed to operate. If the mobile food vending business is a franchise – and as such has more than one vehicle in operation – then each vehicle must have a certified FSS present to be permitted to sell and operate. If there’s only one person on-staff per vehicle, then that person must also be FFS-certified.
Because of the requirements for food safety controls, the staff of mobile food vending businesses must have the necessary know-how for appropriate food storage, cross-contamination preventions, and food handling. For example, raw food must be stored separately from ready-to-eat food; staff must be trained in similar procedures either through FSS certification or through training by FSS-certified personnel. Mobile food vending businesses are also required to participate in routine inspections for both site and product, of which the inspections should occur at least once a year. There are also guidelines to keep in mind for the specifications of the physical vehicle.
If you are planning to put up a mobile food vending business and have yet to get a certificate for Food Safety Supervisor, you can enrol with CTA Training Specialists (Club Training Australia):
Northern Territory Food Safety Supervisor
South Australia Food Safety Supervisor
Western Australia Food Safety Supervisor