Food Safety, News

Food Standards Code Changes Are Coming

Posted on by Sam Litfin

Food service, caterer and related retail businesses in Australia need to meet new food safety requirements from December 2023.

This new legislation – Standard 3.2.2A of the FSANZ administered Food Standards Code – follows an earlier roll-out across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and ACT which saw mandatory training for these states’ respective food business entities come into effect previously. Now Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and Northern Territory must also meet this requirement as part of their obligations under Australian law.

What is Standard 3.2.2.A?

Standard 3.2.2.A is a national food safety standard and an extension of Standard 3.2.2 requirements.

It applies to Australian businesses in food service, catering and retail sectors that handle unpackaged, potentially hazardous food that is ready to eat.

Generally, these include caterers, restaurants, cafes, takeaway shops, pubs, supermarkets and delis, food vans and other facilities serving food.

​These businesses will implement either two or three food safety management tools, based on their food handling activities. The three tools are food safety supervisor, food handler training and substantiation of critical food safety controls (evidence tool).

What Are The Requiremen​ts?

All food businesses in Australia must still comply with all requirements in Standard 3.2.2 and Standard 3.2.3​.

Food service, catering and retail businesses must comply with Standard 3.2.2A​, based on whether they are classified as category one or category two businesses (see below).

  • Category one (higher risk) businesses must implement all three management tools.
  • Category two businesses must have a food safety supervisor and trained food handlers.

These requirements are in place because unpackaged, potentially hazardous food that is ready to eat is high risk and needs careful handling to keep it safe.

Category One Business

A caterer or food service business that processes unpackaged potentially hazardous food into food that is both ready-to-eat and potentially hazardous food.

The food is then served to a consumer to eat without any further processing.

Category Two Business

A retailer of potentially hazardous, ready-to-eat food, where the food was handled unpackaged, but not made or processed onsite (other than slicing, weighing, repacking, reheating or hot-holding).

The standard applies to food service and closely related retail businesses who are defined as either category one or category two businesses in the standard. General examples include, depending on their activities: 

  • restaurants, cafés, pubs, hotels with table service, takeaway and smorgasbords 
  • supermarkets and delis 
  • takeaway shops, mobile food vendors and juice bars 
  • hospitals, aged care facilities and childcare centres. 

What is a food​​ safety supervisor?

​A food safety supervisor (FSS) must be a person who has recognised, formal certification as a FSS, obtained in the past 5 years. They should have recent, relevant skills and knowledge to handle food safely, particularly high-risk food.

​​​Food businesses m​ust ensure all food handlers have completed a food safety training course, or have appropriate skills and knowledge, before they start handling high-risk foods

Industry specific food safety supervisor training

To ensure the highest level of food safety, CTA Training Specialists offers specialised training for each unique food service. This customisable approach to instruction ensures that supervisors gain a comprehensive understanding of their duties and are equipped with the necessary tools to keep kitchens and utensils safe from hazards in any venue, business, or processing plant.

We offer Food Safety Supervisor certification for the following industries and their respective Units of Competency – pick the food safey course for your industry below and get in early before the end of year rush:

Sam Litfin