New Food Safety Standards for Businesses
New requirements are being introduced across Australia to improve food safety and prevent foodborne illness in the community. You will need to comply with the new requirements by 8 December 2023.
Why is there a new standard?
Poor food handling can cause outbreaks of foodborne illnesses, which can result in avoidable hospitalisations, loss of revenue and reputational damage to food businesses.
This new standard has been introduced to reduce foodborne illness by ensuring food is handled safely by food handlers with adequate skills, knowledge and supervision.
Will my business be impacted by the new standard?
Food businesses that handle unpackaged, potentially hazardous and ready-to-eat foods will need to comply with the new standard requirements by 8 December 2023. Your business will either be ‘category one’ or ‘category two’ depending on its activities.
Category one examples - Restaurants, cafes, bakeries, fast food outlets, mobile food vans, hospitals and aged care, child care and school canteens.
Category two examples - Delis, some supermarkets, some service stations, seafood retailer, some market stalls, some convenience stores and some butchers.
To find out whether your business will be impacted, visit Department of Health website
The City’s Environmental Health Officers can also provide advice on how to comply with the new standards. Contact the Health Services Team on 9273 6000 or mail@vincent.wa.gov.au
What is required?
Some food businesses will be required to implement food safety management tools. These tools include:
- Food safety supervisors: You will need to appoint a food safety supervisor for your business. This is someone within your business who needs to be trained and certified under the new standard, and reasonably available to advise and supervise the food handlers.
- Food safety training: Your food handlers will need to show they have had food safety training. The City provides free FoodSafe® Online training to our local businesses.
- Show you are managing key food safety controls: You will need to keep records of important food safety controls or be able to demonstrate safe food handling practices.
Learn more about the standards
To help you to understand what you need to do to meet the new requirements visit Department of Health website.
FoodSafe® Access
To access FoodSafe® click the following link and enter the code:
Link to Food Handling Course
Code to enter: FSVINCE353
If you have any questions, contact the Health Services Team on 9273 6000 or mail@vincent.wa.gov.au