Food Safety Management Tools - Standard 3.2.2A

A new national Food Safety Standard is in place to assist food businesses in handling and processing food in a way to ensure it is safe to eat.

In December 2022, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) added Standard 3.2.2A – Food Safety Management Tools into the Food Standards Code. The Standard is an extension of existing requirements and introduces three food safety management tools for food service, caterers and some retail businesses.

Affected businesses must have the new requirements in place by December 2023.

The types of business that need to meet Standard 3.2.2A and the Food Safety Management Tools are explained below. To see the answers to some common questions around Standard 3.2.2A visit our frequently asked questions pages.

Affected businesses

The Standard applies to food business who are defined in the Standard as a category one or category two business.

Category one businesses

Category one businesses are businesses that make unpackaged potentially hazardous food into potentially hazardous, ready-to-eat food for customers, such as salads, sandwiches, curries, pizza, sushi, pastas, and soups.

Category one businesses can include:

Category two businesses

Category two businesses don’t make but minimally handle and sell ready-to-eat food such as smallgoods, cream buns, sandwiches or pies and pasties that has arrived unpackaged or is unpackaged by the business.

Category two businesses include:

  • delis
  • markets stalls
  • supermarkets
  • service stations
  • convenience stores
  • seafood retailers
  • butchers.

Food safety management tools

The three food safety management tools include making sure food handlers are appropriately trained, appointing a food safety supervisor, and showing management of key food safety practices.

Category one businesses must implement all three tools. Category two businesses must implement only food handler training and food safety supervisor tools.

Food handler training

The food handler training tool requires food handlers who handle high risk foods to complete a food safety training course in, or be able to show they understand, safe handling of food, food contamination, cleaning and sanitising equipment, and personal hygiene.

Food handlers can show food regulators and businesses that they have food safety skills and knowledge in the same way they already show they’re meeting the existing skills and knowledge requirements, and/or by showing a certificate of completion of a food safety training course.

Note: under Standard 3.2.2 all food handlers, regardless of their food handling activities, need to have food safety skills and knowledge in line with the work that they do.

The business must make sure their food handlers have adequate skills and knowledge before they start working with high-risk foods.

The free, online DoFoodSafely training program is an example of a food safety training course and is available in multiple languages. Training may also be delivered from other online platforms, Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), in-house programs or local government food safety regulators.

See also our Food handler training frequently asked questions.

Food safety supervisor

The supervision of food handlers tool requires businesses to appoint a qualified food safety supervisor who is available to oversee day to day food handling operations, help food handlers to handle food safely, and make sure food safety risks are managed.

The food safety supervisor must have been certified within the last five years.

Food safety supervisor certification is certification from an RTO in one of the following skill sets:

View the list of organisations who can offer food safety supervisor certification in SA.

For a complete list of Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) that offer the FSS skill sets/units nationally search the course unit names or codes on the training.gov.au website.

See also our Food Safety Supervision frequently asked questions.

Showing you’re managing key food safety controls

The substantiation of key food safety controls tool means businesses must show they are meeting certain ‘prescribed provisions’.

The prescribed provisions are existing food safety standards for temperature control, food processing and cleaning and sanitising food preparation surfaces and utensils.

Food businesses must show that they’re meeting the prescribed provisions by keeping a record or by demonstrating compliance to their food safety regulator, in the same way they already show regulators they’re meeting these existing food safety standards.

Businesses can show they are managing key food safety controls by keeping written or electronic records, making a note on invoices, taking photos, having written standard operating procedures, and walking and talking through the process with the food safety regulator.

Templates are available to assist with record keeping and if made, records must be kept for at least 3 months.

See also our Managing prescribed provisions frequently asked questions.

Frequently asked questions

Find the answers to frequently asked questions about the Food Safety Management Tools - Standard 3.2.2A and how it may apply to your business.

Further information