On top of the initial requirements introduced by Standard 3.2.2a regarding the roles of Food Safety Supervisors and Food Handlers, the NSW Food Authority have introduced additional training requirements for food handling employees working in this state.
The NSW Food Authority refers to these additional training requirements as ‘mandatory key focus areas’ and specifies that they must be incorporated into the existing units of competency provided by each Food Safety Supervisor course for them to gain approval from the NSW government.
The new Standard 3.2.2a being introduced across all Australian states on December 8, 2023, necessitates that food businesses employ a suitably trained Food Safety Supervisor. For many businesses, it was already required to have an employed Food Safety Supervisor on site, however, in NSW there are some businesses for which the requirement is completely new. For example, most retail food businesses such as canteens, supermarkets and delis did not previously require a qualified Food Safety Supervisor.
On top of the training requirements outlined by Standard 3.2.2a, the NSW Food Authority have determined some extra mandatory key focus areas to target specific high-risk food safety issues which commonly occur in hospitality and retail sectors. These include allergen management, cleaning and sanitising practices, safe egg handling, and food act offences. The following outlines these additional training requirements and what topics are covered.
As part of allergen management, Food Safety Supervisors must learn the different types of allergens that can occur in food businesses, how to accurately identify them, the risks associated with them, and how to manage these risks. For example, a large part of allergen management is learning about the different types of contamination of food including cross-contamination.
Training emphasises compliance with labelling regulations, as specified in the Food Standards Code, and understanding the legal obligations for allergen management. Proper allergen management is vital to protect the health and safety of consumers, maintain brand reputation, and prevent legal consequences.
Food safety training courses educate food handlers on effective cleaning and sanitizing practices to maintain hygienic food preparation environments. This includes instruction on proper cleaning techniques, choosing the right cleaning agents, and ensuring equipment and surfaces are sanitised to prevent contamination and foodborne illnesses. Training will also cover the risks that come with cleaning agents and chemicals, and how to sanitise without causing chemical contamination.
Understanding the importance of maintaining cleanliness and adhering to recommended sanitation standards is essential for Food Handlers and Food Safety Supervisors to meet Australian food safety regulations and protect consumer health.
Much like chicken, meat, seafood and dairy products, eggs are regarded as a high-risk food within the food industry, hence why the NSW Food Authority have added safe egg handling to their list of additional training requirements for Food Safety Supervisors.
Food Safety Supervisors are taught the importance of preventing Salmonella and other contamination through proper egg handling. This includes guidelines for storage, temperature control, and safe preparation techniques. Food safety training ensures that eggs are handled safely to prevent foodborne illnesses, maintain product quality, and instil consumer confidence.
Food safety training courses cover the regulations outlined in the Food Act to ensure that food handlers understand their legal obligations. These courses provide insights into offences related to food safety, labelling, and hygiene standards. Food handlers learn the legal consequences of non-compliance, which can include fines and prosecution.
Throughout Food Safety Supervisor training, participants will cover the standard in order to properly understand why each rule is in place and learn how to implement processes within their businesses which can prevent offences from occurring.
This includes Control Points, Critical Control Points, and Quality Control Points. Students will also cover the NSW Food act 2003, the NSW Food act 2005 and Food Regulation 2015 to develop a deep understanding of the NSW specific regulations and food act offences.
Once you have completed your training, it is important that you receive a NSW Food Authority approved Food Safety Supervisor Certificate as well as the statement of attainment issued by your RTO.
Often, this will incur an additional cost but can be issued by your training provider if they have approval from the NSW Food Authority, like at QMS Audits. It is a legal requirement for this to be always kept on site as proof that you have taken the appropriate training modules and may be requested upon inspection.
It is encouraged, but not essential that this certificate is displayed on site where it is easily seen. It is also important that you notify the NSW council of your nominated Food Safety Supervisor and provide their certificate as evidence of their training.
