The national food regulator, Food Standards Australia New Zealand created Standard 3.2.2A and published changes to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code on 8 December 2022. Food service and food retail businesses preparing ready-to-eat and potentially hazardous foods will have 12 months to comply.
Summary of key points:
- Two business risk classifications:
Category 1
- is a *caterer or a food service; and
- processes unpackaged potentially hazardous food into a food that is:
-
- potentially hazardous food; and
- ready-to-eat food.
-
Category 2
A food business that offers for retail sale a food that is:
- potentially hazardous food; and
- ready-to-eat food; and
where that food:
-
- was received unpackaged by the food business or was unpackaged by the food business after receipt; and
- was not made or processed (other than slicing, weighing, repacking, reheating or hot-holding the food) by the food business.
- Appoint a Food Safety Supervisor to advise and supervise food handlers for tasks performed before they engage in preparing food for sale. An accredited training short course by a Registered Training Organisation or by an organisation recognised by the food authority in each state and territory under the relevant legislation.
- Food handlers must have completed a food safety training course or can demonstrate skills and knowledge of food hygiene and food safety for tasks performed. The training must include:
- safe handling of food; and
- food contamination; and
- cleaning and sanitising of food premises and equipment; and
- personal hygiene.
- Records must be kept substantiating food handling activities that are prescribed. Records must be kept for three months after the record has been made.
This requirement does not apply to a food business that can demonstrate to the reasonable satisfaction of an *authorised officer on request that the business has complied with each of the prescribed provisions.
- FSANZ is also seeking a positive food safety culture within food service and retail food businesses.
Further advice on this Standard can be obtained from Andrew Thomson at info@thinkstsolutions.com.au or 0422285720.