Food Safety Supervisor Requirements

Page content: Step 1. Does your business or event need a Food Safety Supervisor? | Step 2: Choosing the right Food Safety Supervisor for your business | Step 3. Which food sector does your business fall into? | Step 4. How does your Food Safety Supervisor obtain a Statement of Attainment for their food safety skills and knowledge? | Step 5. Finding the training course your Food Safety Supervisor requires | Food Safety Supervisor - Frequently asked questions

In Victoria the business proprietor from the registered food business needs to make sure food handlers know how to handle food safely for the job that they do. To help ensure that there are plans in place in the business for this to happen, the business proprietor needs to nominate a Food Safety Supervisor.

The businesses Food Safety Supervisor is a person who:

• knows how to recognise, prevent and alleviate the hazards associated with food handling at your premises;
• has a Statement of Attainment that shows the required food safety competencies from a Registered Training Organisation;
• has the ability and authority to supervise other people handling food at your premises and ensure that food handling is done safely.

The following steps will help you to determine if you need a food safety supervisor, and if so, how to make sure they meet the requirements for your business.

For more information about the Food Safety Supervisor Requirements and training, download the following fact sheet:

Food safety supervisor competencies and training info sheet, June 2008 (113kb, pdf)

Step 1. Does your business or event need a Food Safety Supervisor?

Most registered food businesses need to nominate a Food Safety Supervisor. There are some exemptions:

Exceptions
One-off or irregular events run solely to raise funds for charitable causes and not for personal or business gain, are not required to have a Food Safety Supervisor. However, the organisers of the event must make sure that the people who handle the food at the event can do this safely and there is a Food Safety Program to control food safety hazards for such events.

Organisations running events should contact their local council health department to check the Food Safety Supervisor and other food safety requirements they need to meet for the event.

Retailers of low-risk pre-packaged food only (for example chemists, newsagents and video stores) do not need a Food Safety Supervisor or a food safety program. These businesses DO however need to be registered with local council.

Contact your local council health department to check if your business requires a nominated Food Safety Supervisor.

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Step 2: Choosing the right Food Safety Supervisor for your business

It is important to choose your Food Safety Supervisor carefully. Your Food Safety Supervisor can be the proprietor, an employee or a person external to the business, providing they are able meet the requirements of a Food Safety Supervisor prescribed in the Food Act 1984.

The businesses Food Safety Supervisor is a person who:

• knows how to recognise, prevent and alleviate the hazards associates with food handling at your premises;
• has a Statement of Attainment that shows the required food safety competencies from a Registered Training Organisation;
• has the ability and authority to supervise other people handling food at your premises and ensure that food handling is done safely.

It is important to choose someone who can do all of the things listed above. including being able to supervise other staff’s food handling practices.

You should ensure that your Food Safety Supervisor has what they need to perform their role as the Food Safety Supervisor for your business. This could mean that:

• it is mentioned in their job description;
• the Food Safety Supervisor knows what their role & responsibilities are;
• they have relevant and appropriate training;
• they are allocated time in their day to undertake Food Safety Supervisor tasks;
• they are able to supervise other staff and staff are aware who the Food Safety Supervisor is; and
• the Food Safety Supervisor knows what to do and where/who to go to if something goes wrong with food safety in your business.

The Food Safety Supervisor doesn’t have to be on the premises at all times. However, there must be a way for the Food Safety Supervisor to know how food is being handled and to ensure that people handling food are doing so safely when the Food Safety Supervisor is not on the premises. Similarly, this applies to businesses that operate across a number of shifts, or when a person from outside the business is the Food Safety Supervisor.

Step 3. Which food sector does your business fall into?

The food sector your business falls into will guide which training courses (units) your Food Safety Supervisor needs to complete. This is because the training varies and it is important to match the training to your business type to ensure that the training is relevant to your business.

Check Table 1 and then contact your local council Environmental Health Officer to confirm which food sector your business falls into and which training your Food Safety Supervisor needs to complete.

Table 1 Food sectors and minimum competency standards

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Step 4. How does your Food Safety Supervisor obtain a Statement of Attainment for their food safety skills and knowledge?

There are a two ways a Food Safety Supervisor can obtain a Statement of Attainment. They can:

1. attend a training course that may be classroom or workplace based, computer based or a combination of these approaches;
2. having previously completed training and/or work experience recognised against the required competency standard by an Registered Training Organisation.

Some competencies are transferable from one sector to the other. For example, a competency acquired in the Hospitality sector is transferable to the Retail sector and visa versa.

Training courses and Recognition of Prior Learning are organised through a Registered Training Organisation.

How much training?
The minimum competency standards for the Food Safety Supervisor are listed in Table 1 (in Step 3). These competencies depend on the type of food business the Food Safety Supervisor is supervising. There is no Victorian Food Act requirement for a Food Safety Supervisor to undertake training beyond the minimum competencies listed in Table 1, however there may be industry or organisation based standards in addition to the Victorian Food Act requirements.

Step 5. Finding the training course your Food Safety Supervisor requires

To find the food safety course your Food Safety Supervisor requires you need to:

• make sure you know which units your Food Safety Supervisor needs to complete (Check Table 1 in Step 3 and contact your local council health department to confirm before attending training)
• contact your local Registered Training Organisation to see if they offer this training.

There are many Registered Training Organisation’s in Victoria who offer food safety training at different times to suit your business. Some food safety training is offered in languages other than English.

Search for training courses online:

• Short Courses Website
• TAFE Courses Directory
• Training.com.au

Search for a Registered Training Organisation by:

• looking in the Melbourne Yellow Pages under ‘Education and Training’ or go to the Yellow Pages website
• contacting your industry association for information.

Or clicking on the links in the following table to the National Training Information Service database:

Other useful links are:

• Office of Training and Tertiary Education
• Department of Education, Victoria
  

For more information:

• contact your local council health department
• Food Safety Hotline 1300 364 352

Frequently asked questions

View a list of Food Safety Supervisor - Frequently Asked Questions.

Get help from Business Victoria

Access a range of online tools and information to help you start up and run your food business. Begin with Step-By-Step: Starting a Food Business, an interactive guide, and to register for a free Business Victoria account, available on the Business Victoria website.

For more details go to the Business Victoria website or call the Victorian Business Line 13 22 15.

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