Food safety for businesses

New Food Safety Standard - Standard 3.2.2A, Food Safety Management 

In December 2022 a new Food Safety Standard, 3.2.2A – Food Safety Management Tools, was added and is now in effect. The Standard introduces new requirements for all food service, catering and retail businesses that handle unpackaged, ready-to-eat, and potentially hazardous foods.

These businesses must implement either 2 or 3 new food safety management tools, depending on their category, which is based on the risk of the food handling activities of the business. The tools are:

• mandatory food handler training
• implementation of a food safety supervisor
• substantiation of (showing you are managing) key food safety controls.

Affected businesses must implement the new requirements of the Standards before 8 December 2023.

To assist food businesses to meet their requirements, checklists have been developed for both Category 1 and Category 2 businesses.

Checklist Category 1

Checklist Category 2

An Environmental Health Officer from Council will monitor businesses' compliance with the Standard during routine food safety inspections and audits.

A short video explaining the new standards is available here.

Frequently asked questions for businesses is available here.

For access to more information including videos, resources and to read the Standard, visit SA Health's website. 

Inspections

Our Environmental Health Officers routinely inspect all food business to educate food handlers and assess compliance with the Food Act 2001 and the Food Safety Standards.

The frequency of food inspections is based on the risk category of the business and the previous history of how well the business has complied with the legislation during previous inspections.

Officers also conduct pre-opening inspections as well as providing advice on fit out of fixtures and fittings to food business.

Fees and charges

Routine food premises Inspections are at a cost to the business:

• small businesses $100.00.
• large businesses $255.00.

There is no cost for follow up inspections, pre-opening inspections, inspections to provide advice on fit outs or complaint investigation inspections.

Food safety rating scheme

Full details including a list of businesses and their rating are on the Food safety rating scheme page.

Allergens

Food allergies are very serious, causing illness and even death. In Australia, about 1 in 10 babies, 1 in 20 children and 1 in 50 adults have a food allergy.

When a food allergen is eaten by a person who is allergic to it, their immune system releases large amounts of chemicals that trigger symptoms. The symptoms can affect their lungs, heart, skin and gut. Allergic reactions can be mild to moderate or severe. The severe, life threatening allergic reactions are called anaphylaxis.

Most people who have severe food allergic reactions in Australia have them when eating food prepared by another person.

The common allergy causing foods are peanut, tree nuts, egg, milk (dairy), sesame, fish, crustaceans (shellfish), mollusc, soybeans, cereals containing gluten namely, wheat, rye, barley, oats lupins and added sulphites.

A food business is not obliged to provide an allergen free meal to a consumer unless the business agrees to. However consumers have a legal right to receive written or verbal information on allergen content if they ask for it when buying food. Clear information should be given to the consumer so they can make an informed decision about whether to buy or eat the food.

To assist food business to meet their obligations, additional allergen information is available on the SA Health website.

Free food allergen training is available using the following link: https://foodallergytraining.org.au/.

Food Business Notification 

Notification is a requirement under the Food Act, 2001 and all businesses undertaking food handling must notify their council of their business and contact details.

The proprietor of a food business must complete a Food Business Notification (FBN) and return it to us within 14 days of starting the food business. Notification only needs to be undertaken once, unless details change such as new owners, names and contact details

Notification forms can be obtained from the Environmental Health Department or by completing the Food Business Notification online form.

Home-based food businesses

If you are thinking about establishing a food business from your home, it is important that you contact us before proceeding. There are both health and planning requirements to consider before you start.

Under the Food Act 2001, home based food businesses providing food handling activities or selling food are required to complete and submit a FBN to their local council of their food business details on the Food Business Notification online form.

A home based food business is required to comply with the Food Safety Standards. The standards do provide for some exemptions to the provision of certain fixtures and fittings if approved in writing by the appropriate enforcement agency. Complete the Food premises used principally as a domestic dwelling online form or download a copy of the application for exemption from Food premises domestic dwelling form.

For detailed information the guidelines for operating a commercial home catering activity are also available.

Food safety at temporary events

Extra care is required to ensure outdoor event food safety standards are maintained in accordance with the food safety requirements. A temporary food events notification form is required to be submitted before the event. If there is to be more than one food stall or trader at the event, it is the responsibility of the event organiser to provide details of all traders at the event.

Download the Temporary food events notification form.

Please keep in mind there may be other requirements or applications depending upon the nature of the event that may apply.

Download the Food safety at outdoor events fact sheet.

Food safety training

Food safety is the responsibility of food business and we offer free online food safety training through the I’M ALERT Food Safety On-line Training.

Food businesses are required to ensure that all staff have adequate food handling skills and knowledge to ensure safe food is provided to customers. This training can assist you and your staff to develop the skills and knowledge in an interactive, logical and easy learning format.

About the program

The training covers food handling and hygiene topics such as:

• food handling skills and knowledge
• food storage and processing
• temperature control
• potentially hazardous foods
• food handler hygiene and cleanliness
• cleaning and sanitising equipment.

Most sections include an interactive quiz and on completion a training acknowledgement form can be downloaded for staff records.

Do the training

Launch I'm alert and follow the on screen instructions.

Construction and fit-out of food businesses

Food businesses are required to ensure that their food premises, fixtures, fittings, equipment and transport vehicles are designed and constructed to minimise opportunities for contamination of food.

The Australian Food Safety Standards 9 Chapter 3.3.2 contain the requirements for fitting out a new food premises or upgrading an existing food premises.

Download a copy of the Food Premises - Guidelines for Construction and Fit-Out

More information

For information and resources available from the South Australia Department of Health relating to Food Safety and business, visit the Food Safety page.

Email the Service Centre or contact 8416 6333 and ask to speak to an Environmental Health Officer.

Food complaints

The City of West Torrens Environmental Health Team receives various complaints regarding food business and common complaints can include:

• poor food handling in a food business
• unclean premises.
• pests found within a food business
• foreign matter in food
• alleged food poisoning.

Making a food complaint

Our Environmental Health Officers investigate food complaints under the Food Act 2001 and Food Safety Standards.

If you have a food complaint it is important that you observe the following steps:

• Contact our Environmental Heath Team as soon as possible.
• Do not remove foreign objects from the foodstuff if possible.
• Preserve the food by keeping it refrigerated if it’s perishable or in the freezer if it is frozen.
• Keep any labels or packaging if possible.
• Make note of when and where you brought the food and when it was first opened for use.
• The time and date that you ate any food and the food consumed that may have caused an illness, or the issue that you concerned about such as poor food handling.
• Keep proof of purchase (e.g. receipts).

What happens next

When you lodge a food complaint with our Environmental Health Team the following can happen:

• the food may be analysed
• the food premises could be inspected
• the complaint could be forwarded to another authority for further investigation
• the responsible business can be fined.

If your complaint is referred to court, you may be asked to appear.

The Environmental Health Team will advise you of the final outcome of your complaint.