Who needs a food safety plan, and where is each state's template?

What is a food safety program, and who needs one across Australia?

A food safety program is a written document showing how a food business will control the food safety hazards in its food handling¹. Many people search for a "food safety plan" and mean the same thing. The rules and regulators use the word "program".

At national level, the rule is narrow. Standard 3.2.1 applies to certain high-risk businesses only¹. The clearest group is food service for vulnerable people, which FSANZ says includes hospital patients, aged care residents and children in child care centres¹.

Standard 3.2.1 makes a food safety program compulsory only for certain high-risk businesses, and state or territory law can add more¹.

Your state or territory may ask for more, so FSANZ tells businesses to check with their local council or state or territory health department¹. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

What are the national food safety tools for cafés and caterers?

A separate national rule, Standard 3.2.2A, sets out food safety management tools. FSANZ says food service, caterer and related retail businesses have needed to meet its food safety supervisor requirements since December 2023². WA Health explains that it applies to businesses that handle unpackaged, potentially hazardous food, and that each business is category one or category two depending on what it does³.

The tools are food handler training, a food safety supervisor, and showing that your food is safe. Category one businesses need all of them. Category two businesses need the first two³.

• Food safety supervisor: a certified person, with a certificate obtained within the past 5 years, appointed before a prescribed activity starts. Prescribed activities involve handling unpackaged, potentially hazardous food that is ready to eat².
• Food handler training: each food handler of that food has completed a food safety training course or can show the skills and knowledge³.
• Showing your food is safe (category one only): keep records of key controls, or demonstrate safe practices³.

Which template does each state or territory publish?

The table names what each regulator's pages say, and only that. Links are in the Sources list at the bottom of the page.

We could not read the Tasmanian or Northern Territory health pages: their sites block automated reads. We make no claim about them, so please check those regulators directly.

Who needs a food safety program in Queensland, and which template is there?

This is the page behind the search "food safety plan template qld". Queensland Health says a licensable food business must have an accredited food safety program if it does off-site catering, or if its main activity is on-site catering⁴. It also applies if the business is part of a private hospital, or serves potentially hazardous food to 6 or more vulnerable people, such as a nursing home or childcare facility⁴.

Other businesses may choose to apply for accreditation too⁴. You can write the program yourself if it meets the criteria for your business. It does not need to come from a food safety auditor or outside contractor⁵.

The page lists a caterer food safety program template and a guideline for vulnerable people, and mentions an online tool¹⁵. The local council accredits the program and decides how often an auditor must audit it⁵¹³.

What about New South Wales?

The NSW Food Authority says most licensed businesses must have a documented food safety program, and it points to its industry sector pages to find out if you need one⁶. Its templates are written for particular industries⁶. It also offers a general guide and a general template, which suit among others a business that does not need a program but chooses to have one⁶.

Whichever template you use, you are responsible for customising it to your own hazards and practices⁶. The program must be reviewed regularly, at least every 12 months⁶.

What about Victoria and the FoodSmart template?

In Victoria, local councils register and regulate most food businesses, and Safe Food Victoria licenses dairy, meat and seafood businesses⁷. All class 1 food businesses and class 2 manufacturers must have a program⁸. Class 2 retail and food service businesses need one if they carry out certain listed processes, such as off-site catering or making ready-to-eat foods with raw, unshelled eggs⁸.

A business writing its own program must make it specific to its operations, have an auditor assess it, and have a yearly audit⁸. FoodSmart is the free alternative for class 2 retail and food service, if it suits what you do⁹. It cannot be used if your processes are not covered, or for meat, seafood and dairy businesses⁹. Safe Food Victoria says to check with your local council whether it suits you⁹.

What about South Australia, Western Australia and the ACT?

SA Health says a number of high-risk sectors must have audited food safety management systems such as food safety programs¹⁰. Your council decides, after your food business notification, whether this applies to you¹⁰. Audits happen at a set frequency of between 3 and 12 months¹⁰. SA Health's guidelines for vulnerable persons set out what an audit looks at¹⁰.

In Western Australia, certain businesses in food service to vulnerable persons and in dairy must have a documented program audited by a regulatory food safety auditor¹¹. The business arranges its own audits using the Department of Health list of approved auditors¹¹. WA Health also publishes a guide to Standard 3.2.2A³.

ACT Health lists the compulsory groups in the table above¹², offers templates for each of them¹², and recommends a site-specific program reviewed annually¹².

Does a template make a business compliant?

No. A template is a starting point. NSW says you must customise it⁶, Queensland says the program must meet the criteria for your business⁵, and Victoria's FoodSmart cannot be used for processes it does not cover⁹. Your council or regulator has the final say, so ask it before you rely on any template.

What should you do next?

1. Ask your local council which category your business is in. If you are in a state where we could not read the regulator's page, ask that regulator directly.
2. Download the regulator's own free template or guide for your state, if the table names one.
3. Customise it to your own menu, equipment and staff, and keep the records it asks for.
4. Check the national tools too: a food safety supervisor and training for your food handlers³.

For hygiene basics, our free food hygiene course and practice test may help. They are written for UK rules: the hygiene habits carry over, the law does not.

Hiring working holiday makers? Hospitality work in Northern or remote Australia can count towards their visa, and the specified work day calculator shows how. If a supplier or council document needs translating, NAATI CCL versus certified translation explains who can do it.

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