New Food Safety Standard for Food Businesses

On Friday 8 December 2023, a new food safety standard called Standard 3.2.2A – Food Safety Management Tools will take effect in Australia and will impact most food businesses. This new Standard aims to improve food safety and reduce the rate of food-borne illnesses linked to poor handling of food in certain types of food service, catering and retail businesses.

The new Standard will place an obligation on most food businesses to ensure that food handling staff undertake food handler training and appoint at least one trained food safety supervisor. Most food businesses that process unpackaged potentially hazardous ready-to-eat food will also be required to maintain records relating to specific food business activities.

The City will continue to offer its free online food safety training programs: I’m Alert and FoodSafe Online. These training programs are suitable to meet the training requirements of Standard 3.2.2A for food handlers.

Separate training is required for the appointed food safety supervisors. The WA Department of Health website contains a list of online training providers.

Further information on the requirements of the new Standard, and the types of food business that are impacted, is available on the WA Department of Health website. This includes information provided in other languages.