Food Safety Compliance: Get Ready for the New Financial Year

The new financial year is an ideal time to audit your team's food safety training and certifications. Are they current? Will they expire soon? This checklist ensures your business stays compliant and audit-ready as you head into the new financial year.

Why EOFY is the right time for a compliance audit

As you wind down one financial year and prepare for the next, your food business should pause to answer a critical question: Are your staff certifications current?

Compliance isn't something to check on once and forget. Food safety regulations evolve, certifications expire, and your team's knowledge can become outdated. End of Financial Year (EOFY) is the natural moment to conduct a full compliance audit. it's a built-in checkpoint to ensure your business is audit-ready and legally compliant as you enter the new financial year.

Starting the new financial year with outdated or lapsed certifications puts you at risk. Environmental Health Officers conduct inspections throughout the year, and having current documentation is non-negotiable.

Certification validity and renewal timelines

Different types of food safety certifications have different validity periods. Understanding when your team's certifications expire is the first step in compliance planning.

• Food Handler Certification: Best practice is to update every five years. If your staff completed training in 2021, it's recommended they refresh their training by 2026. If any staff are approaching the five-year mark, EOFY is the time to schedule their refresher.
• Food Safety Supervisor Certification: Valid for five years. Check your records - if your designated Food Safety Supervisor was certified in 2021, they have time, but tracking the renewal date is essential for audit purposes.

The general rule you should follow is to never let a certification lapse without a renewal plan in place.

Even if renewal is months away, you can sign up your staff and they can complete their training at a later date. This ensures you still get to use up your remaining training budget, get the tax deductions you're looking for and benefit from any EOFY discounts that may be available.

EOFY compliance checklist for food businesses

Use this checklist to audit your current compliance status:

Documentation:

• Do you have a current list of all staff certifications and expiry dates?
• Are copies of Statements of Attainment stored safely and easily accessible?
• Have you documented any refresher training completed this year?

Food Handler Certification:

• Do all food preparation staff (and supervisors) hold current Food Handler certification?
• Are any certifications within 12 months of expiry?

Food Safety Supervisor Certification:

• Do you have a current Food Safety Supervisor on staff?
• Are they certified and compliant with your state's requirements?
• Is the Food Safety Supervisor role clearly documented, with their name of the designated staff member recorded in your Food Safety Plan?

Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) Training:

• Does your team serve alcohol?
• If yes, do the relevant employees have a valid RSA Certificate?

Inspection Readiness:

• Could you produce proof of certification within 24 hours if requested by an Environmental Health Officer?
• Are staff aware of their certification status and renewal dates?

If you've answered 'no' or 'unsure' to any of these, EOFY is your action window.

Common compliance gaps and how to fix them

1. Expired or soon-to-expire certifications

Fix: Identify all certifications expiring between now and December 2026. Enrol those staff in refresher training immediately.

2. No formal documentation system

Fix: Create a simple spreadsheet or file listing each staff member, their certification type, issue date, and expiry date. Update it quarterly.

3. New staff without certification

Fix: Make Food Handler certification a mandatory onboarding requirement. New staff should complete it before their first shift handling food. With online training, this can be completed in as little as one day.

4. Unclear Food Safety Supervisor role

Fix: Ensure one person is formally designated as the Food Safety Supervisor. Their name and certification details should be documented and visible in your Food Safety Plan.

Planning for compliance in the new financial year

Use EOFY to set up the new financial year for success. Here is a simple plan:

1. Complete your audit now - enrol relevant staff in training by June 30.
2. Document all current certifications - file copies of Statements of Attainment in a secure, accessible location.
3. Set renewal reminders - mark expiry dates in your calendar for three months before they are due.
4. Make training mandatory - require all new hires to hold or obtain food safety certification before starting.
5. Review quarterly - check your compliance status every quarter to catch any gaps early.

This simple system ensures you're never caught off-guard by a lapsed certification or compliance audit.

EOFY offers from AIFS

To help make the most of your training budget, AIFS is offering exclusive EOFY pricing:

• Businesses: Enrol 5, Get 2 Extra Free
• Individuals: 10% Off All Courses (Discount Code EOFY10)

These offers apply to all courses, including nationally recognised Food Handler, Food Safety Supervisor and RSA training. Whether you’re training one person or your entire team, EOFY is the smartest time to invest.

Offer expires 30 June, 2026. Enrol now to or get in touch to secure your team's training before EOFY.