There is no underestimating the importance of Food Safety Supervisor Certification for aged care providers in Australia. All facilities that prepare and serve food to residents must ensure that a trained Food Safety Supervisor oversees safe food handling, in addition to compliance with the Food Standards Code and the Aged Care Act.
If your aged care facility prepares, handles and serves potentially hazardous foods, you must nominate at least one certified Food Safety Supervisor to monitor food handling practices - to qualify for the role, this individual must obtain a Statement of Attainment through the completion of a nationally recognised Food Safety Supervisor course.
The right certification helps facilities reduce risk, pass audits and protect resident health.
Completing a nationally recognised Food Safety Supervisor training program proves that your nominated staff member has the advanced food safety knowledge required to oversee Food Handlers in a high-risk environment.
In aged care facilities, this role is critical because residents are more susceptible to food-borne illness due to age, health conditions and weakened immune systems.
Aged care is classified under the Health & Community or Hospitality sector, as this varies by state or territory location. In such facilities, meals are often prepared in bulk, modified for special diets and served to residents who may not tolerate even minor food safety failures.
A single lapse in temperature control or cross-contamination can have serious consequences in aged care settings, including outbreaks that trigger regulatory scrutiny.
Because of this risk profile, regulators expect aged care providers to demonstrate robust systems, documented procedures and trained supervisors who actively manage food safety.
Under the Food Standards Code, food businesses must ensure food is handled safely. All Australian states and territories require at least one Food Safety Supervisor to be reasonably contactable during food preparation and service.
For aged care providers, food safety obligations also intersect with broader aged care reforms and accreditation requirements. Facilities must show they have properly trained staff, clear systems for accountability and effective risk management processes in place.
Reminder: Requirements can vary slightly by state or territory, so operators should always check local health department guidance alongside national standards.
A certified Food Safety Supervisor oversees food handling practices, identifies risks and ensures staff follow safe food handling procedures every day. While the core certification is the same across sectors, aged care kitchens must apply this knowledge with more strict controls to help safeguard the vulnerable population they serve.
Although there are no official limits in terms of who can become a Food Safety Supervisor, regulators generally expect them to be someone who has authority and oversight in the kitchen. This often includes:
In larger facilities, more than one certified supervisor may be needed to ensure coverage across shifts and sites. This also helps to ensure coverage during periods of staff leave or illness.
The Australian Institute of Food Safety (AIFS) delivers a Food Safety Supervisor course that builds on basic food handling knowledge and focuses on managing food safety systems rather than food handling tasks alone.
There are 19 interactive lessons to complete, each of which is followed up with a multiple-choice quiz to verify knowledge before proceeding to the next section:
The Food Safety Supervisor course includes two case study tasks*. For each one, participants will be given a scenario to review and a set of questions to complete. These questions are designed to test the participant’s ability to apply the food safety knowledge they have learned in realistic workplace situations.
*NSW regulations require additional case studies.
Participants will also complete a reading activity focused on potentially hazardous foods. They must review the document provided before answering a series of multiple-choice questions based on its contents.
An individual’s practical skills are assessed through an Observer Report, which is the only part of the course that must be completed in person. Participants will carry out a range of food safety tasks while being observed by a nominated person from their workplace, who will complete a report to confirm the skills demonstrated meet industry food safety requirements.
Where appropriate, the Observer Report can include evidence of tasks completed in the workplace over the past 12 months, as long as they have been performed multiple times in different conditions. Role-play may also be used to demonstrate certain tasks if needed.
Food safety supervisor certification for aged care plays a direct role in demonstrating compliance during audits, inspections and accreditation reviews. Appointing at least one certified Food Safety Supervisor will show regulators that the facility takes food safety seriously and has invested in legally required training.
Benefits for operators include:
This is why many providers view certification as part of their broader governance and risk management strategy, not just a training checkbox.
Food Safety Supervisor certification for aged care is not just a regulatory requirement – it is a safeguard for residents, staff and your organisation’s reputation. With increasing scrutiny on aged care services, having properly trained supervisors in your kitchen is a practical step toward stronger compliance and risk reduction.
If you are reviewing your current arrangements or onboarding new managers, now is the right time to ensure your facility is covered.
AIFS offers nationally recognised Food Safety Supervisor training with 24/7 access to course materials, making it a fast and flexible way to meet food safety regulations. It’s self-paced, making it particularly suitable for shift workers in busy aged care facilities.
Individuals can enrol online via the AIFS Food Safety Supervisor course page.
Got several staff members to enrol? Contact us today to learn more about group enrolments.
A. Aged care kitchens are generally categorised within the Health & Community sector. The AIFS Food Safety Supervisor course covers all the units of competency required for this industry sector:
Note: These units are not accepted in New South Wales (NSW).
In NSW, Food Safety Supervisor course participants working in aged care facilities are required to complete the units of competency for Hospitality:
A. In most cases, aged care facilities must have at least one certified Food Safety Supervisor, although it is recommended to appoint more than one to cover potential absences.
A. Yes. Aged care providers operating multiple sites will require several certified Food Safety Supervisors to ensure coverage across locations and shifts.
A Statement of Attainment is generally valid for five years, after which refresher training is recommended.