What is a Food Safety Supervisor?

All food businesses in certain states and territories of Australia (NSW, QLD, VIC, ACT) must have a Food Safety Supervisor if they serve:

• Ready-to-eat food,
• Potentially hazardous food, or
• Food not sold and served in its package.

Food Safety Supervisors contribute to a food business in many ways. They can:

Play a Pivotal Role in a Food Business

Food safety is the foundation of a successful food business. A Food Safety Supervisor’s purpose is to optimise food safety in a business, building it into work practices to improve efficiency and prevent cases of food-borne illness in customers.

In 2006, OzFoodNet estimated that 5.4 million cases of food-borne illnesses occur each year in Australia, costing an estimated $1.2 billion per annum.

To reduce food-borne illness in the community, state law in NSW, QLD, VIC and ACT decrees that most food businesses must have a trained Food Safety Supervisor with their staff at all times. Businesses who do not comply with this law risk a fine.

As Australia has some of the most stringent food safety laws in the world, employing someone who can decode and apply these laws practically to your business is vital.

Use Skills and Training to Protect and Improve a Food Business

To become a Food Safety Supervisor in Australia, you must undertake a Food Safety Supervisor course.

Once you have completed the course, you will become fully qualified as a Food Safety Supervisor. You will receive a nationally recognised Statement of Attainment demonstrating your knowledge and expertise.

Food Safety Supervisors can use the knowledge from this course to:

• Protect customers from food-borne illnesses
• Manage physical, chemical and biological hazards in the workplace to protect workers
• Train and supervise staff in the safe preparation of food
• Devise a Food Safety Program to improve workplace efficiency
• Build a Food Safety Plan in alignment with Australian law, tailored for the business
• Ensure that all deliveries from suppliers are safe and stored correctly
• Serve as a point of contact for local government
• Prepare the business for the event of a food safety emergency

Incorporating food safety management into your everyday business will improve productivity, increase efficiency, and reduce waste.

Most importantly, having an employee trained as a Food Safety Supervisor will provide assurance of your business’ quality to customers.