New Food Safety Standard

Food Standards Australia New Zealand and the Australian National University in 2022 estimated there are 4.67 million cases of foodborne illnesses in Australia each year that resulted in 47,900 hospitalisations and 38 deaths.

If you own or manage a food business, a new, stricter food safety standard will come into effect 8 December 2023 — Standard 3.2.2A Food Safety Management Tools. Standard 3.2.2A is an extension of the Standard 3.2.2 Food Safety Requirements in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code), for food businesses identified as a Category One or Two that engage in high-risk food handling activities, which aims to improve food safety. The Standard applies to the vast majority of food service and food retail businesses, such as restaurants, cafés, pubs, hotels with table service, takeaway and smorgasbords; supermarkets and delis; takeaway shops, mobile food vendors and juice bars; hospitals, aged care facilities and childcare centres.

Restaurants and cafés are classified as a Category One Business and as such must implement all three Food Safety Management Tools to strengthen their management of hazards known to contribute to foodborne illness. These standards provide a risk-based, preventative approach to providing safe and suitable food which is based on the principle that food safety is best ensured by implementing food hygiene controls at each stage of food handling and implementation of additional risk management tools.