Food safety requirements

A food safety supervisor is responsible for monitoring food safety in a food business. All licensable food businesses in Queensland must have a food safety supervisor to help ensure safe food is produced. Your food safety supervisor needs to be ‘reasonably available’. This means they need to be onsite or able to be contacted by Council or your employees while they are handling food.

Who can be a food safety supervisor

A food safety supervisor needs to have skills and knowledge about food safety and hygiene and be able to identify, prevent and correct food safety hazards. They also need to be able to supervise other staff and give directions about food safety issues.

Does a food safety supervisor need training?

It is recommended that your food safety supervisor completes a training course conducted by a registered training organisation (RTO), (e.g. Tafe, college or private provider). You can find a RTO at training.gov.au or enter the keywords ‘food safety supervisor training’ in a search engine. Find out more about food safety supervisor training and competency standards in Queensland Health's food safety supervisors fact sheet.

How do I nominate my food safety supervisor?

Once your food business licence has been granted, you have 30 days to provide your food safety supervisor’s name and contact details. If your food safety supervisor or their contact details change, you also need to notify Council.

A food safety program is a document that identifies and controls food safety hazards in the handling of food in a food business. Certain licensable food businesses must have a food safety program accredited by their local government. Licensable food businesses are required to have an accredited food safety program if:

• the food business involves off‐site catering
• the primary activity of the food business is on‐site catering at the premises stated in the licence
• the primary activity of the food business is on‐site catering at part of the premises stated in the licence
• the food business is carried on as part of the operations of a private hospital
• the food business processes or serves potentially hazardous food to six or more vulnerable persons, (e.g. child care centre, aged care or palliative care facility).

Visit Queensland Health to find out more about:

• food safety programs
• developing a food safety program
• food safety programs for caterers
• food safety programs for vulnerable persons
• choosing an auditor.