Food Safety Supervisor

Food Safety Supervisors (FSS) oversee day-to-day food handling operations and ensure risks are managed.

The NSW FSS program helps businesses meet their obligations under the Food Standards Code, NSW Food Act and Food Regulation.

All retail, hospitality and food service businesses need to appoint at least one Food Safety Supervisor (FSS) per premises if food they prepare and serve is:

  • ready-to-eat
  • potentially hazardous, that is, needs temperature control
  • NOT sold and served in the supplier's original package.

Broadly, this includes all businesses selling potentially hazardous food to the public that are not licensed by the Food Authority, such as: cafes, restaurants, quick service venues, takeaway shops, pubs and clubs with food service areas, mobile vendors, home-based businesses, caterers, motels, supermarkets selling potentially hazardous food (such as hot-chickens) and outlets that sell food through third party ordering apps.

Also included are:

  • school canteens
  • children’s services that provide meals, including out of school hours care
  • supermarkets
  • delicatessens
  • greengrocer, and
  • coffee vendors that sell unpackaged, potentially hazardous, ready-to-eat food

Exempt Businesses

The following are exempt from the FSS requirement in NSW:

  1. The handling or sale of food for the purpose of raising funds solely for community or charitable causes, and providing food free to the community.
  2. Businesses licensed with the NSW Food Authority.
  3. Businesses that only manufacture or wholesale food (such as a manufacturer of bulk ham that is sold packaged to supermarkets) with no direct sale to consumers (other food safety arrangements will apply to these businesses).
  4. Food businesses that are not serving or retailing unpackaged food that is potentially hazardous and ready to eat (such as service stations selling food that remains in its original sealed packaging, a coffee van that only sells food that is not potentially hazardous).

Food Safety Supervisor Recertification Training

Food Safety Supervisor (FSS) certificates expire 5 years from the date of issue. Any food businesses that have an appointed FSS and their certificate is due to expire will need to enrol them in recertification training with an approved Registered Training Organisation under the FSS program.
 
 When an FSS holder’s certification expires, a food business has 30 days to ensure:

  1. The FSS renews their training within 30 working days; or
  2. Another eligible staff member with a current qualification is appointed as the FSS.

For further information: