Should these Food Safety Management Tools be included in the Food Standards Code?
So if you want to comment on the current proposal about changes to the Food Standards Code you have until Friday 20 March.
Although there are several specific changes being proposed, there are two in particular which will have significant impacts on food businesses across the country.
The position of the Food Safety Supervisor is only required in some states currently and as such an important role within a food business, one of the changes to the Code will make this a position required across the country. Under what conditions it will be required and the training, and especially the recertification, are what needs to be determined. Currently different states / territories require the role for different business types and the recertification also differs.
This change to a nationally required position in food businesses will on it’s own do much in bringing our food law back to being what was planned when the Food Standards Code was first agreed to by all jurisdictions a national set of food laws.
During the time since 2000, various states / territories have added their own requirements, including the Food Safety Supervisor, which has once again made it difficult for food businesses, especially those with multiple sites across the country.
This nationally required Food Safety Supervisor role should really have already been added into the Code as a requirement, so this is a much required change.
The Code already requires that all food handlers must have the food safety skills and knowledge to do their job, however it does not specifically state that food safety training is required.
One of the other proposed changes to the Code is the requirement for food safety training. This will be significant in terms of increasing skills and knowledge. Although it is important to note that rightly the change does not require that the food business must have that training done externally, it must be allowed to be done internally as long as that training meets the requirements of ensuring the necessary knowledge and skills.
If you agree or want to make any suggestions to this Proposal about these and the other Food Safety Management Tools, have a look at the Proposal page to find the submission details.
The Proposal page on the Food Standards Australia New Zealand website can be found at this link –https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/code/proposals/Pages/P1053.aspx
The Proposal can be found at this link –
https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/code/proposals/Documents/FINAL%20Discussion%20paper%20P1053.pdf