New National Food Standards
New standards have been introduced nationally by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to improve food safety and prevent foodborne illness in the community.
Food businesses that handle unpackaged, potentially hazardous and ready-to-eat foods will need to comply with the new standard requirements by 8 December 2023.
The new requirements will improve food safety through skills, knowledge and supervision.
Some food businesses will be required to implement the below food safety management tools. These tools will enable food businesses to manage food safety risks more effectively to help prevent foodborne illnesses and outbreaks, loss of revenue and reputational damage.
- Food safety supervisors: You will need to appoint a food safety supervisor for your business.
- Food safety training: Your food handlers will need to show they have had food safety training.
- Show you are managing key food safety controls: You will need to keep records of important food safety controls or be able to demonstrate safe food handling practices.
To help you to understand what you need to do to meet the new requirements visit https://www.health.wa.gov.au/FSMT
If you have any questions, contact your local government Environmental Health Services.
New Food Businesses
To register your food business in the Shire of Plantagenet, notify us of any alterations to your existing food business, or let us know you've purchased an existing business, you are required to submit a completed Food Act 2008 Registration/Notification form, show evidence of food safety training (see below for access) and pay the applicable fees.
Some community groups may not need to register as a food business, but are required to notify us of their food activities. This is done using the same form. Application fees for community groups are reduced in some instances so please contact the Shire's Environmental Health team on 9892 1111 if you'd like to discuss the fee structure.
An inspection of the premises / temporary structure / mobile food premises will need to take place prior to opening, or when ownership of an existing premises changes. Once your completed application package has been submitted, an Environmental Health Officer will contact you to commence the registration approval process.
Temporary, Mobile and Home Based Food Businesses
Temporary premises are used to sell food at an occasional event, such as a fete, fair, festival, market or show, usually lasting only a few hours. The structure is temporary, usually consisting of a marquee and is dismantled after the event.
Mobile premises are a vehicle that is permanently equipped to prepare and sell food. They're not a permanent premises and can be driven / towed from site to site.
Both temporary and mobile food premises need to meet the same food safety requirements as other food businesses, regardless of the size of the business or how often food is provided.
Home Based Food Businesses- Only low-risk food products are permitted to be prepared for sale at an approved residential kitchen. Low-risk food products include flour based cakes, biscuits, jams, pickles and preserves. The premise must meet minimum food safety standards to ensure a safe environment for food preparation. It is important to note that a development approval may also be required in addition to the home based food business approval.
Certain food businesses may operate from a residential house such as:
- B&B's
- Farm-stay accommodation
- Childcare businesses
- Food prepared for fundraising events
- Online food sales from home
- Preparing food for local markets
If you prepare food for sale or sell food in a residential home, you are still deemed to be a food business under the Food Act 2008 and therefore must comply with all food laws and register or notify your food business with the Shire of Plantagenet.
FoodSafe Online Training
The Shire of Plantagenet takes food safety and hygiene within our Shire very seriously. All businesses have obligations to produce safe and suitable food and the Environmental Health Team are assisting food businesses to meet these obligations by providing free access to a new exciting training tool.
There is a high demand for training in the food sector. This training will assist food handlers in developing the required skills and knowledge to ensure food is handled in a safe and hygienic manner. The program is easy to follow and includes interactive quizzes. A training certificate can be printed upon completion and kept as part of your staff records. It is currently available in English,食品安全在线课程 (Simplified Chinese) and Thực phẩm an toàn trực tuyến (Vietnamese).
Once you’ve gone through the registration process you will finish at a checkout page requesting payment. Please enter discount code FSPLANT373 at the checkout and the $35 fee will be waived.
Please note that:
- The online training is for completing by individuals; the platform isn’t a group training environment. A certificate in the participants name will be issued once the training is complete
- We have received feedback that after a few people register for and complete the training on the same computer, further access to the training registration page is sometimes blocked. The remedy to this is to clear your browser history / cache and access will then be granted
- Please ensure you have entered your email address correctly during registration. After you have registered for the course you will receive an email with a link to access the training. If you do not receive the email please check your promotions folder or junk mail / spam folder.
If you have any technical issues with the training e.g. certificate not being issued upon completion, please contact the training provider on email [email protected] stating the name you used to register and the issue you are experiencing.
Access to FoodSafe Training
Health Inspections of Food Businesses
Regular routine inspections are undertaken to ensure compliance with legislative requirements in an effort to protect public health and safety.
Most inspections are undertaken without giving notice to the operator; this is to give a true indication of how the premises is operated under normal conditions.
The design, construction, maintenance and operation of a food premises is to comply with the Australian Standard 'Design, construction and fit-out of food premise' Public Health Act 2016, Food Act 2008, Food Regulations 2009, the Food Standards Code and Council's Local Laws.
Food Standards Code Australia New Zealand
A lot of very handy information about food handling skills and knowledge requirements, health and hygiene responsibilities of food handlers and the fit out of a food premises can be found in the Food Standards Code Australia New Zealand.