What is the purpose of a food safety policy?

(August 2015)

Food safety standards place obligations on Australian food businesses to produce food that is safe and suitable to eat. A food business is any business or activity that involves the handling of any type of food for sale, or the sale of food in Australia.

The standards, which also contain health and hygiene obligations for food handlers, aim to lower the incidence of food-borne illness.

Charity and community groups, temporary events and home-based businesses are exempt from some of the requirements in the food safety standards. These groups and businesses can contact their local enforcement authority for further information.

FSANZ has developed separate standards for food businesses in the primary production and processing sectors.

Note: Food businesses in New Zealand are required to comply with New Zealand’s Food Act 1981 and the regulations and standards under this Act. For more information visit the Ministry for Primary Industries website.

Food safety standards

There are five food safety standards:

• 3.1.1 Interpretation and Application
• 3.2.1 Food Safety Programs
• 3.2.2 Food Safety Practices and General Requirements
• 3.2.3 Food Premises and Equipment
• 3.3.1 Food Safety Programs for Food Service to Vulnerable Persons

Standards 3.2.2 and 3.2.3 are mandatory for all food businesses. Safe Food Australia is the guide to the mandatory standards.

What is a food safety policy?

A food safety policy is your organisation's commitment to providing safe and suitable food. Food safety is important as it helps to protect your consumers from the risk of food borne illnesses. It also helps to prevent consumers from risks of health–related conditions such as allergy and even death.

You business creates its own food safety policy. This involves establishing everything that you will do to ensure food safety in your business' supply chain. This will include the legal obligations and processes which they are legally obliged to meet, as well as the food safety policies which they also want to meet to ensure the utmost food safety in their company.

What is a food safety objective?

Food safety objectives are designed to create goals for your company to track your progress with meeting the food safety policy.

An effective framework to aid in creating those food safety objectives is SMART objectives.

It is important when creating your food safety objectives, that they meet each 5 aspects of SMART objectives.

S - Specific. Include specific data that you are trying to reach

M – Measurable. By having a solid metric, you will be able to definitively measure whether or not you have reached these goals or not.

A – Achievable. It’s important to create goals that are actually achievable for your company.

R – Realistic. This is similar to achievable goals, they must be realistic for your company, not your competitors.

T – Timely. You must have a time-frame for your goals. Do not set them too far in the future, but also set a realistic time frame for achieving your goals.

Why is a food safety policy important?

It is important to implement food safety policy in your business so that you are meeting your legal requirements, but also to ensure you can prove to your customers that you are reaching high standards with your food safety.

Some of the benefits of a food safety policy are:

1. Reduce your spoiled product costs
2. Educated employees
3. Improve company reputation

Learn More: 

• What is a quality policy?
• What is a food safety plan? 
• What is food safety training?

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Food standards in Australia

Keeping food safe and free from contamination is critical to public health. Australia has legislation and regulations to make sure local and imported food is safe to eat.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand:

• develops and manages standards for food, called the Food Standards Code
• regulates labelling that goes on packaged and unpackaged food, including warnings and advisory labels
• manages food recalls.

The Australian Government and state and territory governments enforce the standards, in line with their food legislation. 

The Department of Agriculture ensures that imported products meet our strict biosecurity laws and food standards.

Food labelling

In Australia, legislation requires most packaged foods to have a label so that everyone can make informed decisions about what they eat and drink. Labels must include:

• nutrition information – like sugar, salt and saturated fat
• ingredients – listed from highest to lowest weight, and including additives and those that can cause allergies
• use-by date – when the food is likely to go off
• use and storage instructions.

The voluntary Health Star Rating system is a quick and easy way to compare the nutrition in similar foods – the more stars, the healthier the food.

Companies can make nutrition claims (like low fat) or health claims (like good for your bones) on the front of the packaging. While the food must meet certain criteria to back these claims up, it’s still important to read and understand the nutrition information.

The National Measurement Institute administers the laws for selling foods by weights and measures. It works with the Australian food sector to test, analyse and measure foods to ensure accurate labelling and food safety.

Read more about food labelling requirements and understanding food labels.

Storing, handling and serving food safely

Australia has a reliable, safe and nutritious food supply. But food poisoning still happens.

There are more than 5 million cases of food poisoning in Australia each year, both through businesses and at home. Storing, handling and serving food safely can prevent this.

Food safety is everyone’s responsibility. By law, businesses and not-for-profit organisations must follow food standards to keep people safe from food-related illness. But it’s important for individuals too, as many cases of food poisoning happen at home.

Food safety includes:

• storing food safely
• practising good hygiene when handling food
• cooling and reheating food safely.

Read the food safety standards or InfoBites for how to store, handle and serve food in a way that keeps everyone safe.

Food recalls

To protect public health and safety, businesses must immediately remove from distribution, sale and consumption any food found to be unsafe.

This could be for many reasons, including contamination, incorrect labelling or a packaging fault.

Food Safety Australia New Zealand coordinates and monitors food recalls. Read more about how food recalls work in Australia and any current food recalls.

Food safety in emergencies

Emergencies, such as flood and fire, can contaminate food and water supplies or block access to shops.

The Australian Government and state and territory governments work to restore access to food as quickly as possible following an emergency.

But there are things you can do to make sure you have safe food and water at home before, during and after emergencies.

Read about what you can do in an emergency at:

• Food Standards Australia New Zealand
• Australian Capital Territory Health
• New South Wales Food Authority
• Northern Territory Health
• Queensland Health 
• South Australian Health
• Tasmanian Department of Health and Human Services
• Victorian Department of Health and Human Services
• Western Australian Health
• Food Safety Information Council.

Last updated: 

17 June 2021

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