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Formalising skills & knowledge
Introduced in 2010, the purpose of the mandatory Food Safety Supervisor (FSS) program is to help safeguard NSW consumers from foodborne illness.
The initiative requires certain businesses in the hospitality and retail food service sector to appoint at least one trained FSS.
The FSS must have gained specified units of competency under the national, vocational education and training system from a training provider approved by the NSW Food Authority.
Scope & impacts
The FSS requirement applies to businesses serving food that is:
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ready-to-eat
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potentially hazardous
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not sold and served in its package.
This includes restaurants, cafés, takeaway shops, caterers, bakeries, pubs, clubs, hotels, temporary premises (eg food market stalls), mobile food vendors and supermarket hot food sales.
Some businesses are exempt - see current information for industry.
An FSS needs to receive training in units of competency within the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system and hold a food safety supervisor certificate. The units required are listed in the FSS guidelines (pdf 555Kb).
FSS Evaluation
As part of the Food Authority’s FSS program evaluation framework, an FSS Evaluation was conducted in 2013–2014 to gauge the effectiveness of the FSS scheme.
The focus was to assess what effect the implementation of the FSS scheme has had on food safety knowledge and practices within affected businesses.