Standard 3.2.2A Explained — What Australian Food Businesses Must Do | Food Safety Hub

Standard 3.2.2A — Food Safety Management Tools is a standard within the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. It introduced three mandatory food safety management tools for food service and retail businesses across Australia. Most food businesses that prepare or serve unpackaged food must comply.

What is Standard 3.2.2A?

Standard 3.2.2A was developed by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to improve food safety outcomes in Australia. Evidence showed that food businesses with designated food safety responsibility and trained staff had significantly fewer food safety incidents than those without these structures.

The Standard requires eligible food businesses to implement three specific tools:

1. A certified Food Safety Supervisor on each food premises
2. Food handler training for all staff who handle food
3. An evidence tool — records demonstrating that the FSS and training requirements are in place

These are often referred to as the “three tools” of Standard 3.2.2A.

When did Standard 3.2.2A start?

• Gazetted and commenced: 8 December 2022
• Full compliance required (most states): 8 December 2023
• NSW extensions: Some NSW businesses had until 8 December 2024

NSW also introduced the Food Regulation 2025 (commenced 1 September 2025), which built on the national standard with additional requirements specific to NSW, including the single-RTO rule for FSS training.

The three tools — what each requires

Tool 1: Food Safety Supervisor (FSS)

Every eligible food premises must have at least one certified Food Safety Supervisor. The FSS must:

• Hold a current Statement of Attainment covering SITXFSA005 (Use hygienic practices for food safety) and SITXFSA006 (Participate in safe food handling practices) — or SIRRFSA001 for retail
• Be “reasonably available” on the premises during food handling operations
• Be a person employed by or working at the business

The FSS does not have to be the owner or manager — any trained staff member can be certified. The certificate is valid for 5 years, after which recertification is required.

See our full guide: What Is a Food Safety Supervisor?

Tool 2: Food handler training

All people who handle food in the business — every staff member who touches food, food contact surfaces, or food packaging — must have food safety training appropriate to their work activities.

This training does not need to result in a formal qualification. It can be:

• On-the-job instruction from a supervisor
• An internal food safety briefing
• A short online food handler course (many free or low-cost options exist)

The requirement is that the training is appropriate to the person’s role. A kitchen hand handling raw meat has different food safety risks than a barista making coffee — the training should reflect the actual risks of each role.

The FSS certificate (SITXFSA005+SITXFSA006) automatically satisfies the food handler training requirement for the FSS themselves. They do not need separate food handler training.

Tool 3: The evidence tool

Category 1 businesses only must keep evidence that they have met the FSS and food handler training requirements. This is the evidence tool.

The evidence tool does not need to be a sophisticated system. In practice, it means keeping records such as:

• A copy of the FSS’s current Statement of Attainment, readily accessible on the premises
• A record of food handler training for each staff member (date, what was covered, who delivered it)
• Food safety records relevant to the business’s Category 1 activities — for example, temperature logs, cleaning schedules, supplier records

The evidence tool must be available for inspection by an environmental health officer. There is no mandated format — a simple folder with the FSS certificate and a training register is sufficient for most small businesses.

Category 2 businesses are not required to maintain a formal evidence tool, though many do as a matter of good practice.

Category 1 vs Category 2 — what’s the difference?

Standard 3.2.2A divides food businesses into two categories based on the nature of their food handling activities.

Category	Business type	Examples	Tools required
Category 1	Process unpackaged potentially hazardous food	Restaurant, café, caterer, aged care kitchen, hospital, school canteen	FSS + Food handler training + Evidence tool
Category 2	Handle food at lower risk	Food retailer selling packaged goods, newsagent with wrapped sandwiches, vending machine operator	FSS + Food handler training

What makes a business Category 1? Businesses that carry out any of the following “prescribed activities” with potentially hazardous food are Category 1:

• Storing or processing unpackaged potentially hazardous food
• Serving or providing unpackaged potentially hazardous food directly to consumers

A restaurant that cooks and plates meals is Category 1. A supermarket that sells only pre-packaged food products is likely Category 2. A bakery that bakes and sells bread on site could be Category 1.

If you are uncertain about your category, contact your state food authority or local council environmental health officer.

Who is exempt from Standard 3.2.2A?

Not all food businesses are covered by Standard 3.2.2A. Exemptions vary slightly by state, but generally include:

• Businesses that handle only pre-packaged food with no on-site preparation
• Businesses operating under a registered food safety program (e.g., businesses with a formal third-party audited HACCP plan under a separate regulatory scheme)
• Some very low-risk food activities determined at the state level (e.g., community events, fundraising activities — check with your local council)
• Primary producers who only handle raw agricultural products before any processing occurs

Hospitals, aged care facilities, and schools that operate their own kitchens are not exempt — they are typically Category 1 businesses.

How is Standard 3.2.2A enforced?

The Standard is part of the Food Standards Code, which is adopted into law by each state and territory through their own Food Acts. Enforcement is carried out by:

• Local councils — through environmental health officers who conduct routine and complaint-driven inspections of food premises
• State food authorities — such as the NSW Food Authority, Department of Health Victoria, Queensland Health — which set policy, approve RTOs (in NSW), and handle escalated cases

During an inspection, an environmental health officer may:

1. Ask to see the FSS certificate — it must be current and available on the premises
2. Confirm the named FSS is actually employed at the premises
3. Ask about food handler training for other staff
4. Request to see the evidence tool (Category 1 businesses)

Non-compliance can result in improvement notices, prohibition orders, fines, or in serious cases, prosecution under the relevant state Food Act.

What are the penalties for non-compliance?

Penalties vary by state. Under the NSW Food Act 2003, penalties for operating a food business without meeting Standard 3.2.2A requirements can reach tens of thousands of dollars. Other states have similar penalty frameworks. The specific penalty amounts are set out in each state’s Food Act and associated regulations.

Where does NSW fit in?

NSW implemented Standard 3.2.2A with additional state-specific requirements:

• An extra NSW Government FSS certificate (approximately $30 fee) issued through NSW Food Authority approved RTOs
• A requirement to use an NSW Food Authority approved RTO (not just any national RTO)
• Extensions to the compliance deadline (8 December 2024 for some NSW businesses)
• NSW Food Regulation 2025 (commenced 1 September 2025) — introduced the single-RTO rule (both SITXFSA005 and SITXFSA006 must be completed with the same provider) and a maximum 6-month window for certificate issuance

See our NSW requirements guide and NSW certificate guide for full details.

Frequently asked questions

Does Standard 3.2.2A apply to home-based food businesses? It depends on the scale and nature of operations. Cottage food laws and home-based business exemptions vary by state. Contact your local council to confirm whether your home-based food business is covered.

We had a food safety system in place before December 2023 — do we still need to comply? Yes. Standard 3.2.2A applies regardless of pre-existing food safety practices. If your existing system includes a certified FSS, food handler training, and evidence records, you are likely already compliant — but the FSS must hold the specific nationally accredited units (SITXFSA005+SITXFSA006) to satisfy the Standard.

What is the difference between Standard 3.2.2A and Standard 3.2.2? Standard 3.2.2 (Food Safety Practices and General Requirements) has existed for many years and covers general food handling, storage, and premises requirements. Standard 3.2.2A is the newer standard (2022) specifically adding the three management tools — FSS, food handler training, and evidence tool. Both apply to eligible food businesses.

Does the evidence tool need to be digital? No. A paper-based system — a folder with the FSS certificate, a printed training register, and whatever records are relevant to your operations — fully satisfies the evidence tool requirement. Digital systems are not required, though many businesses find them more convenient for large teams.

Can one person be the FSS for multiple businesses? Each food premises needs its own FSS who is reasonably available on site. One person can hold the FSS certificate for multiple businesses only if they are genuinely reasonably available at each premises during food handling operations — which in practice is rarely achievable for separate physical locations with different operating hours.

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Last verified: April 2026. For official information on Standard 3.2.2A, visit Food Standards Australia New Zealand. For your state’s specific requirements, see our NSW, VIC, and QLD guides.