Food Safety Program

Who requires an Accredited Food Safety Program?

The Food Act 2006 requires some licensable food businesses to have an accredited Food Safety Program (FSP) to identify, document and control food safety hazards within a food business.

Food businesses requiring an accredited FSP include:

  • Offsite catering
  • Onsite catering at the premise stated on the licence
  • Onsite catering at part of the premise stated on the licence, catering for to 200 or more people, on 12 or more occasions per year such as a function room used for onsite catering on the premise of a large hotel
  • Operations of a private hospital under the Private Health Facilities Act 1999 
  • Production of potentially hazardous food for vulnerable populations including hospital patients, young children in child care centres, elderly people in aged care facilities, and services such as meals on wheels

Food Safety Programs for Caterers
Food Safety Programs for Vulnerable Persons

Food Safety Programs

Some licensable food businesses are required to have an accredited Food Safety Program (FSP), which identifies, documents and controls food safety hazards within a food business.

The contents of the program must:

  • Systematically identify the food safety hazards that are reasonably likely to occur in food handling operations
  • Identify where, in a food handling operation of the food business, each hazard can be controlled and the means of control
  • Provide for the systematic monitoring of the means of control
  • Provide for appropriate corrective action to be taken when a hazard identified is not controlled;
  • Provide for a regular review of the program
  • Provide for the keeping of appropriate records for the food business, including records of corrective action taken to ensure that the business is in compliance with the program
  • Contain other information, relating to the control of food safety hazards, prescribed under regulation

There are various templates available on the Queensland Health website. When using a template to develop a FSP ensure that it is altered to reflect the actual activities conducted at the food business.

To make an application for FSP accreditation with Council, you must submit a fully completed form with supporting documentation and the relevant fee.  If you are applying for a food business licence and the food business requires FSP accreditation, you must apply for both together using the Application for Food Business Licence.   If you already have a food business licence, you must complete the Application for Food Safety Program Accreditation.

Written advice from an auditor is required to make an application for accreditation. Approved Third Party Auditors can be found on the Queensland Health website.

Choosing an Approved Auditor

Once an application is received Council has up to 30 days to accredit the FSP. You will be contacted should additional information be required to process the application, please note this will extend the processing timeframes. You will be notified when a decision has been made regarding your application.

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