This unit applies to all tourism, hospitality and catering organisations with permanent or temporary kitchen premises or smaller food preparation areas.
This includes restaurants, cafes, clubs, hotels, tour operators, attractions, function, event, exhibition and conference caterers, educational institutions, aged care facilities, correctional centres, hospitals, defence forces, cafeterias, kiosks, canteens, fast food outlets, residential caterers, in
Safe food handling practices are based on an organisation’s individual food safety program. The program would normally be based on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) method, but this unit can apply to other food safety systems.
It applies to food handlers who directly handle food. People at many levels use this skill in the workplace during the course of their daily activities, including cooks, chefs, caterers, kitchen hands and food and beverage attendants.
Not applicable.
Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge section and the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide. |
1. Follow food safety program. | 1.1 Access and use relevant information from organisational food safety program. 1.2 Follow policies and procedures in food safety program. 1.3 Control food hazards at critical control points. 1.4 Complete food safety monitoring processes and complete documents as required. 1.5 Identify and report non-conforming practices. 1.6 Take corrective actions within scope of job responsibility for incidents where food hazards are not controlled. |
2. Store food safely. | 2.1 Select food storage conditions for specific food type. 2.2 Store food in environmental conditions that protect against contamination and maximise freshness, quality and appearance. 2.3 Store food at controlled temperatures and ensure that frozen items remain frozen during storage. |
3. Prepare food safely. | 3.1 Use cooling and heating processes that support microbiological safety of the food. 3.2 Monitor food temperature during preparation using required temperature measuring device to achieve microbiological safety. 3.3 Ensure safety of food prepared, served and sold to customers under other conditions. |
4. Provide safe single use items. | 4.1 Store, display and provide single use items so they are protected from damage and contamination. 4.2 Follow instructions for items intended for single use. |
5. Maintain a clean environment. | 5.1 Clean and sanitise equipment, surfaces and utensils. 5.2 Use appropriate containers and prevent accumulation of garbage and recycled matter. 5.3 Identify and report cleaning, sanitising and maintenance requirements. 5.4 Dispose of or report chipped, broken or cracked eating, drinking or food handling utensils. 5.5 Take measures within scope of responsibility to ensure food handling areas are free from animals and pests and report incidents of animal or pest infestation. |
6. Dispose of food safely. | 6.1 Mark and keep separate from other foodstuffs any food identified for disposal until disposal is complete. 6.2 Dispose of food promptly to avoid cross contamination. |
Required skills |
communication skills to report food safety hazards literacy skills to: read and interpret food safety program, including policies, procedures and flow charts that identify critical control points complete documentation for monitoring food safety numeracy skills to calibrate and use a temperature probe and calculate timings problem-solving skills to identify and respond to routine food safety issues planning and organising skills to coordinate a range of different food handling tasks to take account of food safety issues self-management skills to take responsibility for food safety at an operational level. |
Required knowledge |
key features of federal, state or territory and local food safety compliance requirements as they impact workers at an operational level, including: contents of national codes and standards that underpin regulatory requirements reasons for food safety programs and what they must contain local government food safety regulations and inspection regimes consequences of failure to observe food safety policies and procedures meaning of contaminant, contamination and potentially hazardous foods as defined by the Code HACCP or other food safety system principles, procedures and processes as they apply to particular operations and different food types, including: critical control points for the specific food production system and the predetermined methods of control, especially time and temperature controls used in the receiving, storing, preparing, processing, displaying, serving, packaging, transporting and disposing of food main types of safety hazards and contamination conditions for development of microbiological contamination environmental conditions, including temperature controls, for storage temperature danger zone and the two-hour and four-hour rule contents of organisational food safety program, especially procedures and monitoring documents equipment operating procedures, especially how to calibrate, use and clean a temperature probe and how to identify faults choice and application of cleaning, sanitising and pest control equipment and materials high risk customer groups, such as: children or babies pregnant women aged persons people with immune deficiencies or allergies. |
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package. | |
Overview of assessment | |
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit | Evidence of the ability to: consistently use safe food handling practices in a range of different food handling circumstances demonstrate knowledge of food safety program and requirements, including critical control points and methods of food hazard control for each critical control point. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment must ensure use of: an operational food preparation area or commercial kitchen with the fixtures, large and small equipment and workplace documentation real industry workplace simulated industry environment such as a training kitchen servicing customers food ingredients and ready to eat food items current plain English regulatory documents distributed by the national, state, territory or local government food safety authority the Code current commercial food safety programs, policies and procedures used for the management of food safety. |
Method of assessment | A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit: direct observation of the individual completing tasks in a food handling facility use of case studies to assess ability to react to a range of incidents where hazards have not been controlled oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of food safety legislative requirements, policies and procedures, including hazard control measures review of portfolios of evidence and third |
Guidance information for assessment | The assessor should design integrated assessment activities to holistically assess this unit with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role, for example: SITXFSA101 Use hygienic practices for food safety any commercial cookery, commercial catering, patisserie, Asian cookery or food and beverage unit involving food preparation. |
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included. | |
Policies and procedures may relate to: | cleaning and sanitation hazards: control methods for each critical control point corrective actions systematic monitoring of hazard controls and record keeping equipment maintenance food: receiving storage preparation display service disposal personal considerations: dress hygiene protective equipment and clothing pest control record maintenance training. |
Food hazards may be: | actual or potential chemical insects and vermin microbiological: bacteria natural poisons moulds yeast physical: broken glass metal foreign objects process-related where food is vulnerable to contamination: displayed food need for food to be touched by hand re-thermalisation or defrosting processes involving temperatures that promote rapid growth of micro |
Critical control points are specific steps where control of food hazards is essential to maintain the safety and suitability of the food, including: | receiving storing preparing processing displaying serving packaging transporting disposing. |
Food safety monitoring may involve: | bacterial swabs and counts checking and recording that food is stored in appropriate timeframes chemical tests monitoring and recording food temperatures using a temperature measuring device accurate to plus or minus 1 degree Celsius monitoring and recording temperature of cold and hot storage equipment visual examination of food for quality review. |
Incidents may include: | customer complaints existence of pests and vermin food not under temperature control food poisoning misuse of single use items spoilt or contaminated food stocks of out unclean equipment. |
Food type may include: | dairy dried goods eggs frozen goods fruit and vegetables meat and fish. |
Safety of food served and sold to customers under other conditions | packaging control: using packaging materials suited to foods monitoring of packaging damage protective barriers temperature control supervision of food displays utensil control: providing separate serving utensils for each dish. |
Food prepared, | drink dispensing pre self-service food. |
Items intended for single use may include: | disposable items: cutlery crockery face wipes and serviettes individually packaged items: beverages condiments jams and spreads. |
Cleaning, sanitising and maintenance | cleaning: dirt food waste grease pest waste removal maintenance: recalibration of measurement and temperature controls minor faults sanitising: eating and drinking utensils food contact surfaces. |
Food identified for disposal must be held and kept separate and either: | clearly identified as not safe, or suspected of not being safe, for consumption destroyed disposed of so that it cannot be used for human consumption returned to supplier subject to recall. |
Cross-Sector
This unit contains employability skills.
Food handlers must comply with the requirements contained within the Australia New Zealand Food Standards (ANZFS) Code (the Code).
In some states and territories businesses are required to designate a food safety supervisor who is required to be certified as competent in this unit through a registered training organisation.