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Who needs to have a Food Safety Program (FSP) and scheduled audits conducted?
The Food Act 2006 (QLD) identifies specific food businesses that serve vulnerable members of society, these food businesses include childcare, aged care, Meal on Wheels, hospitals as well as off-site catering and on-site catering businesses. Legislatively these businesses are required to have an accredited Food Safety Program, which needs to be audited by a Queensland Health approved Food Safety Auditor based on the audit schedule set out by their local council. 

 

Any business is free to have a Food Safety Program to help manage their food business, however only those businesses that a serving the vulnerable members of society as listed above are required to have their food safety program accredited. 

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*Please note that on-site is only required to have an accredited food safety program if they are serving over 199 meals, 11times in a 12month period. Please feel free to contact me if you require additional information. 

Accreditation of the Food Safety Program and Written Advice 
​When applying with council for the accreditation of a Food Safety Program the applicate must provide a copy of Written Advice that has been provided by a Queensland Health approved Auditor, a list of all current auditors can be found on the Queensland Health website. My resource page has additional information on what must be in a Food Safety Program, please contact us if you require further information. 

Scheduled compliance audit 

So once council has accredited the Food Safety Program the holder of an accredited food safety program for a food business must, within 6 months after the program is accredited, have the first compliance audit of the program conducted by an appropriate auditor for the food business. Once this first compliance audit has been conducted council will notify the food business of their chosen frequency.

 

A food safety audit focuses on gathering information about a food business to identify any areas of potential improvement in the business's food safety processes and systems. It also identifies areas of the business that needs improvement and the appropriate action to correct any deficiencies. Also, to ensure that the food business is operating within the limits of their accredited Food Safety Program. 

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Things to remember

You must have a written copy of your food safety program on the premises so that it is available when requested by local council environmental health officers or food safety auditors.

 

You must also retain all written reports of all food safety audit results for the previous 4 years so they can be inspected by a food safety auditor or local council environmental health officers when requested.

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