Food safety programs & HACCP

Food safety programs

Food safety programs are designed to help businesses identify and manage hazards to food safety.

Food law and licence conditions require most licensed food businesses to have a food safety program (FSP).

A business that only needs to notify the Authority of its activities is not required by law to have a food safety program in place. Some choose to use one anyway to help manage risks and keep food safe.

All food businesses must comply with relevant food regulations whether part of a food safety program or not. See: General requirements

Developing a food safety program

Most licensed food businesses must implement and maintain a food safety program based on the Codex Alimentarius Commission’s HACCP system and guidelines, or Standard 3.2.1 of the Food Standards Code.

Food safety programs for licensed businesses are assessed by the Authority, to satisfy NSW food law purposes, after being audited by a person authorised by the Authority.

Specific food safety program templates exist for the dairy, meat, seafood, shellfish and food for vulnerable persons schemes. Access the template for each scheme under industry sector requirements, then select the scheme. Food businesses are responsible for customising the template to reflect the:

• hazards
• management practices, and
• any relevant licensing regulations appropriate to them.

For notified food businesses who may choose to develop and implement a food safety program, or licensed businesses who do not want to use the industry-specific template, the Authority offers two general resources:

• Guide to develop a food safety program (pdf, 226KB)
• a template for a food safety program (WORD^TM, 56KB)

About HACCP

HACCP is an internationally recognised system used to identify and manage risk.

HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point.

The principles of HACCP are:

• hazard analysis
• identifying critical control points
• establishing critical limits
• monitoring
• taking corrective action
• keeping records, and
• verifying results.

These principles are used in food safety programs.

The Authority cannot:

• provide HACCP certification
• offer information about private sector HACCP certification, including costs
• endorse any HACCP-accredited business or provider
• customise a food safety program or template for an individual business, or
• provide contacts for organisations that run HACCP accreditation schemes.

The Authority can, however, issue a Food Safety Certificate to a licensed business that meets specific requirements.