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For RTOs

Individuals who want to qualify as a Food Safety Supervisor must achieve the required units of competency under the FSS program.

The NSW FSS program is delivered through Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) approved by the Food Authority on an annual basis.

Approved RTOs teach students the required units of competency and supplementary key focus areas that go into detail about managing high risk activities not already captured in the national units of competency.

The certificate is designed to provide skills and knowledge for food handling in general retail and hospitality businesses. It does not provide all the skills required for food handling in more regulated industries such as Aged Care or manufacturing.

FSS program strategy

The Food Authority is required to specify the nationally accredited units of competency and publish them on its website.

RTOs delivering the NSW FSS must teach the following units of competency:

  • Hospitality units
    SITXFSA005 – Use hygienic practices for food safety, AND
    SITXFSA006 – Participate in safe food handling practices,

OR

  • Retail unit
    SIRRFSA001 – Handle food safely in a retail environment

In addition to these units, RTOs must also incorporate 5 key focus areas determined by the Food Authority and published on its website:

  • Safe Egg Handling
  • Allergen Management
  • Cleaning and Sanitising Practices
  • Food Act Offences, and
  • COVID Hygiene

Students seeking to achieve the NSW FSS qualification for the first time must follow a learning and assessment pathway.

Students seeking to recertify may follow a learning and recognition pathway to renew a NSW FSS certificate that is due to expire or has expired within the immediately preceding 90 days.

The diagram below provides two pathways that RTOs can offer to FSS students:

Units of Competency 
blue arrows

 

Learning and Assessment Pathway: 

RTOs deliver both: 

Units of Competency 

& 

Key focus areas 
 
blue arrows

 

FSS Certificate 

And 

Statement of Attainment 

OR 
 

Recertification Pathway: 

RPL Units of Competency 

& 

Deliver key focus areas 

& 

Assess Units of Competency Quiz 

The units of competency may include syllabus points for content in the key focus areas. Where this is the case, the Food Authority expects all the content in the included key focus area module to be taught as part of that syllabus requirement.

The key focus areas also provide additional consistency between the retail and hospitality skills sets.

FSS recertification training

FSS certificates expire 5 years from the date of issue.

The Food Authority has developed processes to assist individuals with a current or recently expired FSS certificate recertify

RTOs in the NSW FSS program may offer a condensed version of the FSS course for certificate holders who meet the recertification requirements as part of the learning and recognition pathway

Further information can be found in the Refresher Guidelines for RTOs, provided as part of the approval process.

Approval for the FSS Program

RTOs must be approved for the FSS program by the Food Authority to issue the FSS certificates which food safety supervisors require.

Approval includes access to the key focus areas resources and an account with the Biosecurity and Food Safety Customer Portal, where RTOs can issue certificates, manage their trainers, and pay invoices. The BFS Portal can be accessed here.

An RTO approval lasts 12 months from the date of approval. Before your RTO approval expires, the Food Authority will send renewal correspondence.

RTOs seeking approval to deliver the NSW FSS should:

RTO Compliance

The RTO Management System supports the overarching objective of the FSS program by providing systems for delivering consistent, high quality training across RTOs. This document outlines the key elements that form part of the RTO system.

Approved RTOs and their trainers must comply with conditions of approval.

The Food Authority monitors, measures and reports on RTO compliance. Compliance audits are conducted regularly.

Training material verification

Training material accuracy is crucial to providing quality training to food handlers. To verify the accuracy of your training materials refer to the Verification of training material guidance.

Change of details or trainers

Approved RTOs 

Already approved RTOs can change their details by completing and submitting this form:

Note: New trainer requests will be processed in 4 weeks.