Standard 3.2.1 - Food Safety Programs

Published

7 August 2025

A food safety program is a written document indicating how a food business will control the food safety hazards associated with the food handling activities of the business. Only certain high risk food businesses are required to have food safety programs:

Businesses that serve or process potentially hazardous food for service to vulnerable people are required to comply with Standard 3.2.1, in accordance with Standard 3.3.1 - Food Safety Programs for Food Service to Vulnerable Persons. This includes businesses providing food to hospital patients, aged care residents and children in child care centres. It will also normally apply to delivered meal organisations, that is, organisations that prepare food for delivery to vulnerable people.
Seafood businesses that engage in the primary production or processing of, or manufacturing activities concerning, bivalve molluscs must implement a documented food safety management system that effectively controls the hazards. These businesses can comply with the requirements by following Standard 3.2.1 or other compliance options listed in subclause 16(2) of Standard 4.2.1 - Primary Production and Processing Standard for Seafood.
Businesses producing manufactured and fermented meats are required to develop a food safety management system in accordance with Standard 4.2.2 (Poultry Meat) and Standard 4.2.3 (Meat).
Cell culturing food businesses must comply with Standard 3.2.1 and have a food safety program with specified details - see Standard 3.4.1 Food safety requirements for processing of cell-cultured food.

Food businesses may also be required to have food safety programs under state or territory food legislation. Food businesses should check state/territory requirements with their local council or state/territory health department - see below.