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New Sector-Specific Food Handler Qualifications

Written by Australian Institute of Food Safety | Feb 11, 2020 9:20:00 PM

In response to industry demand, sector-specific Food Handler training for the Health & Community and Food Processing industries is now available from the Australian Institute of Food Safety.

Queensland, February 10, 2020 — The Australian Institute of Food Safety, Australia’s leading provider of food safety training and education, has announced that the entry-level units of competency (UOC) for the Health & Community Food Safety Supervisor qualification and the Food Processing Food Safety Supervisor qualification are now offered as stand-alone units, effective immediately.

This means that health and community organisations and food processing businesses can enrol their staff in learner-focused and highly relevant training that prepares them for the actual work environment.

Unsafe food handling and poor hygiene in the Food & Beverage industry are major causes of food-borne disease in Australia. In environments where vulnerable persons like the elderly, young children or sick people are fed and cared for, as well as food production facilities where food contamination could impact thousands of Australians, specialised training and education saves lives.

As with all AIFS courses, the new units are available exclusively online and cover all the fundamental food safety concepts contained within the standard nationally recognised Food Handler course, as well as sector-specific knowledge and tools required on the job, including:

  • appropriate workwear and footwear
  • laundering and storage requirements
  • procedures for handling laundry contaminated with human waste

The unit of competency for the entry-level Health & Community course is HLTFSE001 - Follow basic food safety practices. The unit of competency for the entry-level Food Processing course is FBPFSY1001 - Follow work procedures to maintain food safety. 

‘We were seeing an increase in demand from businesses such as aged care centres who want to train all of their staff in food safety, but want units out of training packages that they know are relevant to their industry,’ said company president, Danielle Cullen. ‘We’re thrilled to be able to offer these units as stand-alone courses to help these organisations minimise the risk of food-borne illness to their clients and customers, as well as to their organisations.’

To learn more about the newly available units of competency for the Health & Community and Food Processing sectors, or to enrol multiple employees in a food safety course, contact the Australian Institute of Food Safety (AIFS).

About the Australian Institute of Food Safety (AIFS)

As Australia’s largest provider of food safety education, the Australian Institute of Food Safety is dedicated to helping organisations protect their business and their customers from food-borne illness. As a community focused organisation we deliver public health information to food businesses and consumers in order to improve food safety throughout Australia.

AIFS delivers nationally recognised training that meets all federal and state compliance requirements related to food safety. This includes Food Safety Supervisor and Food Handler compliance training. The mission of the Australian Institute of Food Safety is to reduce food-borne illness within Australia by educating, advocating and promoting food safety.