Food Handler Course — Australia 2026
Free online food safety course for food handlers. Covers the four topics required for food handler training under Standard 3.2.2A – Food Safety Management Tools (Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code), plus allergens and temperature control.
Non-accredited training. This course is not a nationally recognised qualification and is not a Food Safety Supervisor course.
Time to complete: about 30–40 minutes · Test: 15 questions, pass mark 12/15 (80%) · Unlimited free attempts
Module 1 — Introduction to food safety
Why food safety matters
Food can make people sick if it is contaminated or handled badly. FSANZ estimates there are around 4.7 million cases of foodborne illness in Australia every year, causing about 47,900 hospitalisations and 38 deaths. Most cases are preventable with good food handling.
Some people are at higher risk of serious illness: - pregnant women - babies and young children - older people - people with weakened immune systems
What the law requires
Food safety in Australia is set by the Food Standards Code, written by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). Each state and territory enforces it through its own Food Act, usually through local councils and environmental health officers (EHOs).
The main standards for food businesses are: - Standard 3.2.2 — Food Safety Practices and General Requirements (how food must be handled) - Standard 3.2.3 — Food Premises and Equipment - Standard 3.2.2A — Food Safety Management Tools (since 8 December 2023)
Standard 3.2.2A in brief
Food service, catering and related retail businesses that handle unpackaged, potentially hazardous, ready-to-eat food are category 1 or category 2 businesses. They must:
- make sure every food handler has completed a food safety training course, or has the right skills and knowledge, before handling high-risk food
- appoint a certified Food Safety Supervisor (FSS)
- (category 1 only) keep records showing key food safety controls (for example temperatures and sanitising)
A food handler training course must cover: - safe handling of food - food contamination - cleaning and sanitising of food premises and equipment - personal hygiene
Your responsibilities as a food handler
Under Standard 3.2.2, food handlers must: - take all practicable steps to make sure food is safe - follow good hygiene practices - tell their supervisor if they are sick with symptoms that could contaminate food - follow the business's food safety procedures
Key words - Food handler: anyone who works with food or with surfaces that touch food. - Potentially hazardous food: food that needs temperature control to stop harmful bacteria growing (for example meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, cooked rice and pasta, eggs, prepared salads, sandwiches). - Ready-to-eat food: food eaten without any further cooking.
Module 2 — Food contamination
Contamination means something harmful gets into food. There are three main types, plus allergen cross-contact (Module 6).
1. Biological contamination
Caused by microorganisms: bacteria, viruses, parasites and moulds. - Common bacteria: Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens, Campylobacter. - Common virus: norovirus (spreads easily from sick workers and dirty hands). - Bacteria need food, moisture, warmth and time to grow. In the right conditions some bacteria can double in number in as little as 10–20 minutes. - Some bacteria produce toxins that are not destroyed by cooking or reheating.
2. Chemical contamination
Caused by chemicals getting into food, for example: - cleaning chemicals and sanitisers - pest control products - too much of an additive
Prevent it: store chemicals away from food, in labelled containers, and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Never put chemicals into food or drink containers.
3. Physical contamination
Foreign objects in food, for example: - hair, fingernails, jewellery, bandages - glass, plastic, metal, wood splinters - pest droppings or insects
Prevent it: wear hair restraints, keep jewellery to a minimum, use brightly coloured (usually blue) waterproof dressings, and report broken equipment.
Cross-contamination
Cross-contamination is when harmful bacteria move from one food, surface or person to another, especially from raw food to ready-to-eat food.
Prevent it by: - storing raw food below ready-to-eat food in the fridge - using separate (or properly cleaned and sanitised) boards, knives and utensils for raw and ready-to-eat food - washing your hands after touching raw food - covering food during storage
Pests
Rodents, cockroaches, flies and birds carry bacteria. Businesses must take practicable measures to keep pests out. Report any signs of pests (droppings, gnaw marks, dead insects) to your supervisor straight away.
Module 3 — Personal hygiene
Handwashing
Clean hands are one of the most important ways to stop food poisoning. Food businesses must have handwashing facilities used only for washing hands, with warm running water, soap and single-use towels.
How to wash your hands 1. Wet hands with warm running water. 2. Apply soap and lather for at least 20 seconds, including backs of hands, between fingers and under nails. 3. Rinse well. 4. Dry thoroughly with a single-use paper towel (or air dryer).
When to wash your hands - before starting work and before handling food - after going to the toilet - after handling raw meat, poultry, seafood or eggs - after touching your hair, face, nose or mouth - after coughing, sneezing, blowing your nose or smoking - after eating or drinking - after handling rubbish, cleaning chemicals or money - before putting on gloves
Gloves
Gloves do not replace handwashing. Wash hands before putting gloves on, and change gloves when they are torn, after handling raw food, after touching anything dirty and when changing tasks.
Illness
Tell your supervisor if you have, or might have: - diarrhoea or vomiting - fever, sore throat with fever - jaundice (yellow skin or eyes) - infected skin sores
You must not handle food while you have these symptoms. With vomiting or diarrhoea, stay away from food handling until you have had no symptoms for at least 48 hours.
Good habits at work
- wear clean outer clothing or an apron
- tie back long hair and use a hair net or cap where required
- keep nails short and clean; avoid nail polish and false nails, which can chip or fall into food
- minimal jewellery (a plain band ring is usually allowed)
- cover cuts and sores with a waterproof dressing, ideally brightly coloured so it's easy to spot if it falls into food, and wear a glove over a dressing on your hand
- do not eat, smoke, spit, sneeze or cough over food or food-contact surfaces
- do not touch ready-to-eat food with bare hands where possible; use tongs, utensils or gloves
Module 4 — Safe food handling and temperature control
The temperature danger zone
Harmful bacteria grow fastest between 5 °C and 60 °C. This is the temperature danger zone. - Keep cold food at 5 °C or below. - Keep hot food at 60 °C or above. - Keep frozen food frozen hard.
Receiving food
- Check that chilled food arrives at 5 °C or below, hot food at 60 °C or above and frozen food frozen hard.
- Reject food with damaged packaging, signs of pests, or past its use-by date.
- Put chilled and frozen deliveries away quickly.
Storing food
- Store food covered and labelled, off the floor.
- Store raw food below ready-to-eat food.
- Use first in, first out (FIFO): use older stock first.
- Never use food past its use-by date. ("Best before" is about quality; "use-by" is about safety.)
- Don't overload fridges; cold air needs to circulate.
Thawing
Thaw frozen food in the fridge, or in the microwave if it will be cooked straight away. Do not thaw potentially hazardous food at room temperature on the bench.
Cooking
Cook food thoroughly to kill bacteria. Use a clean probe thermometer in the thickest part. - Poultry and minced meat should reach at least 75 °C in the centre (FSANZ recommendation). - Food businesses that handle potentially hazardous food must have a probe thermometer accurate to ±1 °C.
Cooling cooked food
Cooked potentially hazardous food must be cooled quickly: - from 60 °C to 21 °C within 2 hours, then - from 21 °C to 5 °C within a further 4 hours.
Tips: divide large amounts into smaller, shallow containers; use an ice bath; don't put lids on until cooled.
Reheating
Food that is reheated to be hot-held must be reheated rapidly to 60 °C or above, ideally in 2 hours or less.
The 2-hour / 4-hour rule
For ready-to-eat potentially hazardous food that has been out of temperature control (between 5 °C and 60 °C), add up the total time it has been out:
| Total time between 5 °C and 60 °C | What to do |
|---|---|
| Less than 2 hours | Use it, or put it back in the fridge (or keep it hot) |
| Between 2 and 4 hours | Use it straight away — don't put it back in the fridge |
| More than 4 hours | Throw it out |
Eggs
Don't use cracked or dirty eggs. Store eggs in the fridge, and take extra care with raw-egg foods like mayonnaise and aioli.
Food display and self-service
Protect displayed food from contamination with sneeze guards, covers and separate serving utensils. Keep it at the correct temperature.
Module 5 — Cleaning and sanitising
Cleaning vs sanitising
- Cleaning removes visible dirt, grease and food scraps using detergent and water.
- Sanitising reduces microorganisms to a safe level using heat or a chemical sanitiser.
You must clean first, then sanitise. Sanitiser doesn't work properly on a dirty surface.
The steps
- Scrape or pre-rinse to remove food scraps.
- Wash with warm water and detergent.
- Rinse with clean water.
- Sanitise with hot water, a dishwasher sanitising cycle, or a chemical sanitiser used at the correct concentration and contact time (follow the manufacturer's label).
- Air dry where possible, or use single-use paper towel. Avoid tea towels on sanitised surfaces.
What needs sanitising
All food-contact surfaces and utensils: chopping boards, knives, bench tops, slicers, bowls, plates, cups and cutlery. Sanitise them after each use, when changing tasks (especially from raw to ready-to-eat food), and regularly during long periods of use.
Cleaning chemicals
- Read the label and safety data sheet.
- Use the right dilution.
- Store chemicals away from food, in their original labelled containers.
- Never mix chemicals (for example bleach and acids).
Cleaning schedule
Businesses should have a cleaning schedule: what is cleaned, how, how often and by whom. Category 1 businesses must keep records showing food-contact surfaces and utensils are being sanitised.
Waste
Keep bins covered, empty them regularly, and keep the bin area clean so pests aren't attracted.
Module 6 — Food allergens
What is a food allergy?
A food allergy is an immune reaction to a food. Reactions can be mild (hives, swelling) or severe. Anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening reaction that can affect breathing and blood pressure. Even a tiny amount of an allergen can cause a reaction.
The allergens that must be declared in Australia
Under the Food Standards Code (Plain English Allergen Labelling, in force since 25 February 2024), these must be declared: - peanut - tree nuts, each named separately: almond, Brazil nut, cashew, hazelnut, macadamia, pecan, pine nut, pistachio, walnut - milk - egg - sesame - soy - fish - crustacean (prawns, crab, lobster) - mollusc (oysters, mussels, squid) - lupin - wheat - barley, oats and rye (when they contain gluten) - added sulphites (10 mg/kg or more)
For unlabelled food, such as meals in a café or takeaway, allergen information must be displayed with the food or given to the customer when they ask.
Allergen cross-contact
Cross-contact is when an allergen gets into a food that shouldn't contain it, for example using the same knife, fryer oil, board or tongs.
Prevent it by: - cleaning and sanitising equipment, and washing hands, before preparing an allergen-free meal - using separate utensils and equipment where possible - storing allergen ingredients separately and covered - never removing an allergen from a finished dish (for example scraping off nuts). Make the meal again from scratch.
When a customer tells you about an allergy
- Take it seriously and tell the chef or supervisor.
- Check ingredient lists and labels, including sauces, dressings and garnishes.
- Never guess. If you're not sure, say so.
- Prepare the meal separately and take care that it isn't mixed up when served.
Food businesses must be able to give customers accurate allergen information when asked.
If someone has a severe reaction
Follow the ASCIA first aid plan for anaphylaxis: 1. Lay the person flat and do not let them stand or walk. If breathing is difficult, let them sit with legs outstretched. 2. Help them use their adrenaline injector (for example EpiPen) into the outer mid-thigh, if they have one. 3. Call 000 for an ambulance.
Module 7 — Food safety management and the certificate
Food Safety Supervisor (FSS)
Category 1 and 2 businesses must appoint a certified FSS. The FSS supervises food handling, helps train staff and is the contact for EHOs. An FSS certificate is a different, nationally recognised course from an RTO. This course is for food handlers only.
Records (category 1 businesses)
Category 1 businesses must keep records of key controls, such as: - temperatures of potentially hazardous food when received, stored, cooled and reheated - sanitising of food-contact surfaces and equipment
Records must be kept for at least 3 months.
Inspections
EHOs from local councils or state food regulators can inspect food premises at any time. They may check: - food storage and temperatures - cleanliness and pest control - handwashing facilities - staff training and the FSS certificate - records (category 1 businesses)
Breaches can lead to improvement notices, fines, or the business being closed. In some states, penalties are published online.
About your certificate
- It shows you have completed food handler training covering the topics in Standard 3.2.2A.
- There is no set expiry, but businesses must keep staff skills and knowledge up to date. Many employers ask for refresher training every 1–3 years.
- Every certificate has a unique code that employers can check on our verification page.