Standard 3.2.2 - Food Safety Practices and General Requirements, Food Safety Glossary
The core food safety standard covering safe handling, temperature control, cleaning and staff skills and knowledge.
The core food safety standard covering safe handling, temperature control, cleaning and staff skills and knowledge. Standard 3.2.2 - Food Safety Practices and General Requirements is the central food safety standard for Australian food businesses. It sets out the practices a business must follow to handle food safely, including receipt, storage, processing, display, packaging, transport and disposal of food. The standard also covers temperature control of potentially hazardous food, protection of food from contamination, cleaning and sanitising, personal hygiene of food handlers, and the requirement that food handlers and businesses have the necessary skills and knowledge in food safety and hygiene. In everyday operations, complying with Standard 3.2.2 means keeping potentially hazardous food out of the temperature danger zone of 5 degrees Celsius to 60 degrees Celsius, using the two-hour and four-hour rule appropriately, cooling and reheating correctly, and preventing cross-contamination between raw and ready-to-eat food. It also means maintaining good personal hygiene and handwashing, cleaning and sanitising food contact surfaces, receiving food only from safe sources, and ensuring staff have appropriate food safety skills and knowledge for their role. A Sydney cafe complies with Standard 3.2.2 by checking fridge temperatures each morning, using separate boards for raw chicken and salad, and ensuring its food handlers know safe handling practices.
Frequently asked questions
What does Standard 3.2.2 cover?
It covers safe food handling practices, temperature control, protection from contamination, cleaning and sanitising, personal hygiene, and skills and knowledge.
Does Standard 3.2.2 require a written food safety program?
Standard 3.2.2 itself does not require a written food safety program for most businesses, though the separate Standard 3.2.2A introduces food safety management tools for certain businesses.
What is the temperature danger zone under 3.2.2?
Potentially hazardous food should be kept out of the danger zone between 5 degrees Celsius and 60 degrees Celsius, where harmful bacteria grow most rapidly.
Who must comply with Standard 3.2.2?
All food businesses in Australia that handle potentially hazardous food must comply with Standard 3.2.2.
Does 3.2.2 cover staff training?
Yes. It requires that food handlers and the business have the skills and knowledge in food safety and hygiene appropriate to their work.
