Free Eat Safe Food Handling Checklist

What this checklist covers

The checklist is built around food handling controls, from skills and knowledge through to alternative compliance methods. The items are grouped as follows: - **Skills and knowledge:** whether you and your employees have appropriate skills and knowledge in food safety and hygiene matters. - **Receival:** whether food is protected from contamination on receival and whether potentially hazardous foods are accepted at the correct temperature. - **Food storage:** whether all food is stored so it is protected from contamination, covering the cold room or fridge, freezer and dry store, and whether potentially hazardous food is stored under temperature control, with cold food at 5°C and below, hot food at 60°C and above, and frozen food kept frozen. - **Food processing:** whether suitable measures are in place to prevent contamination, such as cross contamination, and whether potentially hazardous ready-to-eat food held outside temperature control is monitored correctly using the 2 hour/4 hour rule. - **Thawing, cooling and reheating:** whether acceptable methods are used at each stage. - **Food display:** whether food on display is protected from contamination and whether potentially hazardous food is displayed under correct temperature control. - **Food packaging and transportation:** whether food is packaged and transported in a manner that protects it from contamination, and whether transport keeps it at the appropriate temperature. - **Food for disposal and food recall:** whether acceptable arrangements are used for throwing out food, and, if you are a wholesale supplier, manufacturer or importer of food, whether your food business complies with food recall requirements. - **Alternative methods:** whether your documented alternative compliance methods for receipt, storage, cooling, reheating, display and transport are acceptable. Several items refer you to pages 7 to 14 of the Food Safety Made Easy Guide for detail, and the checklist is based on the full Eat Safe Brisbane Food Safety Checklist.

Why food handling controls matter

Potentially hazardous food passes through several points where contamination or incorrect temperature can affect its safety: when it arrives, while it is stored, during processing, thawing, cooling and reheating, on display, in packaging and in transport. The checklist treats each of these as a control point to check, and distinguishes between minor, major and critical non-compliance so you can see where the risk is greatest. It also covers what happens when something goes wrong. Food for disposal needs acceptable arrangements for being thrown out, and if you are a wholesale supplier, manufacturer or importer of food, your business needs to comply with food recall requirements.

Regulations and standards

The checklist does not set out legal requirements as its own text. It refers you to the Food Safety Made Easy Guide for detail on each control, and it is based on the full Eat Safe Brisbane Food Safety Checklist. Where your business is subject to food safety law, you should check your obligations against those sources and your local requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

The answer options are Yes, Minor non-compliant, and Major non-compliant for most items, with some temperature and handling items using Yes and Critical non-compliant. This helps you distinguish between a routine gap and a critical food safety risk.

No. The items cite the Food Safety Made Easy Guide for reference on several pages, and the checklist is based on the full Eat Safe Brisbane Food Safety Checklist. Use those as your reference points and record what you actually find.

Work through the Food Handling Controls in order, checking each item against what is happening in your business. Where an item is not compliant, note whether it is minor, major or critical, then record your details, signature and the inspection start and end times.

Use it regularly enough that it reflects your current operations, and after any change to how you receive, store, process, display, package, transport, thaw, cool or reheat food. It also covers disposal, recall arrangements if you are a wholesale supplier, manufacturer or importer, and any alternative compliance methods you have documented.

Written by

Arne Reis

Founder

Process optimizer with 25 years of expertise, focused on operational excellence in quality, maintenance, EHS, and commissioning. Emphasizes innovative solutions and top-quality standards.

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