Cafés & Restaurants · Queensland · Nationally Recognised · RTO #45799
Food Safety Supervisor Course for Cafés & Restaurants in QLD
Run a café or restaurant in Queensland? Your venue needs a Food Safety Supervisor — every licensed food business in Queensland does — and as a category 1 or 2 business handling higher-risk, unpackaged food, yours must be a certified supervisor holding the nationally recognised units. Because cafés and restaurants turn unpackaged, potentially hazardous ingredients into ready-to-eat meals, they generally sit in category 1, Queensland's higher-risk food-service tier. That means a certified supervisor whose training was completed within the last five years and issued by a registered training organisation. Our nationally recognised course covers SITXFSA005 and SITXFSA006, runs 100% online, and costs $99 (normally $199), with your certificate issued within one business day — quick enough to sort compliance before your next council inspection.
Is it the law? Under Food Safety Standard 3.2.2A, most food businesses in Queensland must have a trained Food Safety Supervisor. Study online at your own pace, anywhere in Queensland, with your certificate issued within one business day of completion.
Category 1 in Queensland: what it means for your venue
Queensland sorts licensed food businesses by risk, and food service sits at the top. A kitchen that takes raw chicken, eggs, dairy and fresh produce and serves them as finished meals matches the state's category 1 description — the tier covering restaurants, takeaways and caterers. Category 1 businesses carry three obligations: a certified Food Safety Supervisor, food-handler training across the team, and evidence substantiating their critical food safety controls. The supervisor's certificate has to come from a registered training organisation and be renewed at least every five years, so the full course is repeated to stay current. If you have just taken over a venue, or your existing supervisor's training is more than five years old, now is the time to fix it — see our Queensland FSS guide for the full picture, then enrol online.
Built for Queensland's seasonal hospitality workforce
Hospitality in Queensland runs on casuals — school-holiday surges on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, the winter tourist season in the tropics, and event weekends in Brisbane all mean staff come and go constantly. Relying on one trained person leaves a gap the day they resign mid-season. Because this course is 100% online, self-paced and takes only a few hours, many owners certify two or three people — the head chef, a duty manager, themselves — so a supervisor is always reasonably available. The certificate belongs to the individual and travels with them between venues, which also makes it a genuine drawcard when hiring experienced staff. At $99 per person (normally $199) with certificates issued within one business day, covering the whole roster costs less than a quiet Tuesday's takings.
Who needs a Food Safety Supervisor in Queensland?
In Queensland, every licensed food business must have a Food Safety Supervisor. Category 1 and category 2 businesses (those handling higher-risk, unpackaged food) must appoint a certified FSS who holds the nationally recognised units from an RTO.
Renewal: In Queensland, category 1 and category 2 businesses must hold FSS training completed within the last 5 years — so the full course is repeated every 5 years to stay compliant.
Source: Queensland Government ↗. This is general information, not legal advice — confirm current requirements for your business with Queensland Government or your local council.
Food Safety Supervisor for Cafés & Restaurants in QLD — FAQs
Is my café category 1 or category 2 in Queensland?
Almost all cafés and restaurants are category 1, because they make ready-to-eat meals from raw, high-risk ingredients and serve them without further processing. Category 2 covers retailers of ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food who handle unpackaged food but don't make or process it on site beyond slicing, weighing, repacking, reheating or hot-holding. Check with your local council if you're unsure which category applies to your business.
We put on extra casual staff every tourist season — does each new hire need the certificate?
No. The requirement is at least one trained Food Safety Supervisor who is reasonably available to the business, not a certificate for every worker. Queensland does expect your food handlers to be trained as well, though, and with seasonal churn many venues certify a second or third supervisor so cover never depends on one person's roster.
My supervisor certificate was issued interstate — does Queensland accept it?
The units Queensland asks for are nationally recognised, so a certificate covering SITXFSA005 and SITXFSA006 issued by a registered training organisation is valid regardless of which state you completed it in. The key condition is currency: Queensland requires the training to have been completed within the last five years, so check the issue date before you rely on it.
How much does the course cost in QLD?
The Food Safety Supervisor course is $99 (a limited online offer — normally $199) — nationally recognised, no hidden fees, and covered by our money-back guarantee.
How long does the certificate last in QLD?
In Queensland, category 1 and category 2 businesses must hold FSS training completed within the last 5 years — so the full course is repeated every 5 years to stay compliant. Full QLD requirements →
Also Available
Food Safety Supervisor across Queensland & Australia
Get qualified in Queensland today
Nationally recognised · 100% online · certificate within one business day.
Enrol Now — $99