How Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia regulate food businesses: who is in charge, what a business needs before it opens, and where the rules differ.
Four countries, four different ways of reaching the same goal: food that is safe to eat. This table shows the shape of each system. Each country tab has the detail and the sources.
General information only, not legal advice. Law as read between 14 October and 3 November 2026. Laws change, so confirm with the regulator before you rely on any line here. In Australia the detail differs by state and territory. Fines are maximums in local currency, and only examples are shown.
| Australia | New Zealand | Singapore | Malaysia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main law | Each state and territory has its own Food Act. Each one applies the , including Chapter 3 (Standards 3.2.1, 3.2.2, 3.2.2A, 3.2.3, 3.3.1). | Food Act 2014 and Food Regulations 2015, with MPI food notices. Code Chapters 1 and 2 apply. Code Chapter 3 does not. | Sale of Food Act 1973, Environmental Public Health Act 1987 and their regulations, with SFA licence conditions. The Food Safety and Security Act 2025 is coming in by stages. | Food Act 1983, Food Hygiene Regulations 2009 and Food Regulations 1985. |
| Regulator | State and territory health or food agencies and local councils enforce. FSANZ writes the Code but has no enforcement powers. | Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and territorial authorities (councils). Recognised verifiers check businesses. | Singapore Food Agency (SFA), one national agency. | Ministry of Health (MOH). Local authorities also inspect and license. |
| Who licenses or registers | Differs by state. Notification, council registration or council licence, depending on where you are. Some sectors need a state licence. | Register the plan or programme. Template plans go to the council, custom plans to MPI. | SFA licenses the establishment: retail and catering under the Environmental Public Health Act, non-retail under the Sale of Food Act. | Register the premises with MOH ( up to 3 years), and hold a separate local authority licence. |
| Food safety plan | Not for every business. Standard 3.2.1 applies only where a state classifies the business or another standard calls it up. Standard 3.3.1 requires one for food served to six or more vulnerable people, with state variations for child care. States add others. | Most food businesses. A for higher risk sectors, a (levels 1 to 3) for lower and medium risk sectors. | Caterers must implement a food safety management system and submit it with the licence application. Food processing establishments keep a plan on file. | Required by law for food manufacturing premises only. For others, MOH offers voluntary schemes such as Trust MyCatering and BeSS. |
| Food handler training | Skills and knowledge for the work (). and two businesses: a training course covering four set topics, or equivalent skills and knowledge (Standard 3.2.2A). | No national course found in the Act or Regulations. Staff must be competent for their task, and the business records the competencies its manager and plan task owners need. | WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1 for every food handler. Retrain within 5 years, then within every 10 years. Handlers are registered with SFA. | of Food Handlers Training from an MOH-approved institution for every food handler. Vaccination is also required (anti-typhoid in MOH practice). |
| Supervisor | A with a under 5 years old (). New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and the ACT run their own rules. | A named day-to-day manager of the plan. No separate supervisor found. | (Level 3) for caterers, canteens, food courts, large restaurants and others. Advanced Food Hygiene Officer (Level 4) for caterers. | From 1 December 2026, food service supervision training for anyone who engages in or supervises mass catering. |
| Inspection and public grade | Council or state officers inspect. Audits apply where a program is required. No national grade. New South Wales runs Scores on Doors, a voluntary program through councils. | by a recognised verifier. : every 3 to 18 months, depending on results. have their own table, with longer steps of up to 3 years, or none, depending on level. Some councils run a local food grade under a bylaw. | SFA inspects. A public national grade (SAFE: A, B, NEW or C) is shown by QR code on the licence. Retail licensees also face demerit points. | MOH and local authority inspection. Local authorities grade premises, and the method varies by council. BeSS is a voluntary MOH recognition. |
| Penalties, high level | Set by each state. Example: New South Wales, knowingly handling food unsafely, up to 1,000 penalty units or 2 years for an individual, 5,000 penalty units for a corporation. Also improvement notices and prohibition orders. | Knowingly or recklessly endangering health: up to 500,000 New Zealand dollars for a company, up to 5 years and 100,000 New Zealand dollars for an individual. Also infringement notices. | Hygiene regulations: up to 2,000 Singapore dollars per offence, plus daily fines. Food sale offences: up to 5,000 Singapore dollars, rising on repeat conviction. 12 demerit points in 12 months suspends a retail licence. | Injurious food: up to RM100,000 or 10 years, or both. Hygiene regulations: up to RM10,000 or 2 years. Closure orders of up to 14 days. Directors can be liable. |
The numbers also differ. A process that is compliant in one country can fall short in another, so check each where the food is made and where it is served.
| Control | Australia | New Zealand | Singapore | Malaysia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chilled | 5 °C or colder ( cl 6) | 5 °C or colder (template plan; notice for ) | No single . Retail: 0 to 4 °C for raw meat and raw-eaten fish, up to 7 °C for dairy and products labelled chilled (Food Hygiene Regs 12). Food processing establishments: −4 to 7 °C, frozen −18 °C or colder. Meat and fish licensees: 0 to 4 °C (licence conditions) | −1 to 10 °C for food stored for retail sale (reg 38) |
| Hot held | 60 °C or hotter () | Above 60 °C (template plan) | Above 60 °C (SFA guideline) | Above 60 °C when served hot (reg 36) |
| 60 to 21 °C in 2 hours, then 21 to 5 °C in 4 more (cl 7), unless the business shows another safe process | 60 to 21 °C in under 2 hours, then to 5 °C in under 4 more (template plan and notice) | Below 5 °C within 4 hours of cooking (SFA guideline, one stage) | No figure found in the regulations | |
| Reheating | Rapidly to 60 °C when held hot (cl 7) | At least 75 °C at the coolest point (template plan) | Core at least 75 °C for at least 2 minutes, once only (SFA guideline) | No figure found in the regulations |
| Time out of temperature | is guidance, in the regulators' guide | is written into the template plan and the notice | Caterers: law food to 4 hours in total at 5 to 60 °C, with a mandatory time stamp (regs 13A, 13B) | Trust MyCatering: 4 hours at room temperature from cooking (voluntary scheme) |
| on packaged food | Declarable foods in Schedule 9, in plain-English form | Same Code, Chapters 1 and 2 | 8 groups (Food Regulations reg 5) | 5 groups (Food Regulations 1985 reg 11). Crustacea and sulphites are not listed |
Sources: FSANZ: what we doStandard 3.2.2Standard 3.2.2AFood Act 2014 (NZ)Food Regulations 2015 (NZ)NZ template food control planNZ food notice on plans and programmesSale of Food Act 1973 (SG)Food Hygiene Regulations (SG)SFA food handler requirementsSFA SAFE frameworkSFA guidelines for retail premisesFood Act 1983 (MY)Food Hygiene Regulations 2009 (MY)Food Regulations 1985 (MY)Trust MyCatering guideline