New updates to the Safe Catering Pack

Friday, 31 July 2026

The Safe Catering Pack is designed for caterers as a practical, easy-to-use, food safety management system. The FSAI has added three new sections to the Safe Catering Pack.

The new sections cover the following topics:

• Food Donations 
• Water Supply
• Food Safety Culture

These sections were developed by a working group comprising of representatives from the National Environmental Health Service (NEHS) and the FSAI. They have been added to support food businesses by reflecting emerging food safety priorities, evolving regulatory requirements, and current best practice, as well as the latest scientific, educational, and professional knowledge in food safety and consumer protection. Sections on allergens and acrylamide were previously added in 2019.

The new sections have been incorporated into the Safe Catering Pack, and for those who already own and use the pack, they are available to download for free from the FSAI website in the Safe Catering Pack section. They can be printed and added to your existing Safe Catering Pack.

Food Donations

This section outlines the food safety requirements that must be addressed by food businesses giving (donor) and receiving (donation receiver) food donations. The activity of receiving or donating food may impact on the other activities undertaken in a food business, for example, freezing food, defrosting donated food, storage of food donations, cooking, allergens, etc.  

This guidance is intended for small food businesses, already using the Safe Catering Pack as their food safety management system, donating or receiving food donations such as cafés, restaurants, community kitchens, etc. 

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Water Supply

Safe clean water is essential for food preparation, cleaning, and handwashing. Food businesses must ensure that they have an adequate supply of potable water (water that is safe to drink) for drinking, food preparation and ice production. 

This section provides guidance on identifying water source, assessing potential risks and determining actions required to ensure a safe water supply. 

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Food Safety Culture

Food safety culture encompasses how everyone, including managers and employees, think and act in their job on a consistent basis. It reflects the commitment to food safety at every step and within every role. The Safe Catering Pack can help you to demonstrate, along with staff behaviour, the food safety culture in your business. By actively and correctly using the Safe Catering Pack, food businesses are already prioritising food safety, which is an important element of food safety culture implementation. 

This section outlines the key elements that support the development and maintenance of an appropriate food safety culture, helping businesses to prioritise food safety, promote staff engagement, and meet regulatory expectations.

Food businesses are encouraged to review these new sections and incorporate the relevant guidance into their existing Safe Catering Pack.

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