Product Overview

Summary: This SOP sets out a clear, defensible process for assessing, recording and managing dietary requirements in Australian workplaces, particularly where food is prepared, served or provided to workers, visitors or clients. It helps you control allergy and intolerance risks, support worker wellbeing, and demonstrate due diligence under your WHS obligations.

In Australian workplaces, getting dietary requirements wrong is more than a customer service issue – it can create serious health and safety risks, from anaphylaxis and adverse medical events through to fatigue, poor concentration and reduced productivity. This Dietary Requirement Assessment Safe Operating Procedure provides a structured, repeatable method for collecting, verifying and managing information about allergies, intolerances, cultural and religious needs, and medically prescribed diets. It is designed for organisations that regularly provide meals or catering to workers, clients, residents, students or guests, whether on-site, at remote locations, or during events and training.

The SOP guides you through the full lifecycle of dietary risk management: from initial information gathering and consent, through risk assessment and communication to kitchen and service staff, to labelling, cross-contact controls and incident response. It helps you standardise forms, recordkeeping and communication pathways so that critical information is not lost between HR, supervisors, catering teams and external suppliers. By implementing this procedure, your business can reduce the likelihood of food-related incidents, support compliance with WHS and food safety requirements, and demonstrate that you have taken reasonably practicable steps to protect people in your care.

The document is tailored to the Australian regulatory environment and is particularly valuable for aged care, disability services, schools, childcare, mining camps, healthcare, and any workplace that offers regular meals. It supports existing food safety programs by adding a WHS-focused lens on individual dietary needs, ensuring that both legal obligations and genuine duty of care are met.

Key Benefits

• Reduce the risk of allergic reactions and medical incidents by implementing a consistent, documented dietary assessment process.
• Ensure clear communication of dietary requirements between HR, supervisors, catering staff and external suppliers.
• Demonstrate compliance with WHS and food safety obligations through robust records and traceable decision-making.
• Support worker health, wellbeing and productivity by reliably catering for medical, cultural and religious dietary needs.
• Streamline onboarding, event planning and resident admission processes by integrating dietary assessment into standard workflows.

Who is this for?

• Catering Managers
• Aged Care Facility Managers
• Disability Service Providers
• Hospital and Healthcare Food Services Managers
• Early Childhood Centre Directors
• School Business Managers
• Camp and Outdoor Education Coordinators
• Events and Functions Coordinators
• WHS Managers
• Human Resources Managers
• Remote and FIFO Village Managers
• Hospitality Operations Managers

Hazards Addressed

• Exposure to known food allergens (e.g. peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, eggs, dairy, sesame, soy, wheat)
• Food intolerance reactions (e.g. lactose intolerance, gluten sensitivity, FODMAP-related issues)
• Adverse interactions with medical conditions (e.g. diabetes, coeliac disease, renal conditions, cardiovascular disease)
• Nutritional risks affecting fatigue, concentration and overall worker wellbeing
• Cross-contact and mislabelling of food items leading to unintended allergen exposure
• Psychosocial impacts of repeatedly ignoring or mishandling an individual’s dietary needs

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions (Allergies, Intolerances, Special Diets, Cross-Contact)
• 3.0 Roles and Responsibilities
• 4.0 Regulatory and Standards Framework
• 5.0 Dietary Requirement Assessment Triggers (Onboarding, Admission, Events, Camps)
• 6.0 Information Collection and Consent Process
• 7.0 Verification of Medical and High-Risk Dietary Requirements
• 8.0 Risk Assessment and Categorisation of Dietary Needs
• 9.0 Communication Pathways (HR, Supervisors, Catering, External Suppliers)
• 10.0 Menu Planning and Substitution Procedures
• 11.0 Allergen Management and Cross-Contact Controls
• 12.0 Labelling, Signage and Information for Consumers
• 13.0 Documentation, Records and Privacy Considerations
• 14.0 Training and Competency Requirements
• 15.0 Incident, Near Miss and Complaint Management
• 16.0 Review, Audit and Continuous Improvement
• 17.0 Appendices – Sample Assessment Form, Risk Matrix, Communication Templates

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and equivalent state and territory WHS legislation
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 and state/territory equivalents
• Safe Work Australia – Model Code of Practice: Managing the Work Environment and Facilities
• Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (FSANZ), particularly Standards 1.2.1–1.2.4 (Labelling and Information Requirements)
• Food Standards Australia New Zealand – Allergen Labelling Requirements
• Aged Care Quality Standards (for residential aged care and home care providers)
• NDIS Practice Standards (for registered NDIS providers, where applicable)
• AS/NZS ISO 22000:2018 Food safety management systems (where a formal food safety system is in place)