Food Safety Duties of the Person in Charge — Worldwide
Every food business, in every country, has someone who answers for the food and the people who prepare it: the person in charge. Food laws differ from country to country, but the duties they place on that person are remarkably similar. That is because most national food laws are built on the same international standard. This page explains those duties in plain language, with notes for South Africa and the UAE.
The international standard behind food laws
The Codex Alimentarius General Principles of Food Hygiene (CXC 1-1969, revised 2022) are published by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, set up by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). They describe how every food business should control hygiene, from the building to the people. Countries turn these principles into their own laws and inspections, which is why an inspector in Durban and an inspector in Dubai look for the same basics.
Codex expects management to lead: to be committed to safe food, provide the resources, and make sure staff are trained, supervised and following the rules. In practice, that responsibility sits with the person in charge of each premises.
The duties of the person in charge
| Duty | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Be in charge, every shift | A named person is responsible for the premises at all times and knows the rules well enough to show an inspector how they are followed. |
| Keep the licence to trade | The premises is registered, licensed or approved by the food authority, the licence is valid and displayed, and changes are reported. |
| Keep the premises fit for food | Hand-wash basins, clean and intact surfaces and equipment, temperature control, pest control, refuse and water managed. |
| Decide who is fit to work | Staff with diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, jaundice, infected wounds or discharges report it and stay away from food until fit. |
| Control suppliers and stock | Approved suppliers, checked deliveries, correct storage and dates, and a way to trace and recall food. |
| Train, supervise and refresh | Every food handler is trained before and while they work, supervised, and given refresher training, with checks that the training works. |
| Keep records | Training, illness reports, temperatures, cleaning, pest control, suppliers and incidents, kept so an inspector can see them. |
Staff health: protect the food and respect the person
Internationally, a food handler with symptoms of an illness that can be passed on through food must report it and stay away from food handling until fit. Codex says a medical examination should be carried out when it is clinically or epidemiologically indicated, rather than requiring routine medicals for everyone. Health information is confidential, and international labour standards (ILO Recommendation No. 200) say workers should not be required to take an HIV test. HIV is not transmitted through food. Some countries add their own screening rules, so always follow the official process where you work.
South Africa
In South Africa these duties are set out in Regulation R638 of 2018 under the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act. It requires a Certificate of Acceptability for every food premises, names the person in charge, and lists that person’s duties, including training every staff member, routine assessments, training records and an illness reporting record. Read our plain-language guide: R638 Explained: Food Safety Training Rules for Restaurants.
United Arab Emirates
In Dubai, Dubai Municipality requires food establishments to have a certified Person in Charge who has completed an approved course, food handlers need basic food hygiene training, and every food handler must hold an Occupational Health Card issued by the Dubai Health Authority after a medical examination. In Abu Dhabi, ADAFSA requires every food handler to hold a valid Essential Food Safety Training (EFST) certificate from an approved centre, and supervisors are expected to hold a Person in Charge certificate as well. Requirements and validity periods change, so check the current rules with Dubai Municipality or ADAFSA.
Other countries
If you operate elsewhere, look for your national food safety regulations and your local food or environmental health authority. You will find the same core duties in a local form: a licence for the premises, a responsible person, trained and healthy food handlers, temperature and pest control, traceability, and records.
How HospiTrain helps
Hygiene Ready Food Handler trains your staff in food safety and hygiene, workplace health and safety, food allergens, cleaning and sanitising, and safe storage and stock rotation, on any phone.
Hygiene Ready Manager prepares managers to run all of this in their store. It includes our Restaurant Manager Compliance — Duties of the Person in Charge course: four modules on the person in charge’s duties, taught to the international standard with local notes for South Africa and the UAE.
Our reports show who has completed what and when, and we give every client a compliance file to keep training records in one place.
Where your authority requires an approved or accredited person-in-charge qualification, HospiTrain courses help managers prepare but do not replace it. Speak to us about the right combination for your stores.
Important: This page is a plain-language summary to help you understand the duties of the person in charge. It is not legal advice. The official regulations and your local food authority are the final word.