From 1 January 2026, SFA no longer requires food handlers to wear masks or spit guards. This applies to licensed retail and non-retail food establishments. SFA continues to encourage their proper use as a food-safety practice.
What changed on 1 January 2026?
SFA's current guidance covers restaurants, hawker stalls, food courts and coffeeshops, as well as food manufacturing and processing establishments. The general requirement to wear a mask or spit guard has ended; food hygiene responsibilities remain.
The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment explained in January 2026 that SFA's outbreak analysis identified sanitation, temperature management and contact between raw and cooked food as key contamination risks. It also discouraged unwell food handlers from handling food.
When is wearing one encouraged?
SFA especially encourages masks or spit guards when handling ready-to-eat food, during high-volume preparation such as mass catering, and in large-scale food production. A business can include their use in its own hygiene procedures.
Use them hygienically
- Clean your hands before and after putting on or removing the covering; avoid touching it during use.
- Fit a mask over the nose, mouth and chin; a spit guard should cover the mouth and chin.
- Discard single-use items after use and replace them if damp, dirty or damaged.
- Wash reusable items thoroughly and replace them according to their recommended use.
What should employers update?
Check induction notes, displayed instructions and staff briefings for outdated claims that SFA still makes face coverings compulsory. Explain any separate workplace rule clearly, and keep attention on hand hygiene, clean equipment, safe food storage and preventing cross-contamination.
A practical staff briefing can cover three questions: What does the current SFA guidance say? What does our workplace require? What should a staff member do if they feel unwell? Record the briefing alongside your normal training records.
Food-safety training still matters
The mask-rule change does not remove FSC Level 1 certification and retraining requirements. Adepco offers Level 1 Training + Assessment and Level 1 AOP. AOP assesses existing knowledge and skills without training; passing the assessment is required. Contact us with the learner's existing certification and deadline to discuss the suitable route.
Your next step
Choose your Food Safety Level 1 pathway
Guided training or assessment only: view the course requirements, fees and available arrangements.
Official sources
- SFA — Current mask and spit-guard guidance ↗
- MSE — Parliamentary reply, 14 January 2026 ↗
- SFA — FSC Level 1 training and retraining ↗
Guidance checked on 7 November 2026. Use the linked official sources for subsequent updates.