Senator Grant Tambling

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Aged Care

12.30pm Wednesday 8 November 2000

Food Safety Week Tackles Food Poisoning From Food Outlets

Australian consumers have every right to expect that they can eat out at restaurants and food service outlets without contracting food poisoning, Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Aged Care, Senator Grant Tambling, said today. 

Senator Tambling said more than four million Australians get food poisoning every year, representing an annual bill to the nation of about $2.6 billion.

Speaking at a parliamentary briefing in Canberra to announce Food Safety Week 2000, Senator Tambling said that even though these statistics reflected those of the United States and United Kingdom, Australia could do much better.

'Estimates from the Australia New Zealand Food Authority trace 60 to 80 per cent of all food-borne illness to hotels, restaurants, take-away and other food outlets,' Senator Tambling said.

'As a consumer, I have a right to expect better than this. It's debilitating to individuals who contract the food poisoning and it is an economic drain on the community.

'I am delighted that the theme of this year's Food Safety Week ( 'Eating out without a doubt' - will draw public and industry attention to the need for improved food safety practices.'

Senator Tambling said that Australians eat more than 20 billion meals a year, of which less than 0.02 per cent result in food-borne illness.

But the knowledge that food safety in Australia could be improved saw the Federal Government support the Food Safety Information Council, organisers of Food Safety Week 2000, to the tune of $135,000 this year, matching the contribution from industry.

The Information Council's prime objective is to educate the public on food safety matters.

'I still find it amazing that something as basic and natural as eating can be such a threat to our health and well-being. Despite our food history and the efforts of food regulators, we have to be forever vigilant in the fight against food poisoning,' Senator Tambling said.

Senator Tambling said he hoped Food Safety Week, on from 12-18 November, would help educate all Australians on safe ways to store, prepare, serve and eat food.