NEW FACT SHEETS LAUNCHED TO REDUCE RISK OF FOOD POISONING FOR CHARITIES AND COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) today launched a series of fact sheets to assist Australian charities and community organisations to reduce the risk of food poisoning.
When launching the fact sheets, Managing Director of FSANZ Mr Ian Lindenmayer said ' Charities and community organisations do vital work for our community and Australia couldn' t do without our 4.4 million volunteers.
' However there are an estimated 7 million cases of food poisoning in Australia each year and the not-for-profit sector is not immune from this risk. In March this year 250 people had to seek medical attention for food poisoning after a not-for-profit event in Melbourne.
' This series of fact sheets has been developed by FSANZ in association with charities and community organisations and the State and Territory Health Departments. The fact sheets have been prepared to assist these groups to understand the new food safety rules. The simple information will help ensure that an event, whether it is a fund raising fete or a camping trip, will be as safe as possible.
' Because food safety is so important especially for our children, charities and community organisations have to comply with the new food safety requirements which have been introduced for businesses. The only exception is that organisers of some low risk events, such as a sausage sizzle, are not legally obliged to ensure that the food handlers have skills and knowledge in food safety. These new food safety requirements and guidance on how to comply are clearly explained in the fact sheets.
' I strongly recommend that charities and community organisations use these simple guides to protect the health of people that come to their functions, many of whom are children. A lax approach to food safety not only threatens the health of customers, it also threatens the financial future of the charitable body and its office holders where the victims of food borne disease seek damages through the courts,' Mr Lindenmayer concluded.
The fact sheets contain useful tips on:
- What an organisation needs to know about ensuring food safety;
- Sausage sizzles and barbecues;
- Camping;
- Whether the food needs labelling or not (including sample labels if necessary); and
- Handling and transporting high risk foods such as meat, dairy products, seafood, sandwiches, rice, pasta and salads.
Copies of the fact sheets have been distributed to the peak organizations of charities and community groups. They can also be obtained from Food Standards Australia New Zealand's website http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/mediareleasespublications/factsheets/foodsafetyfactsheets/charitiesandcommunityorganisationsfactsheets/index.cfm or by calling (02) 6271 2241.