2007 National Food Handling Survey
Evaluation Series No: 19
The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code(the Code) was amended in August 2000 to include the new Chapter 3 –Food Safety Standards, for application in Australia only. Australian, State and Territory Governments introduced the new Food Safety Standards into their legislation between 2001 and 2003.
FSANZ established an evaluation project to see whether the new Food Safety Standards improved public health and safety by measuring the safe food handling knowledge and actual practices of food businesses.
FSANZ commissioned research for the first stage of this evaluation in 2000-2001 ( Evaluation Report Series No.1 –National Food Handling Benchmark Survey ), before the Food Safety Standards were introduced. A telephone survey and an on-site observational survey were conducted to measure the benchmark safe food handling knowledge and practices of Australian food businesses.
The follow-up 2007 National Food Handling Survey provides a second set of results for comparison with the benchmark survey national results, after the introduction of the Food Safety Standards. The follow-up survey used the same methodology as in 2001, and the sample sizes for both survey components were increased to allow analysis at the State/Territory level. There was also an additional focus on bakeries and sushi manufacturers, prompted by a number of food safety incidents that occurred around the time the follow-up survey was planned.
The 2007 National Food Handling Survey Final Report provides a detailed account of the survey methodology and findings of the follow-up survey and identifies whether there has been any change in food businesses’ safe food handling knowledge and practice since the benchmark survey was conducted in 2001.
Following the finalisation of the 2007 National Food Handling Survey and the release of the associated Final Report, FSANZ has prepared a subsequent report Safe Food Handling in Australian Food Businesses – Knowledge and Practices: An Interpretive Summary of the 2007 and 2001 National Food Handling Surveys (the Interpretive Summary). The Interpretive Summary has been prepared to bring together the results of the 2007 Telephone and Observational Surveys under the key food safety areas of temperature control, protecting food from contamination, cleaning and sanitation, and personal hygiene and staff illness. The aim of the Interpretive Summary is to provide useful and accessible information for jurisdictions, food businesses and other interested organisations as a first step to identifying and developing targeted compliance and education activities for food businesses to further improve safe food handling knowledge and practices.
Interpretive Summary [ pdf ]
A Food Surveillance News summary article on the Interpretive Summary is available here
2007National Food Handling Survey Final Report
[ Main report pdf ] [ Appendices ]
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PDF
1.1 Background
1.2 Methodology
1.3 Overall findings
1.4 Summary of Findings from the Telephone Survey of Food Businesses
1.5 Summary of Findings from the Observational Survey of Food Businesses
2. READING THIS REPORT PDF
2.1 Reading the tables
2.2 Reading the graphs
2.3 Statistical significance
2.4 Sampling error
2.5 Acronyms used in this report
2.6 Disclaimer
3. INTRODUCTION PDF
3.1 Background
4. METHODOLOGY PDF
4.1 Part 1 - Telephone interviews
4.2 Part 2 - Observational Survey
4.3 Limitations of the surveys
5. BUSINESSES INVOLVED IN THE NATIONAL FOOD HANDLING SURVEY PDF
6. PART 1 - TELEPHONE SURVEY AMONG FOOD BUSINESSES PDF
6.1 Temperature control
6.2 Protecting food from contamination
6.3 Personal hygiene and staff illness
6.4 Cleaning and sanitation
6.5 Staff training, food safety information and food safety programs
6.6 Summary of similarities and differences between bakeries and other food businesses - Telephone Survey
6.7 Summary of similarities and differences between sushi makers and other food businesses - Telephone Survey
6.8 Summary of State/Territory differences (Telephone Survey)
7. PART 2 - OBSERVATIONAL SURVEY AMONG FOOD BUSINESSES PDF
7.1 Temperature control
7.2 Protecting food from contamination
7.3 Personal hygiene and staff illness
7.4 Cleaning and sanitation
7.5 General assessment
7.6 Food recall plan and food safety programs
7.7 Summary of similarities and differences between bakeries and other food businesses - Observational Survey
7.8 Summary of similarities and differences between sushi makers and other food businesses - Observational Survey
7.9 Summary of State/Territory differences (Observational Survey)
Appendix A FSANZ Food Business Telephone Survey Questionnaire PDF
Appendix B FSANZ Food Business Observational Survey Questionnaire PDF
Appendix C ANZSIC Codes Used for FSANZ 2007 National Food Handling Survey PDF
Appendix D 2007 National Food Handling Survey Supporting Information for EHOs PDF
Appendix E Description of Businesses in the 2007 National Food Handling Survey PDF
Appendix F Feedback from the EHOs PDF