Australian Food Safety Week 11 – 18 November 2023

The theme for this year’s Australian Food Safety Week, to be held from 11 to the 18 November 2023, will be Food safety – dollars and sense. The 2023 campaign will focus on adapting to the increasing cost of living by making savings through reducing food waste and growing your own food while ensuring the food you and your family eat remains safe. Our community package of social media tiles, posters, a sample media release for your event as well as a quiz will be available on our website from September 2023 more

About Us

The Food Safety Information Council is a health promotion charity and a national voice for science-based, consumer-focused food safety information in Australia. We aim to reduce the estimated 4.67 million cases of food poisoning in Australia each year that result in 47,900 hospitalisations, 38 deaths and  a cost to the economy of $2.1 billion.

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Latest News

Was it the last thing I ate that gave me food poisoning? Find out about how the Food Detectives work this National Science Week 12 to 20 August.

  The Food Safety Information Council, this National Science Week 12 to 20 August, is encouraging Australians to learn how our ‘food detectives’ track down outbreaks of foodborne disease to keep us all safer. Cathy Moir, Council Chair, said that this year’s National Science Week theme is innovation in science and its role today in tracking down food poisoning outbreaks (together with a lot of good old-fashioned leg work). ‘There...
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Food Safety Training

  Interested in learning more about food safety? We have partnered with our member First for Training to make online food safety basic training courses affordable and available as well as meeting our long term aim of getting course material into schools. If you have a question or training need please contact First for Training Food safety essentials course (for businesses and individuals) Food business owners by law, are responsible...
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Urgent Cause

Food safety toolbox

You can greatly reduce your risk of becoming one of the estimated 4.76 million cases of food poisoning each year with this simple food safety toolbox Get a fridge thermometer To check if your fridge is operating at the correct temperature you need to purchase a thermometer from your local homeware store and place it in the fridge. When you do this you might get some surprises. The temperature inside your fridge will vary several degrees as the fridge goes...
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Food poisoning be prepared

Food Safety Tips at a Glance

Clean

Chill

Cook

Separate

Our health is in our hands!

Clean hands will decrease the possibility of food poisoning and other diseases markedly.
Remember the 20/20 rule: wash hands for 20 seconds with warm soapy water dry hands for 20 seconds before starting to cook repeat frequently especially after handling raw meats, or vegetables with visible soil. Wash utensils and cutting boards with soap and warm water, and dry thoroughly, before handling different sorts of foods. This is particularly important when dealing with raw meats and vegetables.

Food that is meant to be kept chilled should be!

As soon as possible after purchase meat, poultry, dairy foods, vegetables, salad ingredients, etc should be refrigerated at or below 5ºC. Sounds easy but often food is left in hot cars or put in refrigerators that are not cold enough. A fridge thermometer should be used to make sure the temperature is at or below 5ºC. The temperature should be adjusted in line with changing seasons and the amount stored. Refrigerate leftovers promptly. Cooked food should be stored in covered containers and either put in the fridge to cool, or frozen immediately. Frozen foods should be defrosted in the fridge NOT on the kitchen bench. If in doubt, throw it out!

Properly cooking food minimises the risk of food poisoning

Cook chicken, minced or boned meats, hamburger, stuffed meats and sausages right through until they reach 75°C using a meat thermometer. Serve hot food steaming hot above 60ºC. Defrost frozen poultry and rolled and stuffed meats thoroughly before cooking. Always follow cooking instructions on packaged foods.

Cross-contamination is a major way for food borne diseases to spread

To avoid cross contamination keep raw and cooked foods separate when storing and preparing. Food should be stored in covered containers in the fridge and put raw meats and poultry in the bottom of the fridge so the juices don’t contaminate food on lower shelves. Don’t put cooked meat back on the plate the raw meat was on.

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The Food Safety Information Council is a health promotion charity. Each year we provide information to thousands of Australians, run education campaigns and conduct consumer research. Generous donations from individuals like you make possible the work we do in reducing the estimated 4.76 million cases of food poisoning in Australia each year.

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