Australian Food Safety Week 11 – 18 November 2023

The theme for the 2024 Australian Food Safety Week, to be held from 9 to the 16 November 2024, will be decided at our Planning Meeting in June 2024. The 2023 campaign focussed 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. Find out what happened  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.

Learn More

Latest News

Warning not to pick or eat wild mushrooms because of poisoning risk (10 March 2024)

Wild mushrooms are ‘mushrooming’ around Australia this Autumn after wet weather, so today the Food Safety Information Council is warning people to be extremely careful around wild mushrooms because of the deadly, deathcap mushroom poisoning risk. Cathy Moir, Food Safety Information Council Chair, said that foraging for wild food is becoming a popular activity, and is strongly promoted by influencers on social and conventional media, but gathering wild mushrooms can...
Read More

Food safety topics

View All Topics
Latest recipes

Sweet potato and corn fritters

These sweet potato and corn fritters are handy for work or school lunches and best consumed immediately, within 1-2 days. They can be served hot or cold and can be accompanied by Tzatsiki dip or fresh tomato and avocado salsa. Cooked fritters can be frozen in packs of 3 for 1 month. This recipe is great for vegetarians; it is also nut free. We suggest thoroughly washing the sweet potato and...
Read More
Information

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...
Read More

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.

We're a health promotion charity

acnc-registered-charity-logo_rgb

Donate Now!

We need your help

Donate today!

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.

Make a much needed tax deductable regular or one off donation right now to support us by simply clicking this button.

Donate Now