Fundraisers are a great way to raise money for your community organisation but at the same time you need to make sure that it doesn’t become a food poisoning risk. Local rules for non-profit fundraisers can vary slightly depending on the State or Territory where you live. If you run a cake stall don’t include riskier ingredients such as fresh cream or raw or partially cooked eggs. Make sure cakes are covered to protect them from insects and people sneezing on them. While you don’t have to include an ingredient list of allergens on the product, be aware of any allergens in the cake (such as milk, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts, gluten and wheat, soy, sesame and lupin) so you can tell a customer if asked. Label the cake with the name of its maker so that, on the rare occasion something does go wrong, the food can be traced.

You may need to register your fundraising event with your local Council so contact their environmental health officer and get more food safety advice.

For more information see:

Local Council food enforcement contacts

Food Standards Australia New Zealand Fundraising events

NSW Food Authority Charity events

Queensland Health Fundraising events

Victoria Department of Health Sausage sizzles

ACT Department of Health Fundraising stalls