Chair’s Report
This annual report covers the 12 month reporting year from July 2023 to June 2024 and any further significant events leading up to this Annual General Meeting in October 2024.
Australian Food Safety Week continues to be our key annual activity with 2023 and its theme of ‘Food Safety – Dollars and Sense’ being highly successful, placing us as a finalist in the Public Relations and Communications Asia Pacific Gold Standards Award.
The Council continues to provide expert advice through the Australian Science Media Centre on a range of issues including deathcap mushrooms, food safety in natural disasters and the mushroom gummies recall in addition to our scheduled media releases throughout the year and National Science Week activities.
There remains sufficient equity (see objective 3) for the Council to continue operations, while efforts have continued throughout the year to secure ongoing and long-term funding. Without this, we are heavily reliant on our volunteers.
The time has come for me to step down as Chair of the Council. So, for the last time, at least for me, I will thank the Board, our various Committee members, our sponsors and all our members for the time and commitment they give to our organisation in helping Australians keep food safe.
Additional special thanks to members who continue to support the work of the Food Safety Information Council through payment of membership fees and to those member volunteers who also contribute with their time.
Cathy Moir
Chair
Food Safety Information Council Ltd
7 October 2024
Objective 1 Conduct a successful Australian Food Safety Week and Summer campaign as well other relevant campaigns throughout the year
While all Board members contribute to this objective the Communication Committee provides strategic and day to day expertise.
The Committee Chair is Lydia Buchtmann FCPRAand members are:
- Carolyn Wray MCPRA – Strategic Communication Manager Community Broadcasting Foundation
- Sarah Macartney MCPRA- Director Communication Domain Group
- Harley Slatter – Australian Navy Public Affairs Officer
- Jason Van Ballegooyen – Section Manager, Communication and Stakeholder Engagement, Food Standards Australia New Zealand
- Narelle Bickford – Chef and nutritionist
- Samantha Smith – National Communications Officer, Environmental Health Australia
We would like to thank former member Annabel Selby-Jones who has left to join Coeliac Australia.
With Lydia Buchtmann leaving the Board after 3 times 3 year terms and moving into the CEO position, this has left the Board without the representation of a professional communicator. We advertised for board positions through the professional organisation Communications and Public Relations Australia for communicators interested in joining our Board. We thank CPRA for advertising at no charge. We received a number of highly qualified applications and the Board was pleased to select Carolyn Wray, Communications Leader, Community Broadcasting Federation.
Australian Food Safety Week 12 to 19 November 2023
The theme for the 2023 Australian Food Safety Week, held from 11 to the 18 November 2023, was Food safety – dollars and sense. The 2023 campaign focussed on helping consumers adapt to the increasing cost of living by making savings through reducing food waste and growing their own food while ensuring the food they and their family eat remains safe.
In 2023-24 our media release issued through the Australian Science Media Centre generating 552 media items and reaching (previous year’s numbers in brackets):
- A print and online media audience 4.417,509 (5,598,775)
- A radio and TV audience 276,228 (7,609,335 )
While radio and TV audiences were much lower than the previous year we were competing against a considerable amount of overseas news taking up air time during what is usually a quieter news period. Between1 November 2023 and 28 January 2024 our radio spots were broadcast nationally 44,009 (6,478) times on 289 (275) radio stations with an estimated value of $337,540 ($296,681) if purchased. Our TV spots were played nationally on SBS and metropolitan stations with an estimated minimum media value of $181,203 ($210,320) if purchased and 16473 (4,310) times on regional stations with a conservative estimated value of $47,440 if purchased as not all regional stations track audiences. This includes First Nations TV and Imparja. A First Nations campaign, designed by a First Nations presenter, played on indigenous radio and community radio stations with indigenous programming nationally. In total this reflects a 78:1(103:1) return on investment.
Our TV CSA was also played 477,123 times in 4,000 GP Clinics and 390 pharmacies and 244 Aboriginal Medical Centres by our sponsor Tonic Health Media between 18 and 31 December 2023 reaching a captive and attentive audience of 2,816,726. This was a value of $42,171 ($158,770) if purchased.
We thank our members On Solution and SA Health for their sponsorship of the 2023 Australian Food Safety Week.
National Science Week 10 to 19 August 2024
For National Science, Week 10 to 19 August 2024, we issued a media release ‘Cat poo and swimming pools’ to encourage Australians to learn about parasites in food and how to avoid infection. We provided video and poster resources for schools and thanks to our member SA Health for their sponsorship of this package.
In addition, we issued another 5 media releases during the year about: food safety and pets (September 2023), handwashing research (October 2023), school lunchboxes (January 2024), young people leaving home (February 2024), not picking and eating wild mushrooms (March 2024)), food safety and fishing (April 2024) , online food safety (July 2024) (June 2023) and pets and food safety (September 2023). Our deathcap mushroom media release generated 15 radio broadcast items release reaching an audience of 248,000 (where audience numbers were available). There were 39 online items (8 in WA, 4 in Queensland, 2 in Tasmania, 5 in Victoria, 5 in SA, 2 in ACT, 1 in the Northern Territory, 6 National and 1 international in Food Safety News) these reached an audience of 453,750 (where audience numbers were available) and an item on Channel 9‘s A Current Affair
More than half of our media coverage comes from the media approaching us for expert food safety advice, usually through the Australian Science Media Centre. Issues included food safety in natural disasters and mushroom gummies recall. Our expert reaction through the Science Media Centre about mushroom gummies generated 103 news items in Australia and overseas.
Website and social media
Our website www.foodsafety.asn.au is a key tool for our work and receives close to 1,000 visits a day. This year we have reviewed and improved its security and made its design more consumer friendly. In addition to the free Google ads we receive as a charity we have improved our organic search engine capacity to make it easier for Australians to find out information.
Objective 2: Ensure our work is based on scientific evidence, including identifying and dealing with emerging risks
While all of the Board members typically contribute to this Objective, the Scientific Committee (SC) is primarily responsible for meeting it. The SC now typically meets outside of Board meetings to draft, refine and discuss the scientific merit and veracity of press releases and other information for public consumption. The Committee deliberations are shared with the Chair of the Communications Committee, and releases usually finalised at that point, though the Board, or selected executive members may be consulted. The SC brings a diversity of expertise and experience to bear on this Objective:
- Dr Julian Cox, Associate Professor, UNSW Sydney (Chair/Scientific Director)
- Dr Patricia Desmarchelier, food safety consultant
- Karen Ferres, A/Executive Director, Health Protection & Licensing Services, SA Health
- Zoe Bartlett, Senior Microbiologist, Food Safety and Microbiology, FSANZ
- Brigitte Cox, retired (ex-CSIRO)
- Dr Sheri Cooper, Dietitians Australia
- Professor Shokoofeh Shamsi, Charles Sturt University
Alongside merit and veracity of releases, the committee makes ongoing effort to ensure currency, updating material on existing topics while seeking to expand coverage of food safety issues, including emerging risks. Examples include risk associated with backyard eggs, greater awareness around parasites, especially associated with seafood, the growing tension between maintenance of food safety and reduction in food waste, and the impact of climate change. Through communication among SC members, with the Board, and with the professional networks of members, as well as digital horizon scanning, FSIC keeps abreast of current food safety issues, and looks to creation of new consumer-facing information, for the FSIC web site and for new media releases.
The Committee is also looking to review and revise all of the Council’s published material, including the web site, especially those sections that have featured less frequently in recent media releases and fact sheets.
Finally, the Committee is exploring the development of local recipes that integrate food safety messaging, aligned with an initiative from a similar US-based organisation. More broadly, The Committee and Council is looking to leverage scientific and technical content from related organisations globally, to bring a greater range of resources to the public.
Objective 3: Secure sufficient funding for operational and educational activities and comply with our reporting and tax requirements
Doug Lau CA, our Finance and Risk Director, plus the rest of the Food Safety Information Council Board, are responsible for managing this objective.
The Board met 8 times during 2023/24 and consists of:
- Cathy Moir Chair and Company Secretary (6/8 meetings)
- Dr Scott Crerar Vice-Chair (6/8 meetings)
- Fiona Fleming Director (7/8 meetings)
- Dean McCullum Director (6/8 meetings)
- Dr Julian Cox, Director and Chair of the Scientific Committee (4/8 meetings)
- Dr Andrew Mathieson, Director (4/8 meetings)
- Professor Shokoofeh Shamsi Director (3/8 meetings)
- Doug Lau Director Risk and Finance Committee (6/8 meetings)
- Dr Sheri Cooper, Director (7/8 meetings)
Chief Executive Officer Lydia Buchtmann attended 8/8 meetings as a non-voting member.
Our Annual General Meeting was held in October 2023 and our Annual Planning Day, to plan for the year ahead and to choose the theme for Australian Food Safety Week 2024, was held on 17 July 2024. Both were by video conference.
Our Finance and Risk Director reports for this year that:
The total equity in our bank accounts as at 30 June 2024 was $97,453.85 (a positive variance of +$5,840.84 vs FY23) of which $20,000 is set aside to cover organisational run-off costs. Run-off insurance has been priced at $1,736 annually with Ausure which is required for a minimum of 5-7 years allowing FSIC sufficient cover in any event where FSIC no longer operates.. We are seeking quotes from our insurer for ‘run off’ insurance if we were to wind up to see whether this high amount is appropriate.
- Profit and Loss moved from an accrual to a cash basis for simplification of accounts
- 2023 is overstated by $18,600 as a manual adjustment entry was required to remove the liabilities from 29 June 2018 ($5,500), 20 July 2018 ($6,600) and 29 April 2022 ($6,500) which were not reconciled post spending in the relevant years. Adjusted net profit for FY23 is $7,752.69
- Net loss of -$484.16 is mostly attributed to reduction in paid memberships of $4,524.19 vs FY23 and reduction in charitable donations from supporters for campaigns. The loss is offset by reduction in spending of $5,262.13 vs FY23 mostly due to reduced market research activities
- Our available funds are now invested into interest bearing accounts and term deposits which has seen our interest income increase from $266.64 in FY23 to $1,004.66 in FY24
Our annual GST activity statement for 2022/23 was submitted to the ATO in October 2023 and a refund was $163. Our 2022/23 annual information statement was lodged with the Australian Charity and Not- for-profits Commission in December 2023 meeting the deadline.
Membership of the Australian Charity Guide’s group of CEOs from charities and non-profits has enabled us to take part in professional development on Board governance, financial controls, grant writing, and search engine optimisation as well as student projects on funding options, application development and social media improvements.
Objective 4 Increase the number of and engage with our membership.
Prof Shokoofeh Shamsi is Chair of the Membership Committee with day to day administration by Lydia Buchtmann.
We currently have 46 members (down from 55 the previous year having updated our current members’ list). We were pleased to welcome 3 new individual members during the year: Carolyn Wray, Sarah Macartney and Harley Slatter plus our 2024 Gold Sponsor Neogen.
Members continue to be highly engaged in our work either contributing time or sponsoring our campaigns. It was pleasing to be able to attend events again and meet more of our stakeholders and members including the AIFST Convention and the International Fresh Produce Safety Symposium both held in Sydney in August 2024.
Current members are:
Professional organisations: Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology, Dietitians Association of Australia, Environmental Health Australia
Consumer organisations: Choice
Companies: Arytza Australasia, Ecolab, First for Training, Gourmet Guardian, Merieux Nutrisciences, Neogen and On Solution.
Individuals: Raj Bhatt, Narelle Bickford, Julian Cox, Scott Crerar, Maria Deckys, Doug Lau, Roy Palmer, Shokoofeh Shamsi, Carolyn Wray, Sarah Macartney and Harley Slatter
Industry organisations: Accord Australasia, Australian Eggs, Australian Chicken Meat Federation Incorporated.
Government: ACT Department of Health & Community Care, Department of Health Western Australia, Department of Health Tasmania, Food Standards Australia New Zealand, New South Wales Food Authority, Northern Territory Department of Health & Community Services, Queensland Health, Safe Food Queensland, South Australia Department of Health
Life members (for long term contribution): Lydia Buchtmann (former Communications Director), Brigitte Cox, Patricia Desmarchelier (former Technical Committee Chair), Michael Eyles (former Chair), Cathy Moir (Chair), Barbara Munce (former Public Officer), Rachelle Williams AnYi (former Chair)
Local Government: Goyder Council, Surf Coast Shire Council and City of Wodonga Council.
Research organisations: CSIRO, Australian Food Safety Centre of Excellence
It is of concern that our membership contributions have reduced over the last 2 financial years. This funding is essential to cover our essential administrative costs such as phones, insurance, administration and website. We do recognise that many members contribute time to our cause which is far above the value of their annual membership and that members continue to be the greatest source of our sponsorship.
