The Australian Food Safety Information Council is a health promotion charity [1] The Council develops consumer-targeted food safety information to address the number of Australians getting sick from food poisoning by providing simple, easy to follow consumer information on the handling, storage and preparation of food. A study by Food Standards Australia New Zealand and the Australian National University in 2022 estimated there are 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. [2]
The council was founded in 1997 as the Food Safety Campaign Group [3] and incorporated in 1999 as the Food Safety Information Council. [4] It is supported by state and territory health and food safety agencies, local government, CSIRO, leading professional, industry and community organisations. [5]
The current Council Chair is Cathy Moir who was appointed in March 2019. [6] Previous Chairs have been Rachelle Williams who was appointed in July 2015, [7] Professor Michael Eyles who was appointed in August 2007 and his predecessor was Professor Tom McMeekin AO. Before that Barry Shay was the 2nd Chair and the founding Chair was Bruce Bevan. [8]
The Food Safety Information Council provides consumer information on the handling, storage and preparation of food. They organize Australian Food Safety Week held during the second week of November each year. [9]
To ensure the advice the Council provides is scientifically based, the Council has a Scientific Committee who vet all educational material before it is published.
The council also has a role in providing consumer advice on food recalls and emergencies such as the Listeria in rockmelons/canteloupes outbreak in March 2018 [10] and frozen berries Hepatitis A recall in February 2015 [11] [12] They also take part in education events such as World Health Day which focussed on food safety. [13]
As part of its educational activities, the Food Safety Information Council has carried out consumer research into food safety knowledge. The main causes were Norovirus, pathogenic Escherichia coli, Campylobacter spp. and non-typhoidal Salmonella spp., although the causes of approximately 80% of illnesses were unknown. A question and answer fact sheet published by the Australian Department of Health together with this study references the Food Safety Information Council's consumer advice as a means of reducing food borne disease. [14] Most foodborne disease outbreaks in Australia have been linked to raw or minimally cooked eggs or poultry. [15] The Food Safety Information Council estimates that one third of cases of food poisoning occur in the home. [16]
Consumer research released in October 2019, found that more than 20% of Australians admitted that they didn't always wash their hands after using the toilet and nearly 40% of respondents stated they didn't always wash before handling food. [17] A further 43% of Australian adults say they don't always wash after handing raw eggs. The research showed gender differences, as men were less likely than women to always wash hands after going to the toilet (76% of men versus 82% of women) and before touching food (59% men versus 66% women). People under age 34 were less likely to wash their hands. [17]
A previous 2007 study found that 97 per cent of Australians knew that washing their hands before handling food is essential, this compared with 54 per cent who didn't wash their hands in 1997 – a 43 per cent improvement. [18]
The council's egg survey, published in November 2019, found that 25% of Australians over the age of 18 were consuming raw or minimally cooked eggs with 12% eating them at least once a month. [19] Raw or lightly cooked egg dishes have been linked to cases of Salmonella infection in Australia [20]
A 2012 chicken meat study found 60% of home cooks were at risk of food poisoning by washing whole poultry before it was cooked, which can spread bacteria around the kitchen. A further 16% of those surveyed incorrectly tasted chicken to see if it was cooked properly rather than using a safe meat thermometer. [21] [22] [23]
A 2013 labelling survey found that 55% of those surveyed always read and comply with 'use by' dates and 45% always read and comply with ‘best before’ dates. Only a third (33%) of people always read and comply with storage instructions and 14% always read and comply with cooking instructions. [24] [25]
A 2012 lunchbox survey found almost 80 percent of adults take a packed lunch to work, yet many fail to make sure it's kept cool. About 17 percent admitted they made no effort to put their lunch in a fridge at work, and 29 per cent don't put them in coolers even if they're working outside. [26]
An October 2015 national Australian survey [27] by OmniPoll for Australian Food Safety Week found that 71% of those Australians surveyed blamed pasteurized milk for food poisoning while 83% identified raw egg dishes as a problem and 12% even considered raw egg dishes unlikely to be a risk. The survey found that most people correctly recognised that chicken (95%), minced meat (90%) and seafood (96%) were food poisoning risks if not handled properly.
An October 2016 national Australian survey by OmniPoll for Australian Food Safety Week 2017 [28] showed that 70% of those surveyed reported that they didn't know the safe cooking temperature for foods high-risk foods such as hamburgers, sausages and poultry. Of those that reported they did know the correct temperature, most were wrong with 15% saying below the safe temperature of 75 °C and 9% stating it should be 100 °C or more.
2018 Omnipoll research that shows that one in three Australians are either at risk of getting the potentially fatal Listeria infection themselves or live in a household with someone at risk. This research also showed a third of these people who are at risk, or living with someone at risk, had never heard or Listeria infection and two in ten of these couldn't name any of the foods they needed to avoid or cook to prevent Listeria infection. [29]
Campylobacter is a type of bacteria that can cause a diarrhea disease in people. Its name means "curved bacteria", as the germ typically appears in a comma or "s" shape. According to its scientific classification, it is a genus of gram-negative bacteria that are motile.
In cooking, coddled eggs are eggs that have been cracked into a ramekin or another small container, placed in a water bath or bain-marie and gently or lightly cooked just below boiling temperature. They can be partially cooked, mostly cooked, or hardly cooked at all. Poached eggs are similar to coddled eggs but cooked by submersion in water, rather than being placed in a water bath.
Foodborne illness is any illness resulting from the contamination of food by pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites, as well as prions, and toxins such as aflatoxins in peanuts, poisonous mushrooms, and various species of beans that have not been boiled for at least 10 minutes.
Listeria is a genus of bacteria that acts as an intracellular parasite in mammals. Until 1992, 10 species were known, each containing two subspecies. By 2020, 21 species had been identified. The genus is named in honour of the British pioneer of sterile surgery Joseph Lister. Listeria species are Gram-positive, rod-shaped, and facultatively anaerobic, and do not produce endospores. The major human pathogen in the genus Listeria is L. monocytogenes. It is usually the causative agent of the relatively rare bacterial disease listeriosis, an infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacteria. Listeriosis can cause serious illness in pregnant women, newborns, adults with weakened immune systems and the elderly, and may cause gastroenteritis in others who have been severely infected.
Listeriosis is a bacterial infection most commonly caused by Listeria monocytogenes, although L. ivanovii and L. grayi have been reported in certain cases. Listeriosis can cause severe illness, including severe sepsis, meningitis, or encephalitis, sometimes resulting in lifelong harm and even death. Those at risk of severe illness are the elderly, fetuses, newborns and those who are immunocompromised. In pregnant women it may cause stillbirth or spontaneous abortion, and preterm birth is common. Listeriosis may cause mild, self-limiting gastroenteritis and fever in anyone.
A product recall is a request from a manufacturer to return a product after the discovery of safety issues or product defects that might endanger the consumer or put the maker/seller at risk of legal action.
Salmonellosis is a symptomatic infection caused by bacteria of the Salmonella type. It is also a food-borne disease and these are defined as diseases, usually either infectious or toxic in nature, caused by agents that enter the body through the ingestion of food. In humans, the most common symptoms are diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, and vomiting. Symptoms typically occur between 12 hours and 36 hours after exposure, and last from two to seven days. Occasionally more significant disease can result in dehydration. The old, young, and others with a weakened immune system are more likely to develop severe disease. Specific types of Salmonella can result in typhoid fever or paratyphoid fever.
The 2008 United States salmonellosis outbreak was an outbreak of salmonellosis across multiple U.S. states due to Salmonella enterica serovar Saintpaul. Over the course of the outbreak, 1442 cases were identified across 43 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and Canada. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigation determined that jalapeño peppers imported from Mexico as well as Serrano peppers were major sources of the outbreak. Tomatoes may have been a source as well. The outbreak lasted from April to August 2008.
Pasteurized eggs are eggs that have been pasteurized in order to reduce the risk of foodborne illness in dishes that are not cooked or are only lightly cooked. They may be sold as liquid egg products or pasteurized in the shell.
Raw meat generally refers to any type of uncooked muscle tissue of an animal used for food. In the meat production industry, the term ‘meat’ refers specifically to mammalian flesh, while the words ‘poultry’ and ‘seafood’ are used to differentiate between the tissue of birds and aquatic creatures.
Food safety in Australia concerns the production, distribution, preparation, and storage of food in Australia to prevent foodborne illness, also known as food safety. Food Standards Australia New Zealand is responsible for developing food standards for Australia and New Zealand.
Salmonellosis annually causes, per CDC estimation, about 1.2 million illnesses, 23,000 hospitalizations, and 450 deaths in the United States every year.
Foodborne illness is any illness resulting from the food spoilage of contaminated food, pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites that contaminate food. Infant food safety is the identification of risky food handling practices and the prevention of illness in infants. Foodborne illness is a serious health issue, especially for babies and children. Infants and young children are particularly vulnerable to foodborne illness because their immune systems are not developed enough to fight off foodborne bacterial infections. In fact, 800,000 illnesses affect children under the age of 10 in the U.S. each year. Therefore, extra care should be taken when handling and preparing their food.
The 2018 American salmonella outbreak was an American foodborne disaster that started in Iowa, spreading to 7 other states, sickening as many as 265 people, killing one, with 94 hospitalized. Ready-to-eat chicken salad was produced by Iowa-based Triple T Specialty Meats Inc. between January 2 and February 7 for distribution in Fareway grocery stores. Salad was sold in containers of various weights at Fareway stores deli from January 4 to February 9. Total of approximately 20 630 pounds of chicken were deemed contaminated with Salmonella Typhimurium at the time of recall on February 21.
Food safety in the United States relates to the processing, packaging, and storage of food in a way that prevents food-borne illness within the United States. The beginning of regulation on food safety in the United States started in the early 1900s, when several outbreaks sparked the need for litigation managing food in the food industry. Over the next few decades, the United States created several government agencies in an effort to better understand contaminants in food and to regulate these impurities. Many laws regarding food safety in the United States have been created and amended since the beginning of the 1900s. Food makers and their products are inspected and regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture.
Antibiotic use in the United States poultry farming industry is the controversial prophylactic use of antibiotics in the country's poultry farming industry. It differs from the common practice in Europe, where antibiotics for growth promotion were disallowed in the 1950s.
Food safety is the process of ensuring safe food consumption in the country and preventing diseases outbreaks by approving laws that ensure safety and sanitation in food industries. In Qatar, Food safety is a major concern because unsafe food can result in foodborne diseases outbreaks and cause death due to the fact that contaminated food consumption can affect everyone with severe impacts on elderly, children, infants, people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, pregnant women, and people with a compromised immune system. Foodborne illnesses are a result of eating contaminated food with different types of pathogens.
Milk borne diseases are any diseases caused by consumption of milk or dairy products infected or contaminated by pathogens. Milk borne diseases are one of the recurrent foodborne illnesses—between 1993 and 2012 over 120 outbreaks related to raw milk were recorded in the US with approximately 1,900 illnesses and 140 hospitalisations. With rich nutrients essential for growth and development such as proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and vitamins in milk, pathogenic microorganisms are well nourished and are capable of rapid cell division and extensive population growth in this favourable environment. Common pathogens include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites and among them, bacterial infection is the leading cause of milk borne diseases.
