Published on Thursday, 14 November 2019 at 4:38:36 PM
As part of Australian Food Safety Week, we are announcing our participation in a national pilot study measuring food safety culture and behaviour change in the food industry.
Food safety culture is a term used to describe all people in a business committing to making safe food, doing whatever it takes. It considers the ‘people’ aspect of running a food business, and helps to protect the brand’s reputation and financial viability of the business.
The pilot will allow the City to work with approximately 12 Vincent businesses to enable improvements in the level of food safety culture and small business maturity.
City of Vincent Mayor, Emma Cole notes that the pilot project is important in informing future public health surveillance of over 550 food businesses which are an integral part of Vincent’s local economy and community.
“This project is a new approach to food safety in that it incorporates multiple themes, including human behavior change, economic development and good management practices,” Mayor Cole said.
“It is timely for us to commence the pilot during Australian Food Safety Week; this year’s theme of which is Excellent eggs – handle them safely.”
“While the pilot will focus specifically on raw egg food handling in Vincent’s restaurants and cafes, it’s important that we all think about food safety in our every day food preparations, particularly as the weather warms up and festivities get underway for the Christmas and New Year period.”
One business taking part in the pilot is Spritz Spizzicheria located in Mount Hawthorn –
“It is very important, especially now in hot weather, to ensure we are preparing eggs safely. Our team at Spritz Spizzicheria are looking forward to working with the Vincent Health officers on the pilot program,” said owner Mario Tolardo.
The pilot is run in conjunction with the Australia and New Zealand joint Food Regulatory System and forms part of the Australian and WA Foodborne Illness Reduction Strategies 2018-2021+.
According to the Food Safety Information Council, there are an estimated 5.4 million cases of food poisoning in Australia each year, with the majority of those caused by food handling mistakes in the home.
To help prevent food poisoning, the Food Information Safety Council recommends following these four simple tips - Clean; Cook; Chill; and Separate.
For more information on food safety you can visit www.healthywa.wa.gov.au
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