Food Safety Essentials

Food allergies now affect 1 in 20 children and 2 in 100 adults in Australia. For someone with food allergies, even a trace of their allergen could be deadly.

Recent studies reveal most severe food-related emergencies occur while eating out.

It’s critical that your front-of-house staff are fully aware of the serious risk food allergies pose.

This food allergy awareness course has been specifically designed for front-of-house staff working in the Australian food service industry. Staff will learn how to:

• Communicate with customers and kitchen staff regarding food allergies
• Identify and avoid cross contamination risk
• Recognise the signs and symptoms of allergic reactions (including anaphylaxis).
• Respond to a food allergy emergency

The course includes realistic scenario-based activities to help improve learners’ engagement and understanding of core concepts.

Are you ready for the upcoming changes in food safety requirements for Food Handlers? Time is running out!

In accordance with the latest updates to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, all new food safety regulations must be implemented by December 8, 2023.

These crucial changes directly affect Food Handlers in establishments such as restaurants, cafés, pubs, and hotels. As of Friday, December 8, 2023, it becomes your business's responsibility to ensure that all Food Handlers are not only trained but also possess essential skills and knowledge in food safety and hygiene.

Important Notice: Food Handler training is not the same as Food Safety Supervisor training.

Who is a Food Handler?
In simple terms, it's anyone in your food business who handles food or surfaces likely to come into contact with food, including cutlery and plates. Food Handlers may engage in food preparation, production, cooking, display, packing, storage, or service.

Fulfil Your Obligations
To meet these new regulations, businesses must ensure their Food Handlers receive training that covers these vital areas:

• Safe handling of food
• Understanding of food contamination
• Cleaning and sanitising of food premises and equipment
• Personal hygiene

How Can Allara Global Assist You?

Allara Global is your trusted partner in ensuring your team is prepared to meet these requirements head-on.

Our new Basic Food Safety for Handlers online course is designed to:

• Meet training requirements: Ensure your Food Handlers have the necessary skills and knowledge.
• Streamline compliance tracking: Simplify the process of monitoring and verifying training completions.
• Ensure rapid implementation: Get your team up to speed promptly with our user-friendly online learning platform.

This course will guide you through the essentials of food safety, helping you grasp the significance of preventing contamination, identifying hazards, and maintaining hygiene.

By the end of this course, you'll have a better understanding of:

• Key food safety definitions and regulatory roles.
• Various food hygiene hazards and those most at risk.
• Fundamental principles of food safety, including cross-contamination and temperature danger zones.
• Best practices for personal hygiene, handwashing, and cleaning and sanitising. 

Don't Wait Until the Last Minute! Act Now!
The deadline is swiftly approaching, and we're here to help you every step of the way. Schedule a demo today!

Cleanliness in food service settings is far more than just aesthetics—it's a critical aspect of food safety, customer satisfaction, and regulatory compliance. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (2016) defines cleanliness as being 'free of extraneous visible matter and objectionable odour.' Ensuring that food premises adhere to these cleanliness standards is a fundamental responsibility of food businesses.  

By the end of this module, you will:

• Recognise the importance of maintaining cleanliness in food service settings
• Learn the importance of using appropriate cleaning equipment, products, and following proper cleaning and sanitising procedures and schedules.
• Understand the potential food safety risks associated with using damaged utensils.
• Recognise the need to maintain cleanliness and functionality in fixtures, equipment, and vehicles used for food transportation.
• Understand the requirements for managing garbage and recyclable materials, which includes assessing their suitability
• Acknowledge the responsibility of food handlers in recognising and reporting signs of pests 

Under Standard 3.2.2 - Food Safety Practices and General Requirements, food businesses are obligated to ensure the safe transport of food to maintain its suitability and prevent contamination. Whether you are part of a meal delivery service, catering company, or an organisation with centralised food preparation facilities, understanding the principles of safe food transport, temperature monitoring, and proper food disposal is essential to meet regulatory requirements and protect the health of consumers.

By the end of this module, you will:

• Recognise why safe food transport is crucial for maintaining the quality and safety of food.
• Learn best practices to protect food from contamination during transportation, whether within a premises or to external locations.
• Understand the significance of monitoring and recording food temperatures during transportation.
• Understand the reasons for food disposal, including recalls, returns, food unsuitability, and potential contamination. 

From thawing frozen foods to cooking, cooling, displaying, and packaging, we'll explore best practices and guidelines to maintain food safety throughout the culinary process.

By the end of this module, you will:

• Understand the importance of safe thawing methods to prevent bacterial growth.
• Comprehend the concept of minimising time in the danger zone for potentially hazardous foods (PHFs).
• Know the temperature guidelines for different types of food.
• Learn proper techniques for cooling and reheating food to prevent microbial growth.
• Understand the importance of protecting food from contamination during display.
• Learn how to safeguard unpackaged food from contamination.
• Gain knowledge on the appropriate handling and disposal of single-use items. 

In this module, we'll focus on two critical aspects of food safety in a food business: receiving goods and storing food properly. These practices are vital for making sure the food you work with is safe and of high quality. We'll break down the important steps and things to keep in mind when you receive food deliveries and when you store food to maintain its safety and quality.

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• Understand the importance of receiving safe and suitable food products and storing them in compliance with Standard 3.2.2 - Food Safety Practices and General Requirements.
• Describe the initial inspection and documentation process for assessing the quality of delivered food items, reducing associated risks.
• Recognise the significance of proper food storage practices in preserving food safety and quality.
• Identify the varying storage requirements for different types of foods and ingredients to maintain their quality and safety. 

Now that you have completed the Basic Food Safety for Handlers course, you are now ready to progress to the Advanced Food Safety courses.  

In this first module, you will gain a fundamental understanding of HACCP and food safety programs as the essential building blocks of advanced food safety practices. We will also discuss the importance of food safety programs, emphasising their critical role in safeguarding food products.  

Specifically, you will learn how to:  

• Explain the acronym HACCP and its significance in food safety.
• Define what a food safety program is and its importance in ensuring the safety of food products.
• Recognise the importance of identifying Critical Control Points (CCPs), setting Critical Limits (CLs) in hazard control, and implementing Corrective Actions.