If you're in charge of putting together a fund raising event or selling food for a charity or community group, you gotta know your legal stuff!

It's not just about serving up yummy snags and treats, but also making sure no one gets sick or hurt.

Check out the details below to keep things running smoothly and avoid any food-related disasters.

Skills and knowledge

Health and hygiene for food handlers

The food safety standards require proprietors of food businesses to ensure that food handlers and supervisors of food handlers have the skills and knowledge they need to handle food safely.

This means that food handlers and supervisors must have the ' skills' to do those tasks that are necessary to ensure the safety of the food being handled and ' knowledge' of food safety and hygiene matters. For example, a food handler who is responsible for cooling cooked food must have the knowledge that the food must be cooled within a certain time to ensure it remains safe and the skills to do this (for example, by placing the food in shallow containers for cooling).

However, charities and community organisations are exempt from this requirement if:

• there is no personal financial gain, that is, all the moneys raised are used for charitable or community purposes; and
• the food sold is shelf-stable (for example, biscuits, cakes without cream, jams or chutneys); or
• the food is consumed immediately after thorough cooking (for example, sausages sold straight from the barbecue).

This means that in the above circumstances the event organiser does not need to ensure that each food handler has the skills and knowledge to handle food safely. However, these food handlers must still comply with the health and hygiene requirements of the Food Safety Standards,

If the exemption does not apply, the event organiser should ensure that all food handlers and supervisors have the skills and knowledge they need to handle food safely. The exemption does not apply if the activity involves:

• selling potentially hazardous foods that have not been cooked, such as salads or cream cakes; or
• selling potentially hazardous foods that are not served immediately after cooking, such as when food is pre-cooked and then heated for sale.

How to ensure your food handlers and supervisors have the appropriate skills and knowledge

The event organiser should first determine if the food handlers and supervisors already have the skills and knowledge, as some may have previously received food safety training. If training is needed, the event organiser will need to work out the best way of providing this training.

Food handlers and supervisors are not required to attend formal training courses. Food handlers and supervisors can obtain the skills and knowledge they need by:

• attending ' in-house' training programs
• reading food safety and hygiene information (such as the fact sheets provided by Foods Standards Australia)
• following food safety procedures that relate to the activities of the charitable or community organisation; or
• attending food safety courses.

The event organiser can check whether food handlers and supervisors have the required knowledge and understand their obligations by talking to them or asking questions. Assessing skills is much harder but if, for example, food handlers are seen to do the right thing at all times when preparing food, it is reasonable to assume that they have the necessary skills. Event organisers should consider whether:

• all food handlers know how the event organiser expects food to be handled
• food handlers understand their health and hygiene responsibilities
• there is someone in the organisation who is responsible for ensuring that food handlers handle food safely
• the necessary equipment is available so that food handlers can handle food safely, for example handwashing facilities.

Temperature control

The food safety standards specify that potentially hazardous foods must be stored, displayed and transported at safe temperatures and, where possible, prepared at safe temperatures. However, you can also use time, rather than temperature, to keep food safe. This method is explained under ' The 2 hour/4 hour guide' .

Safe temperatures are 5°C or colder, or 60°C or hotter. Potentially hazardous food needs to be kept at these temperatures to prevent food-poisoning bacteria, which may be present in the food, from multiplying to dangerous levels. These bacteria can grow at temperatures between 5°C and 60°C, which is known as the temperature danger zone. The fastest rate of growth is at around 37°C, the temperature of the human body.

The food safety standards also require you to have a thermometer if you prepare, handle or sell potentially hazardous food. This will enable you to check that safe temperatures are being maintained.

What foods are potentially hazardous?

Foods normally considered to be potentially hazardous are:

• raw meats, cooked meats and food containing meat, such as casseroles, curries, lasagne and meat pies
• dairy products and foods containing dairy products, such as milk, cream, custard and dairy-based desserts
• seafood (excluding live seafood) and food containing seafood, such as seafood salad
• processed fruits and vegetables, such as prepared salads and ready-to-eat fruit packs
• cooked rice and pasta
• processed foods containing eggs, beans, nuts or other protein-rich food, such as quiche and soya bean products
• foods that contain any of the above foods, such as sandwiches, rice salads and pasta salads.

Keeping food cold

When you are preparing food, make sure that you have enough refrigerator space or insulated boxes with ice bricks to store the food. It is important to remember that refrigerators do not work properly when they are overloaded or when food is packed tightly, because the cold air cannot circulate.

If you are running out of room in your refrigerator, remove foods that are not potentially hazardous, such as drinks. The temperature of these foods is not critical and they can be kept cool in insulated containers with ice or ice blocks.

Cooling foods

If potentially hazardous foods have to be cooled, their temperature should be reduced as quickly as possible. The temperature should fall from 60°C to 21°C in less than two hours and be reduced to 5°C or colder in the next four hours. It is difficult to cool food within these times unless you put food into shallow containers.

Keeping food hot

If you are keeping food hot on cooktops, in ovens or in bain marie chafers, the equipment needs to be set high enough to ensure that the food remains hot ( 60 ° C or hotter).

The 2 hour / 4 hour guide

Although potentially hazardous food should be kept at 5°C or colder or 60°C or hotter wherever possible, this food can be safely between 5°C and 60°C provided it is between these temperatures for less than four hours. This is because it takes more than four hours for food-poisoning bacteria to grow to dangerous levels.

The 2 hour/4 hour guide applies to ready-to-eat potentially hazardous food. It provides guidance on how long this type of food can be held safely at temperatures between 5°C and 60°C and what should happen to it after certain times. The times refer to the life of the food, including preparation and cooling, not just to display times, so remember to add up the total time that the food has been between 5°C and 60°C.

Why have a thermometer?

A thermometer is essential in ensuring that food is kept at safe temperatures. If your organisation prepares, handles or sells any potentially hazardous food, it must have a thermometer which is accurate to ±1°C. This means that when the thermometer shows a temperature of 5°C, the actual temperature will be between 4°C and 6°C. The thermometer must be available for use when foods are being prepared, so you may need more than one if foods are prepared in different places.

How to clean and sanitise your thermometer

As the probe of the thermometer will be inserted into food, the probe must be cleaned and sanitised before it is used to measure the temperature of the food. This is especially important when the thermometer is used to measure the temperature of raw food and then ready-to-eat food, for example raw chicken and cooked chicken. To clean and sanitise your thermometer:

• wash the probe to remove any grease and food particles;
• sanitise the probe using alcohol wipes or very hot water; and
• thoroughly dry the probe using a disposable towel or let it air dry.

Checking temperatures of food

Determine the warmest area of a coolroom or the coldest area of a hot display unit.

Insert the clean, dry probe into the food.

Remember that temperature readings are not instant- wait until the temperature has stabilised before reading.

Stabilise the thermometer between measuring hot and cold foods by allowing the thermometer to come back to room temperature.

If the food is packaged or frozen, place the length of the probe between two packages of the food.

Remember that the temperature at the centre of food may be different from the surface temperature. For example, when cooked food is being cooled in the refrigerator, the centre of the food will take the longest to cool. Therefore, when checking the temperature of this food, make sure that you check the centre.

How to check the accuracy of your thermometer

Thermometers have to be accurate to ensure that temperatures are correctly measured. Ask the company that supplied your thermometer how often the thermometer should be checked for accuracy. It is best to have your thermometer regularly checked and maintained by the supplier of the thermometer. However, if you would like to check the accuracy of your thermometer yourself, use the following method.

Place some ice into a container with a small amount of cold water. The ice should not float if the correct amount of water is used.

• Mix into a slurry and insert the thermometer probe.
• Leave it for about three minutes.
• Check and note the temperature. It should read 0°C.
• Do this three times and compare the temperatures recorded.
• If they vary by more than 1°C, get your thermometer checked by the supplier.

Sausage sizzles and barbeques

Sausage sizzles and barbecues are a popular way to raise money for charities and community organisations. They are often held outdoors to take advantage of Australia's good weather and open spaces.

Provided you take some simple food safety precautions and sell freshly cooked food straight from the barbecue, the food should be safe.

Preparing and cooking food safely

• Take the following precautions at sausage sizzles and barbecues to ensure that food is safe.
• Finish preparing raw meat before leaving for the site such as slicing, marinating or skewering.
• Pack raw meat into insulated boxes with ice bricks for transportation.
• Handle food with tongs or other equipment. 
• Use separate equipment to handle raw and cooked meats. 
• Hands should not be used unless absolutely necessary, and then handwashing facilities must be available. 
• Hands must be washed after handling raw meats.
• Keep cooked meat and salads separate from raw meat at all times to prevent contamination.
• Cover food to protect it from contamination.
• Use clean and dry utensils for serving the food - never place cooked meat back on the trays that held the raw meat.
• Cook chicken, sausages and hamburgers until juices run clear - steaks can be cooked to preference.
• Throw left-over food away unless refrigeration equipment is available to rapidly cool the food.

Disposable utensils

Wherever possible, single-use (disposable) utensils such as knives, forks, plates and cups should be used and thrown away after use. These items should be kept covered until required and should be handled carefully to minimise any risk of contamination. Re-useable items such as mugs should not be used unless there are facilities available on-site to wash and sanitise them, or there are enough items for the duration of the event.

Water

If water is needed for hand washing or for washing up, a supply adequate to last the event must be provided. The water must be of drinkable quality. If using containers to transport water to the event, make sure that they are clean and have not been used to store chemicals.

If you do not have access to hot water for washing up, make sure that you take enough utensils so that you can use separate utensils for the raw and the cooked food at the event.

Handwashing facilities

Unless a written exemption has been obtained from your local council or health authority, food handlers must wash their hands with warm running water. An exemption is only likely to be issued where enough water is not available for handwashing. In such circumstances the local council or health authority may permit the use of alternatives such as cleaning creams or gels, or sanitising wipes.

If you have access to water, you should set up a temporary handwashing facility that provides running water. You can do this by using a large water container with a tap at its base. Another container, such as a bucket, should collect the waste water, to keep the site dry and clean.

A supply of soap and paper towels must be provided at the handwashing facility so that handwashing can be undertaken properly. Supply a bin for used towels. This helps to keep the site tidy and prevents contamination from used towels.

Preparing and cooking food

Temperature control

In addition to this information, all people involved in the preparation and cooking of food need to read health and hygiene for food handlers. It is particularly important that you do not prepare or cook food if you are ill with diarrhoea and/or vomiting.

Buying food

When you buy potentially hazardous food, place it in insulated bags or boxes for transporting to the preparation place if it is not close to your shops. Place your potentially hazardous food in a refrigerator or freezer as soon as possible. See our information on temperature control for a list of foods that are potentially hazardous.

Preparing food

Before preparing food, make sure that hands, clothes, equipment and kitchen surfaces are clean. They will also need to be kept clean throughout food preparation.

If your event is to be held outdoors with limited facilities, prepare the food in a kitchen and then transport it to the event. This does not mean that you need to cook food before you take it to the event but, for example, you should slice the raw meat ready for cooking. In fact, food that is freshly cooked at the event and served straight away, such as occurs with barbecues, has less chance of becoming unsafe than food that is pre-cooked and then taken to the event. Therefore, wherever possible, try to cook food at the event rather than pre-cooking it.

Preventing food from becoming contaminated during preparation

The most important step to remember before preparing food is to wash and dry your hands thoroughly.

Try to use tongs and other utensils when preparing food that will not be cooked before it is eaten, such as salads and sandwiches. You may prefer to wear gloves, but remember that they should be used for one task only (for example, breaking up a cooked chicken for sandwiches). When you start the next task, wear new gloves.

Never use the same utensils for raw meats and foods that are ready to eat, such as cooked meats, unless they have been thoroughly cleaned, sanitised and dried.

Cooked food and other food that is ready to eat, such as salads, should always be placed on clean and dry serving dishes.

Cleaning and sanitising utensils

There are three steps needed to effectively clean and sanitise utensils:

• washing
• sanitising
• drying.

Utensils such as cutting boards, bowls and knives need to be thoroughly washed in warm soapy water. After washing, the utensils should look clean and there should be no food or anything else visible on them. Effective cleaning will remove most of the dangerous bacteria present. Sanitising will then kill any that might remain.

A dishwasher is very effective at sanitising if it has a hot wash and drying cycle. If you do not have a dishwasher, you will need to sanitise in a sink using a chemical sanitiser or very hot water. If using a chemical sanitiser such as a sodium hypochlorite - or quaternary ammonium-based solution, ensure that it can be safely used for sanitising eating, drinking and cooking utensils. Follow the instructions on the container carefully, as different sanitisers work in different ways. If you are using very hot water, take extra care to avoid being scalded.

All utensils must then be thoroughly dried before they are re-used. Air-drying is best but tea towels can be used if they are clean.

If you are washing up at an event being held outdoors, make sure you have access to plenty of hot water. If hot water is not available, disposable eating and drinking utensils should be used and enough cooking utensils provided to last the duration of the event so that washing up is not necessary.

Cooking

Always cook food thoroughly. Do not partially cook food and then warm it up later. Cook chicken, sausages and hamburgers until juices run clear - beef steaks can be cooked to preference. Cooking will reduce dangerous bacteria to safe levels if it is done properly. Remember that some food-poisoning bacteria can protect themselves from cooking and while they will not be present in enough numbers to make someone sick just after the food is cooked, they can start growing again if the cooked food is left at temperatures between 5°C and 60°C for too long. This is why cooling cooked food quickly is so important.

Wherever possible, try to cook food as close to the time that you will be serving or selling it. For example, if you can, take the food to the event and cook it there. This reduces the chance of the food becoming contaminated after it has been cooked. It also means that there won' t be enough time for food-poisoning bacteria to grow to dangerous levels on the cooked food before it is eaten.

If it isn't practical to cook food at the event, you will need to pre-cook the food and transport it hot, or alternatively cook it, cool it and then transport it cold. See transporting food.

Cooling food

If you decide you want to pre-cook food and then cool it, you will need to ensure that the food is cooled rapidly to 5°C. If a large container of cooked food, for example a beef curry, is placed in a refrigerator for cooling, it can take as long as 24 hours to cool to 5°C. This is very dangerous as the centre of the food will remain warm and allow food-poisoning bacteria to grow to dangerous levels.

The Food Safety Standards require cooked food to be cooled to 5°C within six hours. The food must be cooled from 60°C to 21°C within 2 hours and from 21°C to 5°C within a further four hours. Safe cooling can be achieved by:

• removing the food from the stove top, oven or other heat source after it has cooked
• allowing the food to initially cool outside the refrigerator - but make sure it is placed in the refrigerator as soon as any part of it drops to a temperature of 60°C
• placing the food in shallow containers.

You will need to use your thermometer to check that the cooked food is being cooled within the 6-hour time limit.

Reheating food

Cold food (which is to be served hot) will need to be quickly and thoroughly heated at the event until it is steaming hot and then kept hot until it is served. It is best to re-heat the food to a temperature of 70°C and hold the food at this temperature for at least two minutes. Use your thermometer to check that all of the food reaches at least this temperature.

Keeping food hot

Hot food will need to be kept hot (60°C or above) at the event. This could be achieved by using gas or electric appliances.

Making sandwiches

Sandwiches are a popular product for community and fundraising events. Making them usually involves a lot of handling, which makes personal hygiene very important.

Sandwiches are often filled with potentially hazardous food and should be handled and stored like any other high-risk food. They should be made fresh as close to the start of the event as possible. If this is not practical, they should kept in a refrigerator. Make sure that you have enough refrigerator space to store them safely as they may take up a lot of room.

Because sandwiches require a lot of handling, the contact time with the person making them is increased. Because of this, it is very important that people who are ill do not make the sandwiches.

Sandwiches should be kept under temperature control when they are transported and displayed for sale. Alternatively, you could use time, rather than temperature, to keep the sandwiches safe.

Transporting food

When you are transporting food, you need to consider two main food safety issues: keeping the food protected from contamination and, if the food is potentially hazardous, keeping it cold (5°C or colder) or hot (60°C or hotter).

Protecting food from contamination

It is important to protect food from contamination by keeping it covered at all times. You can achieve this by using containers with lids or by applying plastic film over containers. Materials used to cover food should be suitable for food contact, to ensure that they do not contain any chemicals that could leach into the food. Aluminium foil, plastic film and clean paper may be used, and food should be completely covered. Packaged products should not need additional covering.

Previously used materials and newspaper may contaminate food and should not be used.

Temperature control

When potentially hazardous foods are transported they should be kept cold (5°C or colder) or hot (60°C or hotter) during the journey.

Alternatively, you could use time, rather than temperature, to keep the food safe while it is being transported. See Fact Sheet 4 Temperature control for more information. If the journey is short, insulated containers may keep the food cold.

If the journey is longer, you may need to use ice bricks to keep food cold and heat packs to keep food hot.

Place only pre-heated or pre-cooled food in an insulated container, which should have a lid to help maintain safe temperatures.

Insulated containers must be:

• in good condition and kept clean at all times;
• used only for food;
• kept away from other items such as chemicals, pet food, fuel and paint;
• be filled as quickly as possible and closed as soon as they have been filled; and
• kept closed until immediately before the food is needed or is placed in other temperature-controlled equipment.

Transport considerations

Containers of cool food should be placed in the coolest part of the vehicle.

• If the inside of the vehicle is air-conditioned, cold food may be transported better here rather than in the boot.
• Vehicles should be clean. If the vehicle is normally used for carrying pets or dirty equipment, the food carrying area should be thoroughly cleaned or lined to prevent any contamination. This may not be necessary if food is transported in an insulated container with a tightly fitting lid.
• The journey should be properly planned and should be kept as short as possible.
• When collecting ingredients, cold foods should be collected last and immediately placed in insulated containers or cool bags for transporting to the preparation facility.
• When taking prepared foods to a venue, pack the food into insulated boxes as your last job.
• When you arrive at the venue, make it your first job to unload any hot or cold food and place it in temperature-controlled equipment

Camping

Preparing food for camps can be very challenging because facilities usually found in the home or commercial food premises are not generally available when you are camping. This makes it important that you properly plan to ensure food safety. The camp should be memorable only for the outdoor experience and not the food poisoning outbreak that could occur.

Types of groups and organisations that should read this information include:

• Cubs and Scout Groups
• Girl Guides
• Australian Air League
• St Johns Ambulance Australia
• Army & Navy Cadets
• YMCA
• Church Groups
• Youth Groups
• Schools

The main considerations for keeping food safe in camps are:

• temperature control
• water supply
• handwashing facilities
• protecting food from contamination
• disposal of rubbish and waste water to prevent the contamination of food.

Temperature control

The use of potentially hazardous foods when camping should be kept to a minimum unless the food can be kept cold (5°C or colder). Potentially hazardous foods support the growth of bacteria that can cause illness if large numbers of bacteria are present. For a list of potentially hazardous foods see our information on temperature control.

If your camp is catering for a large number of people, it may be practical to hire gas-powered refrigeration equipment or to use similar facilities close to the campsite.

If you only have limited equipment to keep food cold, buy potentially hazardous foods fresh daily and throw away any leftover food.

You could also consider purchasing foods that are shelf-stable. These are foods that do not need temperature-controlled storage until they are opened. Examples include long-life milk (heat-treated in the carton); canned meats, fish and dairy products; and dried and dehydrated foods.

Water supply

A safe water supply is probably the most important requirement when camping because water is necessary for preparing and cooking food, cleaning utensils and helping to maintain personal hygiene. Your camp will need access to water of drinking quality.

If water at the site is not suitable for drinking, it will need to be treated. The easiest way to treat this water is to boil it, but it has to be protected from contamination during cooling and storage. It is not always practical to boil the amount of water needed for food preparation and personal hygiene and you may wish to use chemical sterilisation. Always follow the manufacturers' instructions when using these chemicals.

Water filters may also be an option but they can be slow and must be maintained in good working condition. You will also need to check with the supplier of the filter to find out whether it will be effective for your purposes. Filters should not be damaged and they may need to be cleaned or replaced regularly.

Sources of drinking water, such as streams, wells and bores, should be protected. Access to the water collection point should be restricted and the area protected from animals and foreign matter.

Use only clean containers that are specifically kept for drinking water. Store them carefully at all times, whether they are full or empty, with their lids fastened.

Handwashing

For effective handwashing, clean warm running water is needed so that soap can function correctly and hands can be rinsed before they are dried. During camping, clean running water is not always readily available. A suitable alternative must be provided to ensure that hands do not contaminate food. You will need to obtain approval to use alternative handwashing methods from your local council or health authority. 

Alternative methods include:

• the use of sterile wipes or 
• sanitising cleaning gels.

If you have access to water of drinking quality, you should set up a temporary handwashing facility that provides running water. You can do this by using a large water container with a tap at its base. Another container, such as a bucket, should collect the waste water, to keep the site dry and clean.

A supply of handwash soap and paper towels must be provided at the handwashing facilities so that handwashing can be undertaken properly. Supply a bin for used towels. This helps to keep the site tidy and prevents contamination from used towels.

Protecting food from contamination

It is very important to protect food from contamination. Bacteria cannot move from place to place by themselves they need help from poor food-handling practices. Poor food handling often allows bacteria to be transferred from a non-food source to food, and from one food to another. The risk of contamination is often greater when camping because only basic equipment and amenities may be available.

To protect food from contamination:

• wash your hands before preparing or handling food
• keep food covered
• use separate utensils such as knives and chopping boards for different foods
• keep raw meat and raw fruits and vegetables well away from foods which are ready to eat, such as cooked meat and salads
• always thoroughly wash and dry your hands after handling raw meat
• thoroughly wash and dry eating and drinking utensils and store in a clean place.

Disposal of rubbish and waste water

The disposal of rubbish and waste water needs careful planning because they attract pests and contaminate food if they are not properly stored and disposed of. Rubbish should be bagged and tied, and kept well away from food preparation areas.

There may be a designated disposal area for waste water at your camping site. Always use this - do not dispose of waste water in or near water sources.

Health and hygiene for food handlers

If you’re a food handler, making sure you don’t contaminate food through illness or unclean habits is very important to keep food safe to eat.

What are the requirements?

Under Standard 3.2.2 - Food Safety Practices and General Requirements, as a food handler you need to do whatever you can to make sure you do not make food unsafe or unsuitable.

Be clean and careful

• wash and dry your hands thoroughly
• stop hair, clothes, jewellery or phone touching food or surfaces (e.g. tie hair back, remove loose jewellery, cover open sores)
• don’t touch ready-to-eat food with your bare hands - use tongs or gloves
• wear clean clothing and aprons
• do not eat, spit, smoke, sneeze, blow or cough over food or surfaces that touch food.

You need to tell your supervisor or event organiser if you think you are sick or have contaminated food in any way.

Wash your hands properly

• use the sink provided just for hand washing
• wet your hands under warm running water
• lather them with soap and thoroughly scrub fingers, palms, wrists, back of hands and under nails for about 15 seconds
• rinse hands under warm running water
• turn off taps using a paper towel or elbow
• thoroughly dry your hands with a single-use towel.

When to wash your hands

• before you start handling food or go back to handling food after other tasks
• before working with ready-to-eat food after handling raw food
• after using the toilet
• after smoking, coughing, sneezing, using a handkerchief or tissue, eating or drinking
• after touching your hair, scalp, nose, etc.
• after doing anything else that could make your hands dirty, like handling garbage, touching animals or children, or cleaning duties.

What if I’m sick?

Some illnesses can be passed to people through food – these are called foodborne illnesses (e.g. gastro and hepatitis A).

If you know or think you have a foodborne illness (e.g. you have vomiting, diarrhoea or fever):

tell your supervisor

do not handle food if it’s likely to become contaminated

only return to food handling when a doctor says you are well enough (usually 48 hours after symptoms have stopped).

About Padstow Food Service Distributors

Padstow Food Service Distributors is a family owned and operated company offering a variety of Catering, Baking, Cake Decorating & Packaging Supplies, everything from fresh salads & cake fondant to paper plates and eco-friendly tableware.

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• Fresh sliced onions as well as frozen sliced onions & bulk fresh salads
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• Foam Esky Boxes and Ice
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