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                    Food safety

                    If you prepare, store or serve food, it’s important you know how to do it safely. Our fact sheets and resources provide you with essential information about all elements of food safety.

                    ​Food allergens

                    Since 1 November 2018, it's mandatory for public and private hospitals to report all cases of anaphylaxis presenting for treatment to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The procedure is then as follows:

                    • City of Melbourne receives anaphylaxis reports from DHHS.
                    • All allergen notifications are investigated by City of Melbourne.
                    • Prosecution is the likely outcome if a customer has declared their anaphylactic allergy to the business but still suffers a reaction.

                    You have a responsibility to your customers to be aware of the allergens present in the food you serve. This includes avoiding cross-contamination and providing accurate information about the food's ingredients.

                    Reporting food safety issues

                    Our environmental health officers regularly inspect food businesses and investigate complaints about food safety.

                    You can report an issue concerning food safety and condition of premises including hygiene practices, cleanliness, contamination and food poisoning.

                    Food safety FAQs

                    What is the difference between food allergy and food intolerance?

                    An allergy is when foods, food ingredients or components of ingredients cause a severe adverse reaction in an individual.

                    A food intolerance is the inability to properly digest or fully process certain ingredients.

                    What foods contain allergens or cause intolerances?

                    The following foods contain allergens or cause intolerance in some people:

                    • cereals containing gluten and their products, i.e. wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt and their hybridised strains
                    • shellfish, crustaceans and their products
                    • eggs and egg products
                    • fish and fish products
                    • milk and milk products
                    • peanuts and soybeans and their products
                    • added sulphites in concentrations of 10 mg/kg or more
                    • tree nuts and sesame seeds and their products.

                    What are the risks?

                    People’s reactions to food allergens vary, but they can be life threatening. Some people with food allergies can have a severe reaction to even the smallest trace amount of certain allergenic foods.

                    What can my business do?

                    Under Victorian food laws you must comply with the Food Standards Code.

                    The Food Standards Code requires that the presence in a food of any product must be declared: when present as an ingredient, an ingredient of a compound ingredient, a food additive or component of a food additive or a processing aid or component of a processing aid.

                    You must understand and practise FSANZ Food Standards Code Part 1.2, Application of Labelling and Other Information Requirements. Refer to 1.2.3, Mandatory Warning and Advisory Statements and Declarations for information on allergens.

                    Specifically your business can:

                    • Inform staff of the importance of providing accurate information about the ingredients in food and show them where they can get further information. Regularly check your staff’s knowledge.
                    • Keep a copy of the ingredient information of any foods that have been removed from their original packaging or labelling. Ensure information is accessible by staff when serving food or when a customer makes an enquiry.
                    • When naming food for display or menus, include known allergens or include specific ingredients in the description of the food (for example, ‘fish with almond butter’).
                    • When handling foods that contain known allergens, take extra care not to contaminate other foods or equipment. Set aside a time or work area that is used solely for the preparation of allergen-free foods and use separate utensils for foods that are designated to be allergen-free.
                    • If food is contaminated with an allergen, inform your staff and customers of this risk.
                    • Where the food is not required to be labelled with the potential allergens it should be either identified when displayed or declared to the purchaser upon request.
                    • Ensure that staff clean and sanitise all equipment and surfaces that come into contact with allergens.
                    • Include special instructions in your cleaning schedule to prevent cross-contamination during cleaning.
                    • Also remember to observe storage, preparation and display practices to avoid the risk of allergen.
                    • If customers request food suitable for special dietary requirements you must ensure your business provides this or you might be putting your customers’ health at risk.

                    Labelling for mandatory declarations

                    The most common foods, ingredients or main part of an ingredient that can cause some people serious harmful reactions must be declared on the label, however small the amount. This declaration is usually in the ingredient list. This is called a mandatory declaration.

                    Some foods are generally exempt from some of the labelling requirements and these include:

                    • food that is not packaged
                    • food in an inner package that is sold in an outer package, except individual portion packs, which contain substances that must be declared
                    • food made and packaged from the premises from which it is sold
                    • food packaged in front of the purchaser
                    • whole or cut fresh fruit and vegetables, (except sprouting seeds such as alfalfa), where the nature and quality can still be seen through the packaging
                    • food delivered packaged, and ready to eat, as ordered by the customer
                    • food sold at a fundraising event.

                    Please note: even when exempt from displaying a label, certain information about a food MUST be available to the consumer. For example, allergen information covered by mandatory declarations.

                    ​Food safety fact sheets

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