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Food safety

Information on food safety for the community

Food poisoning and safe food handling

Under the Food Act 1984, all food business owners (and community groups who sell food) are legally required to ensure that food sold or prepared for sale is safe to eat.

Environmental Health Officers are responsible for food regulation throughout the municipality to make sure safety standards are maintained to protect the health of the community. They regularly inspect food businesses to provide advice and handle complaints about food handling and food poisoning.

The symptoms of food poisoning include vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach cramps, fever and generally feeling unwell. Some incidents of food poisoning can be fatal, particularly in children, the elderly and the very ill.

Reporting a food safety issue

Please contact an Environmental Health Officer on (03) 5471 1768 or submit an online service request if you wish to report an issue regarding:

  • Food premises cleanliness or food handler hygiene practices
  • Contamination of food, such as foreign objects. (Note: Retain the remaining food without removing the contaminant)
  • Suspected food poisoning (Note: Report the incident as soon as possible and retain any remaining food by wrapping it in clean plastic and it storing in the fridge)

    • Food registrations

    All food businesses are required to register with their local council before starting trade. Food businesses include activities that involve the handling of food that is intended for sale. This includes commercial and charitable organisations. For more information on how to register, visit food registrations.

    How you cook can make you (and others) crook

    'Raw and risky' foods announced as theme for the 20th Australian Food Safety Week 6-12 November 2016

    Each year an estimated 4.1 million people get food poisoning in Australia, 1 million Australians have to visit a doctor with food poisoning, 32,000 people end up in hospital and 86 people die.

    To find out more check out the related documents link below.

    Smoke fee dining

    The Victorian Government is committed to continuing the state’s strong history of tobacco reforms, to reduce the impact of smoking on the community and to protect the health and wellbeing of all Victorians.

    From 1 August 2017, the Tobacco Amendment Act 2016 will amend the Tobacco Act 1987 to ban smoking in outdoor dining areas.

    Smoke-free areas are important as they:

  • protect the community from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke
  • make smoking in the community less acceptable - the less smoking people see in public places, they are less likely to think it is okay, rather than harmful
  • support people who have quit or are trying to quit smoking

    • The ban will cover all outdoor dining areas when food is available including at outdoor events. The ban includes e-cigarettes and shisha tobacco.

    The bans do not apply in outdoor areas where drinks and pre-packaged snack foods are available. There are provisions to allow businesses to have both outdoor dining and outdoor drinking areas where a wall or buffer area separates the two.

    Food premises and events must display ‘No smoking’ signage to indicate smoke-free areas.

    A customer can receive a fine if they smoke in a banned area. The person in charge of a business, club or event can also be fined if a customer smokes in an area where smoking is banned. However the person in charge is not liable if they haven’t provided an ashtray, matches or lighter and have asked the person to stop smoking and informed them they are committing an offence.

    If you require addition information please contact Environmental Health on 5471 1768 or refer to the Tobacco Reforms website

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