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 practicesContamination 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.