New food hygiene training program

The Minister for Training, Phil Honeywood, has launched a new national training program in food hygiene which has been developed by the University of Ballarat (TAFE Division) and Australia's largest food wholesaler, Davids Limited.

It is Australia's first national training program in food hygiene accredited by the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA).

More than 2000 employees of Davids Limited, which distributes food to more than 4000 retail outlets across Australia, will participate in the training program over the next 12 months.

The Australia and New Zealand Food Authority (ANZA) estimates that food contamination and spoilage:

• costs Australia $2.5 billion each year in health care costs and loss of productivity
• contributes to an estimated 630 deaths in Australia each year (particularly children under 5 years, the elderly and the sick)
• causes about 500,000 reported cases of food poisoning in Australia each year (from minor tummy upsets to serious illnesses).

The most harmful bacteria causing food poisoning are botulism, salmonella and e.coli.   Symptoms of food poisoning can range from tummy upsets, vomiting and diahorrea to serious illness.

In 1997, the Victoria became the first State in Australia to amend legislation to require all food outlets to have a food safety program.

(News Release, Office of the Minister for Tertiary Education and Training, 2 December 1998)