Free food safety and food allergy training

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Register for 'I'm Alert' online food safety training

Our 'I'm Alert' free food safety training program, provided in partnership with Environmental Health Australia, helps food handlers develop the required skills and knowledge to ensure food is handled in a safe and hygienic manner.

To access the training, you will need to set up an online account and select North Sydney Council as the organisation you are training with.

A training acknowledgement form can be printed upon completion and be kept as a part of your staff records.

Food businesses must ensure all staff members have the appropriate skills and knowledge in food safety and hygiene, and that all staff are informed of their health and hygiene responsibilities under Food Safety Standard 3.2.2 (Clauses 13-15).

The Standard includes:

being aware of general food safety and hygiene requirements
regularly cleaning and sanitising the premises
providing a hand basin in the kitchen and toilet with warm water, soap and paper towels
maintaining correct temperature controls for hot and cold high-risk foods, including the use of a probe thermometer
having a cleaning and pest control schedule
appropriate food-grade packaging
a staff illness policy that excludes sick workers from the workplace.

The NSW Food Authority has more information and resources for food businesses.

Learn about food allergies

Everyone working in food service - from the manager through to the food preparation and food service staff - need to be aware of the risks food allergies pose.

A food business must ensure by law that:

accurate information is on a label and is given by staff selling unpackaged food made at the premises when a customer asks for it
an allergen is not found in a food that was specifically requested not to contain that allergen.

Our free downloadable allergen fact sheets can help with staff training.

There are also free online training courses available:

All About Allergens free online training

This first course is designed to assist proprietors and workers in any food business to gain knowledge about food allergens, and to develop best practice procedures for making their food business safe for customers with allergies.

This next course is primarily aimed at food handlers:

Do Food Safely free online training

The ten most common food allergens include peanut, tree nut, egg, cow’s milk (dairy), fish, crustacean (shellfish), sesame, soy, wheat, and lupin.

Food businesses should implement an effective allergen management plan which includes the following:

include a note on all menus asking customers to always disclose their food allergy when ordering from the menu
have a specific protocol to follow if a customer says they have a food allergy
train staff in food allergen risks, management and communication
be forthcoming to customers about ingredients in food
take customer requests about allergens seriously
have a plan in place to manage the unintentional presence of food allergens.