The Mission of Australian Institute of Food Safety
The importance of food safety
Every year in Australia, millions of people get sick and hundreds die as a result of poor food handling practices. Many of these incidents are easily avoidable.At the Australian Institute of Food Safety, we want to make a difference.The mission of each and every team member at AIFS is:
‘To reduce food-borne illness in Australia through education, promotion and advocacy for better food safety.’
The frightening facts about food safety in Australia
Food-borne illness is significant in Australia and the consequences for both consumers and food business owners can be dire. Lost productivity, impacts on lifestyle and medical expenses create a large burden for the whole country.Then there's the damage to food businesses that are fined, prosecuted or shut down for causing food-borne illness outbreaks.According to the Department of Health in Australia, there are around 4.1 million cases of food-borne illness every year. On average, this leads to:- 6.5 million days of lost work
- $1.25 billion annual cost to the Australian economy
- 1 million doctors visits
- 31,920 hospitalisations
- 86 deaths
How can we solve this problem?
The costs of food-borne illness showcase the great need to strengthen our food safety.There are 3 major causes of food-borne illness outbreaks in Australia:
- Issues with time and temperature control of food
- Improper cleaning and sanitising of equipment and surfaces
- Poor personal hygiene of food workers
