Do food safely wins international award

A new on-line food training program developed by the Department of Health to improve everyone’s knowledge of safe food handling practices has won an international award.

The Do Food Safely program won a Global Food Award as a finalist in the International Union of Food Science and Technology communicating science-related knowledge to consumers category, announced at the 15^th World Congress of Food Science and Technology in Johannesburg, South Africa last month.

Since it was launched in December last year the new program, Do Food Safely, has been a resounding success.

The on-line training program was designed to specifically engage young people who are either currently working in the food industry or considering employment in the industry.

The chairperson of the Food Safety Council, Dr Jenny Robertson collected the award on the Department’s behalf in South Africa.

Department of Health Secretary Fran Thorn said the fabulous work of the whole team in the Food Safety Unit who were involved in developing this program deserves acknowledgement.

"Special mention must go to Claire Brett and Heather Haines who both played leading roles in the project."

"Since going live Do Food Safely has attracted thousands of hits to the site and has been so successful it will be translated into a number of community languages identified by the food service industry," Ms Thorn said.

The program includes six topics on food safety and a final quiz. Participants who score more than 90 per cent on the quiz are awarded a certificate.

Visit the new Food Safety on-line learning program.