Introducing our Food Handling Program

While not everyone in healthcare organisations work in food preparation, nearly all of us are involved with food handling at some point during our day.

We supervise and supply meals to the patients and residents in our care, therefore it is important that we know that basics of safe and effective food handling.

There are approximately 5.4 million cases of foodborne illness annually in Australia, many of which are preventable. Given the prevalence of foodborne illness, as well of the increased vulnerability of patients in healthcare facilities, we feel that safe food handling practices should be a mandatory CPD subject for nurses, PCAs, and other healthcare professionals.

National requirements set out in the Food Act 2006 state that food businesses such as hospitals, aged care facilities and other healthcare organisations manage food safely. This ensures that: food is safe and suitable for consumption by venerable patients; food is only prepared in suitable premises; and that patients and their families can be confidents that the food they are served is safe and suitable.

Our comprehensive and interactive program covers basic food handling principles, and helps both nurses and their workplaces meet their legal obligations. Topics covered include:

Ways in which food can become contaminated
Causes and symptoms of food poisoning
Why good personal hygiene is important to food safety
How to deliver, store, display and transport food within the healthcare organisation
And how to clean food preparation surfaces and equipment.

Like our Infection Control program, the skills presented here can be put to use in the workplace and at home as well.

Our food handling program is the second new program we have released recently, with many more to follow. Did you read about our new fluid balance program? Make sure you’re following us on facebook & on our mailing list so you’re the first to find out when the next new program is released!