A food business is any activity involving the handling of food intended for sale. There are a number of special considerations involving approval and food safety which need to be considered.
Typically food that has been prepared for us ein your kitchen should be sold within a 24 hour period. The only exception to this rule would be if a blast chiller and or freezer has been used to maintain the food at correct temperatures and or if a vacuum sealer has been used to store the food.
The Food Act 2006 (the Act) requires certain food businesses to hold a licence and some high risk food businesses to also have an accredited food safety program.
All food businesses that operate, whether they are required to hold a licence under the Act or not must comply with the requirements of the Act and provisions of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.
Licensable food businesses are required to nominate a food safety supervisor and catering businesses are also required to have an accredited food safety program.
Everyone needs food and we all expect our food to be safe.
While governments cannot guarantee the safety of all food, it is their role to develop a framework that promotes the delivery of safe and healthy food by the foodindustry and the provision of adequate information to consumers.
An effective food regulatory framework and a reputation for safe food are also vital to the competitiveness and survival of the food industry - one of the major industries and export earners in Australia.
Cooking food
Before food can be cooked it must be prepared for cooking.
Most cooking is based on common sense and sound practices. To obtain the best results, the following points should be closely observed:
- good quality ingredients - the end product is never better than the original ingredients
- minimum lapse of time between preparation and service
- proper cooking methods
Previous blog posts in this series are: