Food Safety Today Spreads Awareness to Stop Listeriosis Outbreaks

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We’re going to aggressively fight against this by providing extensive training and guidance on how to safely handle food.

Palm Beach, QLD (PRWEB) August 26, 2013

Representatives with Food Safety Today (http://foodsafetytoday.com.au) say they’ve put together a plan to help educate the general public to finally stop the spread of food-born illnesses like listeriosis.

“We’re going to aggressively fight against this by providing extensive training and guidance on how to safely handle food,” said Joanne Ballantyne, owner and director of Food Safety Today.

Ballantyne went on to explain that with the number of people who are affected each year, Food Safety Today could no longer sit by and watch more people stricken with the illness.

Approximately 20-30 people per year are affected by listeriosis in some way.

As a solution, Ballantyne revealed that Food Safety Today is now offering the only nationally recognized food handling course (http://foodsafetytoday.com.au/courses) for the hospitality, food processing and health and community services sectors.

The best thing about the course, which includes information on listeria, Ballantyne said, can be done by correspondence, online and onsite training for groups.

According to The NSW Food Authority, most at risk should avoid ready to eat foods, such as soft cheese such as brie, blue, fetta, camembert and ricotta, cold chicken or turkey particularly if sliced or diced, such as used in chicken sandwiches.

In addition, Ballantyne said, pre-prepared or packaged salads greens and salads should be avoided.

“Raw seafood such as oysters, sashimi, smoked salmon or oysters (canned oysters are safe), sushi, unpasteurized dairy products including raw goat’s milk and Roquefort cheese, should be avoided,” Ballantyne stressed.

Signs of listeriosis, Ballantyne, said, include flu-like symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, nausea and diarrhea that can occasionally lead to septicemia, meningitis and in some cases, miscarriage in pregnant women.

About Food Safety Today

Food Safety Today provides high-quality online and correspondence food handling training for workers in the Retail & Hospitality (SIT codes), Health & Community Services (HLT codes) and Food Processing (FDF codes) industry. Our courses satisfy the requirements set by the NSW Food Authority, Queensland Food Act 2006, Queensland Food Regulation 2006, Victorian Food Act 1984, and Food Standards Australia & New Zealand.

In-house group training is an option for organizations that require a number of employees at a time to take a food handling course. Group training is available for both Level 1 (food handling certificate) and Level 2 (food safety supervisor) – combined FSS course is a one day course at venue.

Training for your food handling certificate or as a food safety supervisor consists of a set of assessment tasks, which include industry-based case studies and short answer questions. Our online courses are 100% online.

Contact Details:

Food Safety Today
PO Box 21
Palm Beach QLD 4221
Phone: 1300 775 155
Fax: 07 5677 0622

Source: Food Safety Today

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