Food Safety & Hygiene

Environmental Health Services work with local food businesses and community groups who produce food for sale or distribution to ensure compliance with current food legislation. In doing so we:

  • Carry out unannounced food hygiene assessments of all food businesses on a regular basis
  • Collect evidence of breaches of food legislation and instigate legal action where necessary
  • Sample locally produced foods and compare results to National Standards
  • Investigate complaints about food and food handling practices
  • Provide Safe Food Handler Training Sessions for food handlers - these sessions provide a refresher in the basics of essential food hygiene skills and knowledge

Provide support to local food businesses implementing the Australian Institute of Environmental Health FoodSafe Food Handler Training Program, 2nd Ed.

Food Safety Training

The FoodSafe Online program is available free of charge through the Shire of Esperance. This is a self-paced online learning tool that food business operators can use to train their staff to minimum compliance levels in hygiene standards. A copy of the successfully completed training certificate will be required to be lodged with the Shire of Esperance for each food handler at the time of lodging your food registration application. On the payment details page, use the unique discount voucher FSESPER326 and it will apply the $35 discount. Participants need to complete the transaction and follow the downloadable instructions to register and start the course. A printable certificate is available for participants, once they have successfully completed the course.

To access the program please click the below link and follow the prompts. You will be redirected to the Environmental Health Australia website as the provider of the program:

FoodSafe

Fruit & Vegetables

Selling fresh fruit and vegetables grown on your property can be both rewarding and a terrific source of extra income, however there are a few things you'll need to know before selling your produce. The Shire's fact sheet 'Fruit and Vegetable Production and Sale' provides some helpful advice to consider if you are planning on selling any home grown fruit or vegetable products.

Consumers

Food Poisoning

Food poisoning occurs when you have consumed food or drink that has been contaminated by harmful bacteria, viruses or toxins. It can produce symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhoea and fever. In many cases the effects of food-borne illness are only mild but sometimes the symptoms can lead to serious illness. In rare cases food-borne illness can result in long-term health problems and even death. Some people are extremely vulnerable no matter what type of pathogen is involved. These include:

  • Very young children
  • Pregnant women
  • The elderly
  • People with compromised immune systems

Some people may become ill after ingesting only a few harmful organisms while others may remain symptom-free after ingesting thousands. We often believe that it was the last meal we ate that made us sick, although this can be the case, it is often unlikely. The most common types of food poisoning bacteria take around 2-5 days to multiply to a level that will cause symptoms, however at times this may take up to 10 days. It is therefore more likely to be a meal that you ate several days before that actually made you ill. It is not always food that will produce vomiting and diarrhoea symptoms as bacteria may also have been consumed from a water source or originated from a contaminated surface.

What do I do if I have food poisoning?

See your GP immediately and provide a stool sample to ascertain what has caused your illness. If you have some of the food that you think has caused the symptoms, put it in the freezer as we may be able to test it for food poisoning bacteria. If you have a receipt for the food, keep that too. If you believe that food purchased within the Shire of Esperance is the suspect, contact the Shire immediately on (08) 9071 0676. The more information you can provide will help us. Note down all the details surrounding the purchase of the food, time eaten, symptoms, whether or not any others are affected, where you purchased the food and if you reported your illness to the food business.

The Environmental Health Officer dealing with your request may send any remaining food for analysis and visit the food business to carry out an investigation. Laboratory results for food analysis take between 5-14 days to be finalized.

Department of Health

Food Hygiene and Safety in Your Home

Remember the following tips when you are preparing food from home:

  • Wash your hands - the most important barrier to stop the transfer of germs and dirt from you to your food is washing your hands. Use warm water and soap and dry thoroughly
  • Keep cold foods cold -  5°C or less; check with a fridge thermometer
  • Keep hot foods hot - don't let hot food sit out at room temperature for extended periods of time. Time your cooking so hot food does not require re-heating. Hot foods must be maintained at 60°C or above to inhibit bacterial growth
  • Keep raw & cooked foods separate - use separate utensils and chopping boards when preparing raw and cooked foods. Make sure that all foods are covered when stored and always store raw food at the bottom of the fridge to prevent raw juices dripping on to cooked food
  • When cooling cooked food, cool food within 2 hours from 60°C to 21°C and within a further 4 hours from 21°C to 5°C
  • Keep your kitchen and utensils clean - keeping your kitchen clean will deter pests as there is no food source for them. If you use baits around your kitchen, mark on your calendar when they need to be changed - the label on the packet will tell you this. Old baits may become a food source with dirt and dust building up inside the bait
  • Defrost safely - when defrosting food, put it in the fridge overnight or use your microwave defrost setting
  • Don't cook for others if you are unwell - if you are experiencing food poisoning symptoms you could easily pass your germs on to others

For additional information or assistance contact Environmental Health Services on (08) 9071 0676, email shire@esperance.wa.gov.au or call into the Shire Administration Centre on Windich Street.