Food Act Report 2009/2010 - SA Health - SA.Gov.au

Appendix 10Follow up ActivitiesFor each sample that reported a marginal or unsatisfactory result, a warning letter was sent to the bakery concernedand the local Council was also informed of results within their area for follow up.The results were also discussed at a professional forum for Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) and at, theEnvironmental Health Australia Food Special Interest Group meetings.SA Health is encouraging EHOs to use a high risk baked foods checklist in addition to the standard Australian FoodSafety Assessment (AFSA) Food Business Inspection Checklist when undertaking routine inspections of bakeries.For the purposes of identification of foods that require temperature control, EHOs have been asked to reference theNSW Food Authority’s document Potentially Hazardous Foods (September 2008).Additionally, the Food Policy and Programs Branch is in the process of preparing a food industry bulletin fordistribution to local council and industry with a specific focus on the issues identified in this study. This report willalso be forwarded to local councils.ConclusionFifty sweet bakery food products were sampled from a total of twenty six bakeries and examined for microbiologicalsafety. Compared with the 2006–07 survey, compliance for Salmonella spp and Staphylococcus aureus, has beenmaintained, however, 54% of businesses surveyed reported marginal or unsatisfactory results when their productswere assessed against the Guidelines for the Microbiological Examination of Ready-to-Eat Foods.This study has identified that additional control measures such as improved hygiene and temperature control may bebeneficial for manufacturers of potentially hazardous sweet bakery products.Despite actions taken by SA Health to follow up the 2006–07 survey, the results indicate the need to continueeducating the food industry about the risks and control measures required for high risk baked foods. Food premisesinspections require a more specific focus on high risk activities, followed by an additional survey by SA Health to verifythe effectiveness of increased surveillance.SA Health is developing guidance documents to further support the food industry and local councils to addressthis issue.ReferencesFood Standards Australia New Zealand, Guidelines for the microbiological examination of ready-to-eat foods,December 2001.Food Standards Australia New Zealand, Food Standards Code, Standard 3.2.2 Food Practices and GeneralRequirements.NSW Food Authority, Potentially hazardous foods: Foods that require temperature control for safety, September 2008.Schmedemann, E. Sweet Baked Goods, a survey of the microbiological quality of sweet baked goods, in the Food Policyand Programs Branch, Public Health Division, Department of Health’s Food Act Report , year ending June 2007.Food Act Report Year ending 30 June 2010 page 88