Charities, groups and volunteers

Exemptions

Any organisation selling food for a community or charitable cause does not need to notify the local council (as required by food laws), unless the food they sell:

• needs to be kept under temperature control (either hot or cold) to keep it safe to eat, and  
• will not be eaten immediately after thorough cooking. 

Fundraising barbecues, soccer club sausage sizzles, and charity cake stalls are examples of events exempt from notification requirements because the food is either low-risk or eaten immediately after cooking.

When to notify

If the food sold needs to be kept under temperature control to keep it safe and will not be eaten immediately, the organisation needs to notify the details to the local council. For example, cooking a large amount of meat-based food that will be stored and transported to an event, where it will be reheated and served, requires notification.

Notification allows food safety officers to assess risks and trace the source in the event of a foodborne illness outbreak.

Notification is different for each council. It may involve applying for a service, permit or approval, or completing a food business notification form. Checking the local council’s website is a good place to start.  

• Find your local council

Food handlers at fundraisers and charitable causes do not need formal food safety training if they only sell low-risk food, or the food is eaten straight after cooking.

However, to ensure public safety, food handlers must still understand how to safely prepare the specific foods they are serving. For example:

• making Vegemite sandwiches would not require any specific skills or knowledge about food safety, as it is a low-risk food
• volunteers cooking meat for a barbecue would need to understand temperature control and how to avoid cross contamination.

The Food Authority’s free Food Handler Basics training is available to help volunteers improve their food safety knowledge. 

Charities, groups and volunteers do not need to appoint a Food Safety Supervisor if the handling or sale of food is for the purpose of raising funds solely for community or charitable causes. 

Under the Food Standards Code and Food Act 2003, any group or individual that sells food (whether for charity or not) must follow good hygiene and food handling practices, including proper construction and maintenance of the food premises, so that food being served is as safe as possible. The requirements include areas such as:   

• temperature control 
• protecting food from contamination 
• food handler health and hygiene
• hand washing   
• cleaning and sanitising  
• pest control.  

Food that could pose a health risk

Some foods have certain characteristics that support the growth of bacteria, or the production of toxins, so they must be kept under temperature control (either hot or cold) to remain safe to eat. These are called potentially hazardous foods and must be kept at 5°C or colder, or 60°C or hotter, to keep it safe.

Examples include:  

• raw and cooked meat, poultry and seafood
• foods containing eggs (cooked or raw), beans, nuts or other protein-rich food
• dairy products
• prepared fruits and vegetables, for example cut melons, salads and unpasteurised juices
• cooked rice and both fresh and cooked pasta.

For more information, see managing potentially hazardous foods.

Health and hygiene for food handlers

Food handlers must: 

• wash their hands using hot, soapy water and dry them thoroughly with single-use paper towels
• wash their hands whenever they are likely to be a source of contamination (after using the toilet, 
  smoking, coughing, sneezing, using a handkerchief, eating, drinking or touching the hair, scalp or 
  body) 
• wash their hands before handling ready-to-eat food and after handling raw food
• stop hair, clothes, jewellery or phone touching food or surfaces (for example, tie hair back, remove loose jewellery, cover open sores)
• wear clean clothing and aprons
• not eat, spit, smoke, sneeze, blow or cough over food or surfaces that touch food
• not handle food if they are sick.

Useful factsheets

• Temperature danger zone (PDF, 148 KB)
• Protecting food from contamination (PDF, 132 KB)
• Health and hygiene requirements of food handlers (PDF, 157 KB)
• Handwashing in food businesses (PDF, 149 KB)
• Cleaning and sanitising in retail food businesses (PDF, 339 KB)
• Pest control (PDF, 106 KB).

More factsheets are available in our resources centre. 

Food sold to raise money for charity is generally exempt from labelling requirements, except for declaring the presence of royal jelly. However, if asked, you must be able to give accurate information about the presence of allergens in food, and the directions for storage and use of certain foods.

If you are not 100% certain you can provide an allergen-free meal, you must tell the customer.

Information about food allergens that must be declared is on Food allergen rules. 

Charitable and not-for-profit organisations that donate food (that is, don’t raise money or receive a 
benefit in return for providing the food) are not considered a ‘food business’ so food laws do not apply.

However, when providing food for other people, maintaining food safety for those who will eat it is still very important. 

For more information, see Donating food factsheet (PDF, 150 KB)

Inspections are not required for organisations selling food for community or charitable purposes, provided the food:

• does not need to be kept hot or cold to keep it safe, or
• will be eaten immediately after thorough cooking, such as at a sausage sizzle.