Food safety for community facilities

We support an active and healthy community. Sport, recreation and community facilities are a vital ingredient of any vibrant community.

We all love good food and some clubs provide just that. Many of our sport, recreation and community facilities sell food ranging from pre-packaged drinks and snacks to sit down meals.

To help support your organisation to prepare and serve safe food, we have included the following information.

What are my key responsibilities for food safety?

While many community groups don’t need a food licence to sell food, all food businesses must have management practices in place to make sure they provide safe and suitable food. Community groups that are non-profit organisations only need a food licence when they serve sit down meals more than 12 times a year. Learn more about food business licensing.

Volunteers who work in the kitchen must know how to handle food safely, because mishandled food can cause harm. All volunteers need to know about their roles in transporting, preparing and serving food safely.

Make sure all persons working in food service know the food safety essentials, you can download our Eat Safe essentials brochure (PDF 2.14 MB) for more information.

The person in charge of the kitchen will need to have a more detailed knowledge of food safety controls. You can find more information by downloading our Eat Safe Logan – Food safety guide made easy (PDF 799 KB).

Where can I get help for training staff in food safety

While community groups are driven by a volunteering spirit, when it comes to food safety more than just a willing worker is needed. Basic skills and knowledge about food safety are essential in a kitchen.  

We have developed some information to help food handlers gain some basic skills.

This free information is in the form of facts sheets and videos in a range of languages. A free online food safety training course is also available. You can find out more by downloading the I’m Alert food safety training fact sheet (PDF 720 KB). Participants will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course. You should encourage all food handlers in your organisation to complete this course and keep a record of the food safety training completed by your volunteers.

Above all, providing training to food handlers is an important part of meeting your responsibilities when serving food.  

Where a lessee has a food licence issued under the Food Act they are required to nominate a food safety supervisor. This person has food safety skills and can take responsibility of key decisions about the handling, preparation and serving of food. 

Can we improve food safety in the kitchen?

Food safety is important regardless of whether it’s at you home, at your local restaurant or at your community club. Food safety training and good management practices, for example keeping records of food deliveries, make everyone involved in preparing and serving food more aware of how their individual actions can contribute to good food safety outcomes.  

How do your current practices stack up?

If you want help to review your current practices our Environmental Health Officers (EHO’s) are available to meet with your organisation on site and provide education and advice.  You can also have a look our checklists and record templates, please see Eat Safe Logan – forms, tools and resources.

Good management practices are an important part of meeting your responsibilities when serving food.

Eat Safe Logan

If you hold a licence to prepare and sell food, you will be aware of our Eat Safe Logan food safety rating scheme. Eat Safe Logan means all licenced food outlets are issued with a star rating based on an assessment conducted by Council. Eat Safe Logan is a system to promote food safety. The five-star rating system aims to encourage food businesses to maintain high food safety standards. Food businesses that achieve a three-star rating and above have met the Food Act 2006 and Food Safety Standards.

As a consumer you can see the star rating of your favourite eatery, please see Eat Safe Logan star ratings.

As the operator of a licenced kitchen you can see how well your business rates by downloading out Eat Safe food safety checklist (PDF 514 KB).