New Food Service Training in Allergy and Other Dietary Needs for Childcare Staff
11 August 2025
A new national online companion course is helping long day care services across Australia respond to a growing need: how to safely manage food allergies while providing nutritious meals for children with diverse dietary needs.
Around 1.3 million Australian children under the age of 12 attend childcare services. Of those in early childhood education and care, an estimated 52,000 to 86,000 children are living with a food allergy — highlighting the critical need for accessible, practical training for staff.
The National Allergy Council has partnered with the National Nutrition Foundation’s Healthy Eating Advisory Service (HEAS) to develop this free online companion course designed to complement the National Allergy Council’s All about Allergens training for Children’s Education and Care. The companion course includes 11 short, practical modules tailored for cooks, chefs and educators in early childhood education and care.
How does the new companion course differ to All about Allergens for Children’s Education and Care training?
The All about Allergens for Children’s Education and Care course provides comprehensive training in best practice food allergen management in Children’s Education and Care settings.
The Managing Allergies and Other Dietary Requirements in Children’s Education and Care course offers basic practical information about specific food allergens and other dietary requirements in Children’s Education and Care as well as focussing on meeting children’s nutritional needs.
The new companion course was developed with support from the Victorian Department of Health, and is available nationally and aligns with the National Quality Standard for food provision in early education and care.
The course is now freely available on the National Allergy Council’s All about Allergens training for Food Service website and the Healthy Eating Advisory Service website.