Food Allergy Aware Food Service Program
Aims and Objectives
Improving food allergen management in food service.
To provide standardised, accessible training in best practice food allergen management to food service providers across different environments where food is provided including cafes, restaurants, hospitals, camps, schools and children's education and care, aged care and other residential care settings.
To provide easily accessible implementation tools and resources for best practice food allergen management in foodservice
To advocate for allergen management to be included in training for anyone who prepares or serves food.
To promote a message of shared responsibility about managing food allergy in the community.
How are we working towards this?
Raising awareness about food allergy in the community and promoting the message that managing food allergies is everyone’s responsibility. This includes the individual with food allergy or their carers, food service staff, legislators and authorised officers.
Developed minimum standards for food allergen management training in food service in consultation with key interest holders.
Developed All about Allergens food allergen management training and supporting resources for different food service sectors.
Coordinated the development of a food allergen management consensus statement which was updated in 2025 and endorsed by 17 interest holders.
Our food service program working group, made up of industry experts, informs the development of our sector specific training courses and resources.
We are actively involved in the Allergen Collaboration, a working group facilitated by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to improve food allergen management in the food manufacturing and food service industry.
We promote best practice food allergen management through our All about Allergens courses and resources, and by speaking and exhibiting at major food service industry events.
Collaborations and partnerships:
NSW Food Authority – a partnership to provide learning and assessment materials for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) to implement the mandatory Key Focus Area of food allergen management in the food safety supervisor accredited courses.
Healthy Eating Advisory Service, Victoria - a partnership to provide additional training and resources in food allergen management for cooks and chefs working in long day care.
We work collaboratively with many organisations including Allergen Bureau, Coeliac Australia, Environmental Health Australia, Foodcore, School Food Matters (Tasmania) and the Australian Culinary Federation.
Target Audience
Food service settings, including general foodservice such as restaurants, cafes and events. Our target audience also includes sector specific food service including health care, children’s education and care, schools and camp foodservice settings.
What we have achieved so far
Over 180,000 food service workers have completed an All About Allergens Course. All about Allergens training for food service are online courses in best-practice food allergen management. Courses are self-paced and available free of charge.
We have developed 8 All about Allergens food allergen management courses available:
All about Allergens for General foodservice
All about Allergens for Cooks and Chefs
All about Allergens for Children’s Education and Care
All about Allergens for Schools
All about Allergens for Camps
All about Allergens for Hospitals – Ward Staff
All about Allergens for Hospitals – Kitchen Staff
All about Allergens for Residential Care
Developed an All about Allergens Resource Hub which provides free, sector specific tools and resources for food services to put best practice food allergen management practices in place.
Developed an All About Allergens for Authorised Officers provides resources to help authorised officers and Environmental Health Officers to support food businesses to implement best practice food allergen management.
Developed an Food Allergy Aware website which provides evidence based links and resources for consumers and the food industry.
Developed Additional training modules developed for cooks and chefs working in Children’s Education and Care, released in August 2025.
Food allergen management consensus statement , led by the National Allergy Council and Allergen Bureau and endorsed by 17 organisations
Work in progress
Stakeholder meeting and focus groups to inform the development of best practice guidelines for food allergen management in foodservice.
Ongoing evaluation of the All about Allergens courses with a focus on culturally appropriate resources to make best practice food allergen management accessible to all.
Scoping an accreditation program in best practice food allergen management for foodservice.
