THE ROLE OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICER IN AUSTRALIA

An authorised Environmental Health Officer is tasked with ensuring that all food businesses meet their legislative obligations and that all food products sold and consumed are correctly labelled and safe to eat.

To perform these duties, officers will visit food businesses to:

Investigate allegations of foodborne illness (otherwise known as food poisoning)

Inspect or audit a food business' food safety practices

Investigate complaints about labelling and product misinformation

Educate and provide businesses with advice on correctly following food safety law and food standards

Give advice on how to develop and improve food safety systems in compliance with food production and labelling requirements

Monitor compliance with or investigate breaches of food safety legislation

Commence enforcement action through improvement notices, prohibition orders, penalty notices or prosecutions

POWERS OF AN AUTHORISED OFFICER

An Environmental Health Officer can:

Enter and investigate any food business premises in NSW to ascertain whether an offence has been or is being committed under the Food Safety Act or Regulation

Conduct interviews with staff as part of the food safety investigation

Gather information, examine and take or copy any food safety records or documents, and retain them for a reasonable time as deemed necessary

Take photographs, films or audio or visual recordings of the premises for official record-keeping

Take measurements, and make sketches or any other type of record

Examine food intended for sale, equipment, labelling and advertising materials

Take samples of food, water, soil or anything that is part of the business' environment to determine whether the environment poses a food safety risk

Stop and detain any vehicle used for storage and transport of food

Seize and retain food, vehicles, equipment, packaging, labelling or advertising material that is evidence of an offence under the Act

Issue notices requiring owners and operators to fix noncompliance with the Food Safety Act and Regulation

Issue notices prohibiting food production and sale continuing until the breach is fixed

Issue notices for on-the-spot fines for breaches of the legislation

If, during an investigation, an officer identifies a breach of the Food Safety Act, the officer will gather evidence of the:

Breach, including its nature and seriousness

Steps taken by the food business to ensure that they meet their obligations under the Food Safety Act.