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Food Standards Australia and New Zealand are introducing new requirements for people in the food service, catering and retail sectors to undergo an online training course before they are able to handle food from December this year.
This sparked concerns that the much-loved Bunnings sausage sizzles would come to an end under these new requirements.
But have no fear, Director of Store Operations at Bunnings Ben Camire confirmed the sausage sizzles will continue their 20-year tradition at stores.
“We’ve been supporting thousands of local community groups via fundraising sausage sizzles for well over two decades,” he said.
“The fact many families make it a tradition to visit their local Bunnings store on the weekend, grab a snag and raise money for local causes brings our team a lot of joy.
“As community groups host sausage sizzles at our stores for fundraising and charitable purposes, it’s our understanding they’re exempt from the new safety standards scheduled to come into effect later this year.”
Camire said all community groups who operate sausage sizzles at Bunnings have been provided guidelines to meet food handling requirements set by local councils.
“The detail can vary depending on their location, but in general this covers the safe handling and preparation of food,” Camire said.
The new Food Standards code has an exemption for charity events like sausage sizzles meaning the iconic Bunnings events can continue.
“If these are run as fundraising events i.e. ‘an event that raises funds solely for a community or charitable cause and not for personal financial gain,’ the requirements in Standard 3.2.2A will not apply,” Food Standards Australia New Zealand said in a statement.
Standard 3.2.2A is the term for the code changes introducing training modules.
“The exemption recognises fundraising events are often run by volunteers, on an ad hoc basis,” the statement added.
“However, organisations running fundraising events still have to ensure only safe and suitable food is sold.”
