Prepared for Ms Lydia Buchtmann Communications Manager FOOD SAFETY INFORMATION COUNCIL 2nd Floor 55 Blackall Stre

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2. - 2 - Table of contents 1. Background and objectives 3 2. Methodology 5 3. Executive summary 7 4. Research findings 4.1 Recall of media activity 12 4.2 Food preparation 20 4.2.1 Chopping Boards 21 4.2.2 Storing Takeaway 26 4.2.3 Washing Hands 32 4.2.4 Meats which must be cooked all the way through 38

3. - 3 - 1. Background and objectives The Food Safety Information Council�s mission is to raise awareness of food safety practices such as hand washing and the risk of cross-contamination to stop Australians getting sick from food poisoning. The Council organises Food Safety Week each year to let consumers know about simple things they can do to prevent food poisoning. This year Food Safety Week ran between the 13-18 November and was aimed at raising awareness of food safety among younger people and educating them about the risks of poor food handling. The Food Safety Information Council commissioned Newspoll to evaluate the success of the 2006 Food Safety Week through a national consumer survey. This will build upon information collected by Newspoll since 2002. �

4. - 4 - 1. Background and objectives The Council promotes these simple messages to ensure that the food consumers are eating is safe: - Keep hot food steaming hot - Keep cold food refrigerated - Cook food properly - Separate raw and cooked foods - Keep kitchen and utensils clean - Wash hands with soap and dry thoroughly The following report contains a summary of the key findings from the latest survey and the equivalent data collected over the previous four years. Please note that the December 2002 post research data has been omitted due to space constraints on the charts. This information can be found in previous reports. Detailed computer tables have been provided separately

5. - 5 - 2. Methodology Sample As per all previous Food Safety Week surveys, the 2006 study was conducted nationally among 1,250 respondents aged 18 years and over. Respondents were once again selected by means of a stratified random sample process which included: a quota set for each capital city and non-capital city area. Within each of these areas a quota set for each telephone area code; random selection of household telephone numbers drawn from current telephone listings for each area code; random selection of an individual in each household by a "last birthday" screening question.

6. - 6 - 2. Methodology Interviewing Each wave was conducted by telephone by fully trained and personally briefed interviewers over the following time periods:

7. 3. Executive summary

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9. - 9 - 3. Executive summary cont�d Knowledge of safe food handling Overall, the results from the latest wave of research closely resemble previous waves, indicating that knowledge of safe food handling remains reasonably strong among Australians. Most continue to agree that chopping boards which have been used to cut up raw chicken or other meat need to be washed in hot soapy water before they are used for other purposes. Interestingly 1 in 10 still do not think it is safe to do this. This group, which has historically leant towards females, most likely uses separate boards for different food types. In the latest wave, 18-34 year olds have improved in terms of their knowledge of safe food handling for takeaway food. The proportion of this age group who consider it unsafe to allow chicken or pizza to cool first before putting it in the fridge has climbed back to 35%, an 11 point rise since 2005. Similarly, the proportion of 18-34 year olds considering it safe to put takeaway food straight in the fridge has risen 13 points to 72%. However for some, this remains an area of confusion.

10. - 10 - 3. Executive summary cont�d Whilst the vast majority of Australians continue to be aware of correct hand washing procedures, one in three continue to believe that it is safe to simply rinse hands in warm water. Chicken, sausages and hamburgers continue to be the types of meat that most people believe should be cooked all the way through. Awareness of the need to cook meat all the way through, notably chicken, was stronger among those who have recently heard about Food Safety week and related activities in the media. Some males continue to show a poorer knowledge of correct food handling procedures than females, particularly in regards to cleaning chopping boards, hand washing and also the need to cook sausages all the way through. The survey demonstrates the ongoing need to promote safe food handling procedures to the Australian public.

11. 4. Research findings

12. 4.1 Recall of media activity

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20. 4.2 Attitudes to food preparation

21. 4.2.1 Chopping boards

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26. 4.2.2 Storing Takeaway

27. - 27 - Food Preparation � Storing Takeaway  To correctly store leftover takeaway food � is it safe or unsafe to�?

28. - 28 - Food Preparation � Storing Takeaway  To correctly store leftover takeaway food � is it safe or unsafe to�?

29. - 29 - Food Preparation � Storing Takeaway  To correctly store leftover takeaway food �is it safe or unsafe to�?

30. - 30 - Food Preparation � Storing Takeaway To correctly store leftover takeaway food � is it safe or unsafe �?

31. - 31 - Food Preparation � Storing Takeaway  To correctly store leftover takeaway food �is it safe or unsafe to�?

32. 4.2.3 Washing Hands

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38. 4.2.4 Meats which must be cooked all the way through

39. - 39 - Meats which must be cooked all the way throughAnd to avoid food poisoning, which of the following types of meat must be cooked all the way through?

40. - 40 - Meats which must be cooked all the way throughSAUSAGES

41. - 41 - Meats which must be cooked all the way throughHAMBURGERS

42. - 42 - Meats which must be cooked all the way throughSTEAK

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