Food Safety Information Council

What Food Safety Information Council does

The Food Safety Information Council is an Australian health promotion charity founded in 1997 and registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). Headquartered in Kingston, ACT, it operates as the national voice for science-based, consumer-focused food safety information, with a stated mission to reduce the estimated 4.67 million annual cases of food poisoning in Australia that result in 47,900 hospitalisations, 38 deaths, and approximately A$3 billion in economic cost. The organization is led by CEO Lydia Buchtmann, Council Chair Dr. Scott Crerar, and Deputy Chair Associate Professor Julian Cox (also Scientific Director), with a total staff of approximately 7.

The Council's product portfolio is entirely educational and consists of: (1) Australian Food Safety Week, an annual national awareness campaign held each November; (2) a comprehensive library of food safety education resources (fact sheets, guides, videos, audio, quizzes, kids' materials, and translated materials for multicultural communities); (3) a Hand Washing Education Package featuring video, posters, and the Glitterbug/Glow 2 Show tool; (4) annual Consumer Food Safety Research surveys and report cards; and (5) emergency food safety guidance disseminated via ABC Emergency. The underlying technology is content publishing and digital distribution rather than a software platform. The organization does not offer a paid product or licensing model.

The Council's business model is donation and sponsorship funded. It is a registered charity reliant on tax-deductible donations from individuals and charitable contributions from members and corporate sponsors. Organizational members include SA Health, ACCORD Australasia, the Australian Chicken Meat Federation, and NT Health; Neogen serves as Gold Sponsor for Australian Food Safety Week and the Summer Campaign. Distribution channels include the foodsafety.asn.au website, social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube), email newsletters, TV and radio community service announcements, school canteen posters via Provisual, and referral partnerships with food charities (OzHarvest, Second Bite, Foodbank). The Council operates exclusively within Australia and has no parent company, private equity, or venture capital ownership.

Name

Food Safety Information Council

Legal name

Food Safety Information Council

Website

https://foodsafety.asn.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Food Safety Information Council is an Australian health promotion charity founded in 1997 that delivers science-based food safety education to consumers, schools, vulnerable populations, and emergency-affected communities through annual awareness campaigns, online resources, multimedia content, and consumer research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Education

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAJAEAJ

Consumer Education, Risk Communication & Public Advisories

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Food Safety & Nutrition Regulatory Authorities

SECONDARYAFALALAF

Food Safety Culture Programs & QA Training

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Safety, Testing & Certification/Food Quality Assurance Systems

Keywords

• Food safety education
• Consumer health information
• Public health awareness
• Food safety research
• Hand hygiene education

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingston

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and charitable contributions: The organization is a registered charity that relies on tax-deductible donations from individuals and charitable contributions from industry members to fund education campaigns and consumer research.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Food Safety Information Council is a health promotion charity that provides free, science-based food safety education to Australian consumers through digital resources, annual awareness campaigns such as Australian Food Safety Week, handwashing education packages, and translated safety materials. It conducts annual consumer research to track Australian food safety behaviours and disseminates findings through its website, social media, email newsletters, and TV/radio community service announcements.

Product overview

Food Safety Information Council is a health promotion charity offering a portfolio of consumer education products and services centered on food safety awareness. The core offerings include the annual Australian Food Safety Week campaign, comprehensive Food Safety Education Resources covering topics like refrigeration, cooking temperatures, and cross-contamination prevention, and Hand Washing Education Packages with videos and posters. Supporting these are Consumer Food Safety Research publications (annual report cards and surveys), interactive Food Safety Quizzes, Video and Audio Resources including TV/radio community service announcements, Kids' Food Safety Resources, Translated Materials for multicultural communities, and Recipes with integrated food safety tips. The organization does not offer a software product or technology platform but rather provides public health education and awareness materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Australian Food Safety Week Annual national food safety awareness campaign held in November, providing education on food safety myths, proper food handling, and consumer safety practices. Targeted at Australian consumers and media.
• Hand Washing Education Package Standalone educational program featuring video content, printable posters for adults and children, and the Glitterbug/Glow 2 Show handwashing training tool to teach proper hand hygiene practices. Used by schools, workplaces, and community groups.
• Consumer Food Safety Research Reports Annual consumer research surveys and report cards tracking Australian food safety behaviours, including meat thermometer ownership, handwashing habits, chicken handling practices, and label reading compliance. Produced for media and public use.
• Food Safety Education Resources (Resources to Download) Comprehensive collection of downloadable food safety resources including fact sheets, guides, and educational materials covering topics such as refrigeration, cooking temperatures, cross-contamination prevention, and food poisoning prevention. Available free from the website.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces 4.67 million annual cases of food poisoning in Australia
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• NeogenflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor for Australian Food Safety Week and Summer campaign. Neogen's sponsorship enabled the Council to run community service announcements on TV and radio and conduct consumer food safety campaigns.
• Australian Chicken Meat FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization that made charitable donations to fund independent consumer research on food safety, particularly related to poultry handling and chicken washing practices.
• SA HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization that supported consumer research on food safety through charitable donations, helping fund the annual Food Safety Report Card research.
• ACCORD AustralasiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeak national industry association representing manufacturers of hygiene and personal care products. Sponsored handwashing research for Global Handwashing Day campaigns.
• NT HealthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFunded indigenous campaign to deliver food safety messages to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through targeted radio community service announcements.
• OzHarvestminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFood rescue charity recommended to consumers who need support during cost-of-living pressures, with Council referring people to food charities for assistance.
• Second BiteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFood charity recommended to consumers experiencing food insecurity who need support, with the Council directing people to food charities during difficult times.
• FoodbankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFood charity cited as a resource for the 3.5 million Australian households experiencing food insecurity. The Council refers food-insecure individuals to Foodbank for support.
• ProvisualminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership to distribute free handwashing and food safety information posters to school canteens and tuckshops across Australia through Provisual's free poster program.
• Food Standards Australia New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment food standards body that the Council works with to provide science-based food safety information aligned with national food safety regulations and standards.
• ABC EmergencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmergency broadcaster partnership to disseminate food safety messaging during natural disasters and emergencies such as cyclones, floods, and bushfires.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Food Standards Agency (UK): UK government regulator with substantial consumer food safety education remit including the 'Food Safety Week' equivalent. Comparable in mission to FSIC at larger national scale and government-funded scope.
• Food Standards Australia New Zealand: Australian government statutory agency that develops food standards and is a direct Strategic Partner of FSIC. Operates broader regulatory mandate but shares the consumer-facing food safety communication function, making it the most institutionally comparable entity.

Others

• Diabetes Australia: National health promotion charity delivering consumer education on diabetes prevention and management. Comparable charity model to FSIC with similar donation-and-sponsorship funding mix and consumer-facing awareness campaigns.
• Foodbank Australia: Australia's largest food relief charity and a direct GTM partner of FSIC for food-insecure consumer referrals. Related food-sector nonprofit with overlapping community audience and parallel fundraising-based operating model.
• Quit Victoria: Australian health promotion programme running mass-media anti-smoking campaigns. Highly relevant analogue for FSIC's broadcast-driven, myth-busting community education methodology and reliance on government plus NGO co-funding.
• Heart Foundation: Australia's largest health promotion charity running national awareness campaigns (e.g., Heart Week). Highly comparable operating model to FSIC in terms of campaign-driven community engagement, sponsorships, and donor-funded national reach.
• Cancer Council Australia: Peak national cancer control charity running high-profile awareness campaigns (e.g., Daffodil Day). Comparable in scale, multi-channel community education approach, and Australian charity governance structure to FSIC.

Direct peers

• Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia: Australian health promotion charity providing science-based consumer education on allergic reactions. Closest Australian peer by charity model, mission framing (consumer health awareness), and reliance on donations plus member organisations.
• Stop Foodborne Illness: US-based nonprofit dedicated to foodborne illness education and advocacy. Closest international peer to FSIC in mission scope (consumer food safety awareness), though operating at smaller scale and without the same national-charity infrastructure.

Regional players

• Safe Food Production Queensland: Queensland state government food safety regulator with consumer education responsibilities. Comparable in mission area to FSIC but state-level rather than national, providing a regional reference point for FSIC's national role.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FSIC1
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCAJtjgwBFZZ1iA2XUBnLbMg
• Facebookfacebook.com/foodsafety.asn.au
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/food-safety-information-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Food Safety Information Council