Published
This advice can help food businesses doing home delivery. You must ensure you have the skills and knowledge to manage any food safety risks.
Know your food safety requirements
You must comply with all the food safety requirements that apply to your food operations. There are strict health and hygiene requirements to prevent food contamination. The Food Standards Code Standard 3.2.2 includes requirements for hygiene, food handling, temperature control and food transport.
If you're thinking of starting a business to deliver food, check if you need prior approvals to operate.
Your state or territory authorities have more information for food businesses. Read more about Food enforcement contacts and see who is responsible in your area.
Prevent the spread of illness
You can prevent spreading infections such as COVID-19 or other contagious illness with good hygiene procedures.
Employers should make sure staff comply with good hand hygiene practices and cleaning and sanitising protocols. You should exclude staff who are ill from tasks that could result in food becoming contaminated.
You should:
- stay away from work if you are ill
- avoid shaking hands or touching your face
- place delivered foods somewhere the customer can pick them up (e.g. at their front door)- avoid passing food directly hand to hand.
Safe temperatures for food
Keeping food at the correct temperature will prevent any harmful bacteria from growing in it. Many cooked or refrigerated foods can become unsafe if they are left sitting at ambient temperatures for long periods. Temperatures between 5 and 60°C are the 'temperature danger zone' and should be avoided. Read more about potentially hazardous food in Safe Food Australia Appendix 1 (pdf 56.4 kb).
You must keep:
- hot food at or above 60°C
- cold food at or below 5°C
- frozen foods frozen solid.
Using insulated bags or eskies to transport food will help maintain safe temperatures during delivery. Keep hot foods separate from cold foods.
If food is delivered to the customer straight away, it's likely there isn't enough time for harmful bacteria to grow to dangerous levels. If you can't guarantee quick delivery, take measures to ensure the food is kept at a safe temperature until the customer receives it.
Food allergens
Some foods can cause allergic reactions in sensitive people. It's important to provide information on potential allergens in your delivered food. Common allergens that you must routinely declare are:
- peanuts
- fish
- crustacea
- egg
- milk
- sesame seeds
- soybeans
- lupin
- tree nuts
- gluten-containing cereals
- added sulphites (concentrations of 10mg/kg or more).
Read more about allergen labelling.
Donating food
When giving away food, make sure the food is safe to eat and you're complying with relevant legislation. Read more on our web page on charities and community organisations.