Every year in November, Australia comes together to shine a spotlight on food safety through Australian Food Safety Week (AFSW). In 2025, the campaign runs 8 to 15 November under the theme “Don’t swallow the myth – Food safety myth busting.”
Jaymak a leader in preventative hygiene services, we are proud to join the conversation, not only for households but especially for commercial kitchens, aged care, hospitality, healthcare, and food processing environments. Myth busting in such regulated settings is essential to guard against compliance risks, protect vulnerable consumers, and maintain operations excellence.
“Don’t swallow the myth – Food safety myth busting”.
The campaign highlights the common misconceptions people have around food safety and the serious risks they create. Some of the key myths being challenged this year include:
- “Food poisoning isn’t serious.” In fact, it can be life threatening, especially for vulnerable people such as the elderly, young children, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems.
- “If it looks, smells, and tastes fine, it’s safe to eat.”Many dangerous bacteria and viruses don’t change the appearance, taste, or smell of food.
- “Food poisoning just comes from restaurants or takeaways.” In reality, many outbreaks begin at home or in food handling environments where proper food safety isn’t followed.
- “Once cooked, food can be left out for hours and still be safe.” The danger zone for bacteria growth is between 5 degrees celsius and 60 degrees celsius, making proper storage critical.
This year’s campaign is about separating fact from fiction, encouraging both businesses and households to rely on evidence-based food safety practices rather than assumptions.
Why Food Safety Myth Busting Matters in Commercial Settings
Food safety myths flourish in the gaps, where outdated beliefs, shortcuts, or assumptions replace evidence-based protocols. In commercial environments, these myths can lead to serious consequences.
For instance:
- “If the surface looks clean it’s safe.” Deep contamination (grease deposits, mould, bacteria) often lurks behind panels, inside ducting, or within equipment, not visible to cause inspection.
- “Regular staff cleaning is enough.” While daily cleaning is necessary, it cannot replace the depth, certification, and scientific validation of a Jaymak level clean.
- “My business is too small to risk contamination.” Foodborne illness doesn’t discriminate by size. Any kitchen could face outbreaks, audits, or supply interruptions.
- “My customers will notice if something is off.” Many pathogenic bacteria don’t change taste, smell, or look, they can multiply silently if left unchecked.
Busting these myths in your setting requires formal procedures, testing, and ongoing preventative hygiene efforts – not guess work.
How Jaymak Helps You Stay Ahead
At Jaymak, our approach goes beyond cleaning, we validate that hygiene is truly effective. We target the areas that often lie outside regular cleaning cycles, such as fans, ducting, exhaust systems, AHUs, and coolrooms. Every service comes with a detailed report and certification, providing a professional audit trail and supporting your audit readiness with evidence based practices.
During Australian Food Safety Week, we reinforce that Jaymak isn’t just a service provider, we’re your partner in busting food safety myths and managing long-term risks with proven hygiene solutions.
Working Together During Food Safety Week
Australian Food Safety Week 2025 is the perfect reminder that food safety is everyone’s responsibility, from home cooks to large scale food operations. For Jaymak and the industries we serve, it reinforced why investing in professional, preventative hygiene services is not just good practice, but essential for protecting vulnerable communities and maintaining compliance.
This November, let’s bust the myths, stick to the facts, and work together to keep food safe.
To discover more about Australian Food Safety Week 2025 and this year’s theme. You can do so via the Food Safety Information Council website.
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