Affinity centre given the thumbs up for food safety choices

Aussie Kindies Early Learning Centre Frankston was recently recognised in the Frantastic Food Award for 2019.

Centre Manager Chauntelle Keane and Chef Jessica Donath accepted the award from Mayor Michael O’Reilly on behalf of the centre at the Frankston Council’s Frantastic Food Awards ceremony, held earlier this month. 

“The new ‘Frantastic Food Safety Awards’ program provides local food handling businesses with the opportunity to showcase their commitment to providing customers with the safest possible food,” Ms Keane said.

“The program also provides medium and high-risk food businesses with an overview of their performance in relation to best practice standards and incentivises higher standards.”

A spokesperson for the Council outlined that the Awards are presented only to those businesses who are considered “excellent operators and leaders within the local food industry.”

To achieve the award the centre had to demonstrate compliance with their Food Safety Program through Food Safety Records, appoint a qualified Food Safety Supervisor who has met the required food safety competency standards and training. The supervisor must demonstrate a decent level of knowledge in Food Safety.

Ms Keane thanked Ms Donath for her hard work and dedication, saying the award “represents the quality that Jessica provides our children at Aussie Kindies Frankston with everyday”. 

She also thanked Environmental Health Officer Jacky Ashley for all the guidance and support she showed during assessment, along with the Aussie Kindies Early Learning Frankston team.

“The Frankston Mayor and other Environmental Health Officers were so elated when our centre received our Food Award, as they couldn’t believe we had made so many improvements in such a short period of time,” Ms Keane said, noting that the achievement featured in the local newspaper and also on the Frankston Council Facebook page. 

The team at Aussie Kindies Early Learning Frankston are now working with the Frankston Council to obtain two more awards for the centre, which aim to prevent and minimise health risks to the public.