The department encourages sporting club officials, staff and volunteers to complete allergy and anaphylaxis training and review the procedures on how to safely conduct camps involving children, including the safe provision of food to children with known food allergies.
Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction which can be life threatening.
Anaphylaxis must be treated as a medical emergency, requiring immediate treatment and urgent medical attention.
Many substances can cause anaphylaxis. Common causes include:
- foods (especially peanuts, tree nuts, cow’s milk, eggs, seafood, fish, soy, sesame)
- drugs (e.g. penicillin)
- venom from bites (ticks) or stings (e.g. bees, wasps or ants).
The department encourages all Victorian sport and recreation clubs to access online training courses on allergies and anaphylaxis. Clubs should also be familiar with food safety requirements, particularly clubs involving children with identified allergies.
The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) provides an anaphylaxis e-training course. The course has been developed to provide ready access to reliable anaphylaxis education to the community throughout Australia and New Zealand, at no charge.
Please note: users will be asked to create an account and login to access the course. To access the anaphylaxis e-training course visit http://anaphylaxis.ascia.org.au
For more information about food allergies and anaphylaxis visit the Better Health Channel
Food safety
The Food Act 1984 requires all businesses and organisations selling food to be registered with, or be notified to, the relevant local council, depending on the nature of the business/organisation. This includes sporting groups and events, and camps where food is provided as part of the fee paid to attend.
Advice on food safety and food safety laws, including the sale of food in Victoria, may be found on the health.vic website.
Links to Do Food Safely, the department’s online food safety learning program, can also be accessed from this site.