Suspected intentional contamination
Intentional contamination is a deliberate action to introduce something into a product, often with the intention to do harm to the consumer, the company or both.
A food product can be contaminated at any point in the food supply chain from the farm to the table—in food processing, food storage or the food retail operations stage.
Signs that food may have been intentionally contaminated can include:
- an object can be seen in the food which is not normally supposed to be there
- the smell of the food is different to its normal odour
- the taste of the food is reported to be different from its normal taste.
Your responsibilities
All food businesses in Queensland, whether licensed or not, must:
- notify 13HEALTH (13 432 584) if you have a reasonable suspicion that food at, or sold from, your premises has been intentionally contaminated
- follow all directions given by Queensland Health to help identify the source of the contamination and prevent or minimise the risk to public health or safety.
If someone becomes sick from eating or handling suspect food, advice them to consult a medical practitioner as soon as practical.
More information
Read the Suspected Intentional Contamination of Food - Industry Protocol