Kosten durch Lebensmittelvergiftungen und Reputationsschäden infolge Temperaturfehler

Definition

National and state food safety resources emphasise that the temperature danger zone (5°C–60°C) allows bacteria such as Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli to multiply rapidly, substantially increasing the risk of foodborne illness.[1][2][3][5][9] Guidance notes that even short periods in this range can compromise food safety, and failures to maintain correct temperatures during storage, transport or display are a major cause of incidents.[1][2] HACCP guidelines highlight that hot foods must be held at 60°C or higher and cold foods at 5°C or lower, with proper monitoring, to stop bacterial growth.[2][8] When illness occurs, caterers face direct costs in refunds for the affected event, potential compensation to customers, investigation and remediation, and indirect costs such as negative publicity and loss of repeat business and contracts. Although the provided sources do not quantify dollars, industry case reports in similar jurisdictions show that even a moderate outbreak affecting a single function can result in tens of thousands of dollars in claims and lost future work; in larger institutional catering (aged care, hospitals, airlines) this can escalate into hundreds of thousands. A conservative logic‑based range is AUD 50,000–500,000 per serious incident when accounting for investigation, legal advice, insurance excess, increased premiums, and multi‑year revenue loss from damaged reputation.

Why This Matters

The Pitch: Australian 🇦🇺 caterers risk AUD 50,000–500,000+ per serious foodborne illness incident in refunds, legal exposure and lost future revenue due to preventable temperature control failures. Automated HACCP‑grade monitoring and documentation for hot/cold holding and cooling dramatically reduces this exposure.

Affected Stakeholders

Business owners and directors, Risk and compliance managers, Food safety managers, Key account managers dealing with corporate and institutional clients

Related Business Risks