Episode Ten: Going Public (EHO Knows)
Holding the Line
Made as a companion to Episode Ten of the EHO Knows podcast. Listen today:
Environmental Health Officers are trained to think in systems, about food safety, public health, legislation, and risk. But one system that consistently fails them is the one meant to fund and support their work. In Episode 10 of EHO Knows, Shane sits down with Lydia Buchtmann, the relentless force behind the Food Safety Information Council, to explore how underfunding from the top has only strengthened the importance of supporting one another from the ground up. It’s a wake-up call for EHOs to rally around each other, and the volunteers working beside them, in the absence of meaningful government investment.
Showing Up
The Food Safety Information Council hasn’t had proper government funding in over five years. Not because their work isn’t effective, in fact, it reaches millions through free TV, radio, and public health campaigns but because successive governments failed to see public education as a priority. That gap didn’t close itself. It was filled by volunteers, retirees, and health professionals donating their time, skills, and energy often after hours, often unpaid. This a story of resilience. But should it have to be?
Teach them Young
EHOs are on the frontline of food safety. They’re in kitchens, at market stalls, on the phone with frantic residents asking what to do with their flood-damaged canned goods. And they know better than anyone how public education real, accessible, well-funded education makes their job easier and communities safer.
Lydia makes it clear: when the general public knows how to handle food safely, food handlers enter the workforce already trained by life, not just a short course. That means fewer interventions, better compliance, and more meaningful inspections.
Unfortunate reality
EHOs don’t need to be told that funding is tight. They live it. But what this episode underscores is that while we keep pushing for better recognition and resourcing, we must also take action now to support the systems that support us. That means getting behind organisations like the Food Safety Information Council. That means sharing resources, volunteering time, or contributing memberships even if only a few hours a month or a couple hundred dollars a year.
The reality is that a network of professionals, scientists, translators, and communications experts are working largely unpaid to make sure the public understands what salmonella is, why you shouldn’t leave sushi in a beach bag, and how to avoid mushroom poisoning. This helps EHOs, councils, health departments, and entire communities.
Clever Collating
Here’s the math: $200 from 100 EHOs is enough for the Council to run a national food safety campaign that reaches millions, ads that would otherwise cost over $2 million to place. One small membership, multiplied across the profession, has a massive return on investment. That’s the power of collective action so if your reading this and believe in the work by the Food Safety Information Council., consider supporting them today at: www.foodsafety.asn.au
The Role of EHOs
The fact that so much public health education in Australia is running on volunteer power isn’t something to celebrate, but it is something to honour. The scientists, writers, communicators, and field officers donating their time to keep the Council running aren’t just plugging gaps they’re keeping the dam from bursting.
And for EHOs wondering what they can do next? Start by asking what you can give to the people already giving everything. Because as Lydia’s story proves, when support from above dries up, support from beside you becomes essential.
Episode 10: Going Public
In this episode of EHO Knows, Shane sits down with Lydia Buchtmann, the tenacious force behind the Food Safety Information Council. For nearly 30 years, Lydia has championed public education on everything from handwashing to deadly mushrooms. They explore the Council’s vital role in closing the consumer knowledge gap, and Lydia’s personal story of turning passion into purpose when funding disappeared. Discover how food safety education supports the work of EHOs and how getting involved can amplify your impact and help build a safer, more food-literate Australia.
Please consider supporting the food safety information council: https://www.foodsafety.asn.au/
