Enhanced foodborne disease surveillance has been recognised as an essential tool to help reduce food poisoning by the World Health Organization and many countries around the world. The Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing established OzFoodNet (OFN) in 2000 as a collaborative initiative with Australia's State and Territory health authorities to provide better understanding of the causes and incidence of foodborne disease in the community and to provide an evidence base for policy formulation. It is a member of the Communicable Diseases Network Australia, and is supported by technical assistance from the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at the Australian National University, Food Standards Australia New Zealand, the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry and the Public Health Laboratory Network.
Further information on the OzFoodNet program and National data can be found on the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing website OzFoodNet.
There are two OFN sites in NSW - one based in St Leonards at the One Health Branch, Health Protection NSW and the other in Newcastle at the Hunter New England Public Health Unit.