A telephone survey involving 1,023 Australian households identified significant gaps in food safety knowledge. Although respondents understood that the home could be a source of foodborne disease, they generally lacked the knowledge to ensure that food preparation in the home is performed so that risk of illness is minimised. Some important issues were: incorrect thawing of frozen food, poor cooling of cooked food, undercooking of hazardous foods, lack of knowledge concerning cross-contamination and its control, and lack of knowledge of when and how to wash hands. Journal of Food Protection 1999;62:921-928.