24 August 2026
Justin, our Head of Hospitality and Lifestyle at Estia Health, has spent years championing better food for aged care residents.
Recently, that persistence paid off, with the NSW Food Authority formally adopting a set of changes Justin has been advocating for. It’s a win for residents not just in our homes, but across aged care in Australia.
A seat at the table
In 2024, nominations opened for the NSW Vulnerable Persons Food Safety Committee, the body that advises the NSW Food Authority. Justin put his name forward and was appointed.
It’s a committee with reach well beyond NSW. The state’s food safety guidelines are widely regarded as the benchmark for aged care providers across Australia, with other states modelling their own guidelines closely on them.
“The regulatory requirements surrounding food service in aged care can often limit the range of menu options available to residents and influence how food is prepared and served,” Justin says. “By joining the committee, it opened up the opportunity for me to advocate for meaningful improvements that enhance resident choice, dining experience, and quality of life, while continuing to uphold the highest standards of food safety and compliance.”
Six months of persistent advocacy
For the past six months, Justin has been working with stakeholders across the Authority, gently but firmly arguing that some long-standing guidelines deserved a fresh review. Guidelines that many in the sector had long viewed them as restrictive and, in some cases, a factor in poor food outcomes for residents.
It took patience. “The challenge was more working collaboratively and constructively with stakeholders to drive positive outcomes,” Justin reflects. “My focus has been on advocating for greater clarity in regulations and supporting initiatives that ensure all residents in aged care homes have access to safe, nutritious and high-quality food that delivers an enjoyable dining experience.”
That patience has paid off. His recommendations have now been adopted. For Justin, it's a milestone in a journey that began almost 12 years ago.
What’s changing, and why it means so much
Cooking temperatures: Many food safety plans default to cooking everything to 75°C, largely because it’s simple to specify. The updated guidelines will now make clear that cooking to this temperature across the boards can degrade nutrient quality and leave food tough and hard to swallow. Something that providers should consider rather than defaulting to it. The aim is to encourage more providers to cook different protein at the temperatures suited to them, an approach Estia Health adopted when Justin joined the organisation.
Texture modified food: Guidelines have previously required a “cook-modify-chill-reheat” process for texture modified food. Under the changes, providers can instead use a simpler “cook-modify-serve” approach, delivering fresh texture modified meals straight to residents. With a simpler process, more providers are expected to adopt fresh-serve texture modification. A meaningful improvement for some of the most vulnerable residents in care.
Eggs: The guidelines will now explicitly state that yolk may be soft or runny. It’s a small line with a real impact. Much of the aged care sector has continued serving hard-boiled eggs in the belief it was required, a legacy of the ultra-cautious “kiln fired food” culture that prompted Maggie Beer to establish her foundation for better aged care food. The updated wording removes that misconception.
An achievement felt across the sector
Reflecting on the outcome, CEO Sean Bilton captures the sentiment shared by many, “Credit to you for persevering on this and taking ownership.”
Those words speak to what made this achievement possible. Meaningful change rarely happens quickly, and Justin’s willingness to stay focused on the issue was instrumental in helping bring it about.
It’s an achievement that reflects both individual dedication and the values that underpin our work: advocating for residents, challenging assumptions and pursuing better outcomes where we can make a difference. Across the team, there is a sense of pride in seeing one of our own help influence change that will benefit aged care residents well beyond our own communities.
As Justin puts it: “I’m happy today that our advocacy has achieved this change that moves aged care food toward better cooking temperatures, and that should result in better food outcomes for residents across aged care well into the future.”
We couldn’t be prouder to call Justin one of ours.
