1. Introduction
Premium Food Path ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website at www.foodpath.com.au and use our food directory services.
By using the Website, you consent to the data practices described in this policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Website.
This Privacy Policy complies with the Australian Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and applicable Australian privacy laws.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Personal Information You Provide
We may collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when you:
- Submit a contact form or inquiry about food retailers, wholesalers, or directory services
- Subscribe to newsletters, alerts, or updates about food businesses
- Request to list your food retail or wholesale business in our directory
- Communicate with us via email or other contact methods
- Participate in surveys, feedback forms, or user research
- Create an account on our Website (if applicable)
- Report food safety concerns or business issues
This may include your name, email address, phone number, business name, business address, ABN (for business listings), food business license information, and any other information you choose to provide.
2.2 Automatically Collected Information
When you visit our Website, we may automatically collect certain information about your device and browsing activity, including:
- IP address and approximate geographic location (city/state level)
- Browser type, version, and language settings
- Device type, operating system, and screen resolution
- Pages visited, time spent on pages, and navigation paths
- Search terms used within our directory
- Referring website addresses and exit pages
- Date and time of visits and interactions
- Food categories browsed and listings viewed
2.3 Information from Third Parties
We may receive information about food businesses from:
- Publicly available sources (business registries, directories)
- Food safety authorities and health departments
- Business licensing authorities and regulatory bodies
- Professional associations and industry organizations
- Consumer review platforms and social media
This information is used to verify credentials, maintain directory accuracy, and assess food safety compliance.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
- Respond to your inquiries and provide customer service and support
- Maintain, operate, and improve the directory service and Website functionality
- Process applications from food businesses to be listed in the directory
- Verify credentials, licenses, and food safety compliance of listed businesses
- Send administrative information, updates, and service-related notifications
- Send marketing communications about directory services (with your consent where required)
- Analyze usage patterns, search trends, and user preferences to improve user experience
- Monitor and prevent fraudulent activity, abuse, and security threats
- Comply with legal obligations and respond to legal requests from authorities
- Enforce our Terms of Service and protect our rights and property
- Conduct research and analytics to improve our food directory services
- Aggregate data for industry reports and market analysis (anonymized)
4. Disclosure of Your Information
We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes. We may share or disclose information in the following circumstances:
- Service Providers: We may share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist in operating our Website, hosting services, email delivery, analytics, customer support, and payment processing, subject to strict confidentiality obligations and data protection agreements
- Business Listings: Information you provide for business listings (business name, address, contact details, services offered, operating hours) will be publicly displayed in our directory for users to access
- Food Safety Authorities: We may disclose information to health departments, food safety authorities, or regulatory bodies if we become aware of food safety concerns, violations, or public health risks
- Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, subpoena, court order, regulatory authority, or governmental request, or to comply with legal processes
- Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity as part of business assets
- Protection of Rights: We may disclose information to protect our rights, property, safety, or security, or that of our users, the public, or food safety, including fraud prevention, legal claims, and enforcement actions
- With Your Consent: We may share information with third parties when you have provided explicit consent
- Aggregated Data: We may share aggregated, anonymized, or de-identified data that cannot reasonably identify you for market analysis, research, or industry reporting
5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect information about your browsing activities and enhance your experience on our Website.
5.1 Types of Cookies We Use
- Essential Cookies: Necessary for the Website to function properly (session management, security, age verification for alcohol categories)
- Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our Website, which categories are most popular, and search behavior patterns (Google Analytics or similar)
- Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences, location settings, and previously viewed listings for improved user experience
- Advertising Cookies: May be used to deliver relevant advertisements based on your interests (if applicable, with appropriate consent)
5.2 Cookie Management
You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, some features of the Website may not function properly without cookies. Most browsers allow you to manage cookie preferences through settings.
To opt out of Google Analytics tracking, you can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
6. Third-Party Links and Services
Our Website may contain links to third-party websites, social media platforms, online stores, booking systems, delivery platforms, payment processors, or review sites operated by listed food businesses or other parties.
We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, security, data collection, or cookie policies of these external sites. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for third-party practices.
We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit. This Privacy Policy applies only to information collected by our Website.
Transactions, purchases, and interactions with listed food businesses are subject to their own privacy policies and terms of service.
7. Data Security
We implement reasonable technical, administrative, and physical security measures designed to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:
- Encryption of data in transit using SSL/TLS protocols (HTTPS)
- Secure server infrastructure with access controls and firewalls
- Regular security assessments, vulnerability scanning, and monitoring
- Employee training on data protection, privacy, and security best practices
- Restricted access to personal information on a need-to-know basis
- Secure backup and disaster recovery procedures
- Incident response plans for data breaches or security events
However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information using industry-standard practices, we cannot guarantee absolute security. You transmit information to our Website at your own risk.
If we become aware of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you in accordance with applicable Australian privacy laws and regulations.
8. Data Retention
We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.
Specific retention periods include:
- Contact Inquiries: Retained for 2 years after last contact or until resolved, whichever is longer
- Business Listings: Retained for the duration of the listing plus 5 years for record-keeping and regulatory compliance
- Food Safety Reports: Retained for 7 years in accordance with food safety record-keeping requirements
- Website Analytics: Aggregated data retained indefinitely; individual user data retained for 26 months
- Marketing Communications: Retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion
- Legal Compliance: Retained as required by applicable laws, regulations, and legal proceedings
- Accounting Records: Retained for 7 years for tax and accounting purposes
After the retention period expires, personal information will be securely deleted, anonymized, or de-identified in accordance with data protection best practices.
9. Your Privacy Rights Under Australian Law
Under Australian privacy law (Privacy Act 1988), you have certain rights regarding your personal information:
- Access: You may request access to the personal information we hold about you, including details about how we collect, use, and disclose it. We will provide access within 30 days unless an exception applies
- Correction: You may request correction of inaccurate, incomplete, out-of-date, irrelevant, or misleading information. We will take reasonable steps to correct information within 30 days
- Deletion: You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements, regulatory obligations, and legitimate business needs
- Objection: You may object to certain uses or disclosures of your information, including direct marketing communications, profiling, or automated decision-making
- Restriction: You may request that we restrict processing of your information in certain circumstances, such as when contesting accuracy or objecting to processing
- Data Portability: You may request a copy of your information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format (CSV, JSON)
- Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before withdrawal
To exercise these rights, please contact us at hello@foodpath.com.au. We will respond to your request within 30 days and may require verification of your identity.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) if you believe we have not handled your personal information in accordance with Australian privacy laws. The OAIC can be contacted at www.oaic.gov.au or 1300 363 992.
10. Marketing Communications and Opt-Out
If you have opted in to receive marketing communications from us, we may send you emails, newsletters, or updates about:
- New food business listings in categories you're interested in
- Featured food retailers, wholesalers, and specialty businesses
- Directory updates, new features, and service improvements
- Food industry news, trends, and resources
- Special offers or promotions from listed businesses (with your consent)
You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by:
- Clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any marketing email
- Updating your communication preferences in your account settings (if applicable)
- Contacting us at hello@foodpath.com.au with your opt-out request
Please note that even if you opt out of marketing communications, we may still send you transactional or administrative messages related to your use of our services, such as listing confirmations, policy updates, or security alerts.
11. Children's Privacy
Our Website is not intended for individuals under the age of 18, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18.
If you are a parent or guardian and believe we have collected information from a child under 18, please contact us immediately at hello@foodpath.com.au, and we will take prompt steps to delete such information from our systems.
Certain directory categories (wine retailers, alcohol retailers) include age verification requirements and are restricted to users 18 years and older.
12. International Users and Data Transfers
This Website is operated in Australia and intended primarily for Australian users. If you are accessing the Website from outside Australia, please be aware that:
- Your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in Australia
- Australian privacy laws (Privacy Act 1988) will govern the collection and use of your information
- Data protection laws in Australia may differ from those in your country
- We may transfer data to third-party service providers located outside Australia, subject to appropriate safeguards
By using our Website from outside Australia, you consent to the transfer and processing of your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy and Australian law.
We take reasonable steps to ensure that overseas recipients handle personal information in accordance with Australian Privacy Principles.
13. Food Safety and Public Health Disclosures
In the interest of public health and food safety, we may disclose information about food businesses to:
- Health departments and food safety authorities if we become aware of food safety violations, contamination risks, or public health concerns
- Regulatory bodies investigating food safety incidents or compliance issues
- Law enforcement agencies investigating fraud, misrepresentation, or criminal activity
- Public health officials during food recalls, outbreaks, or public health emergencies
We may also display publicly available food safety ratings, health inspection results, or regulatory compliance information in business listings where such information is provided by government authorities.
14. Changes to Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to modify, amend, or update this Privacy Policy at any time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or business operations. Changes will be effective immediately upon posting to the Website.
We will notify you of material changes by:
- Updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy
- Posting a prominent notice on our Website homepage
- Sending an email notification to registered users (for significant changes affecting your rights or data practices)
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information. Your continued use of the Website after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.
If you do not agree with any changes, you must discontinue use of the Website and may request deletion of your personal information.
15. Contact Us About Privacy
If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, or if you wish to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us:
Email: hello@foodpath.com.au
Website: www.foodpath.com.au
Privacy Officer: Premium Food Path Privacy Team
We will respond to your inquiry within 30 days and work to resolve any concerns you may have about how we handle your personal information.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):
Website: www.oaic.gov.au
Phone: 1300 363 992
Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au