Narmada Oogathoo 43rd National Hospitality in Healthcare Conference

Narmada Oogathoo

My Bio Data My name is Narmada Oogathoo, and I have over 20 years of experience in healthcare food services, having started my career as a chef in aged care. Working closely with residents, patients, and food service teams gave me a strong appreciation of the critical role food safety plays in protecting vulnerable consumers and delivering quality care. My passion for food safety led me to become a Department of Health-approved Food Safety Auditor. Since then, I have worked across healthcare, aged care, childcare, hospitality, and retail sectors, conducting food safety audits, delivering training programs, and providing consultancy services to help organisations strengthen their food safety systems and compliance practices. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of training food handlers, chefs, managers, healthcare staff, and volunteers, helping them understand not only what is required for compliance but also why food safety matters. I strongly believe that effective food safety is built on people, culture, and accountability, regardless of whether monitoring systems are paper-based or digital. As the founder of Stryve Food Safety Solutions, I provide independent auditing, consultancy, and training services focused on practical, sustainable food safety outcomes. My work is centred on helping organisations adapt to changing regulatory requirements, embrace evolving technologies, and build strong food safety cultures that support continuous improvement. Drawing on my experience as a chef, auditor, trainer, and consultant, I am passionate about sharing practical insights that help food service professionals navigate the changing landscape of food safety while keeping people at the heart of every food safety program.