Food safety
Food safety is everyone’s responsibility and all businesses have a role to play in maintaining food safety throughout the value chain.
Consumers are looking for products that are healthy, convenient and provide them with good value for money.
Food business owners are legally responsible under the Food Act 2001 to ensure the food and beverages sold to their customers is safe to eat.
Product safety and quality, are a ‘must have’ for any food business to survive. Food safety and quality systems can place a burden on individual businesses, however, if used wisely and proactively to add value to the product, will ensure the survival of your business and may give you a point of difference.
Food safety has emerged as an important global issue with international trade and public health implications. Food safety risks include risks from veterinary drug and pesticide residues, food additives, pathogens, environmental toxins such as heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants.
National, and state-based, food safety initiatives promote and improve food safety in meat and primary industry sectors.
Winning better access to world markets and maintaining domestic biosecurity remains critically important to the Australian agriculture and food sector.
Regulating food businesses in SA
Four key goals of food safety regulations in SA are:
- Strengthening the administration of the food safety regulatory framework in South Australia.
- Increasing stakeholder knowledge, capacity and innovation to facilitate an effective food regulatory system.
- Increasing consumer awareness and knowledge of safe food practices.
- Increasing the knowledge base of emerging risks and trends.
A business that sells food or provides food as part of a service is a food business for the purpose of the Food Act 2001. Food businesses are required to comply with the food safety requirements of Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.
Food Safety Management Systems
The majority of food businesses are inspected by local government officers for compliance with Food Safety Standards. Councils may charge an inspection fee of up to $80 for a small business and up to $200 for a large business. Your local council will be able to advise you about what inspection fees apply.
For some businesses additional food safety management systems are being introduced including audited Food Safety Programs.
Product recalls
Having a product recall plan is part of a good operational plan in a food business, and is a legal requirement for all businesses that are not simply food retailers. The Food Recall Plan for Small Business (PDF 60KB) will help you start a very simple product recall plan.
Need advice?
PIRSA Biosecurity Food Safety develops and applies legislation and initiatives to promote and improve food safety in primary industry sectors. It aims to boost consumer and industry confidence and market access opportunities in South Australia by:
- developing strong working partnerships with industry stakeholders and other government departments particularly Department of Health
- developing and implementing strategies to manage risks by targeting high risk businesses
- ensuring that primary production and processing businesses across meat, seafood and citrus sectors comply with the requirements of the Primary Produce (Food Safety Schemes) Act 2004, relevant regulations and standards.
For detailed information about the application of food safety legislation and standards, visit PIRSA Biosecurity Food Safety.
The SARDI Food Safety program is a key service helping South Australian businesses meet public health legislation and market access health criteria.
Some of the research outputs include public health epidemiology, veterinary public health, statistical analysis, toxicology, predictive microbiology, risk modelling, food microbiology and risk communication.
Based at the SA Food Centre is a multi-disciplinary team providing rigorous science for food safety assessments to help South Australian food businesses. It also provides specialist risk assessment and food safety research capability applicable to all commodities and industry sectors.
The Department of Health is another good resource on food safety for food businesses.
It lists information to help businesses understand what is required to be registered as a food business, how to be accredited for food safety certification and how to adopt a Food Safety (PDF 39KB) program.
A Food Safety Information Kit is available to assist food businesses understand how food safety legislation applies to them. The kit includes information prepared by the Department of Health and Food Standard Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).
Additional Australian Government support, through the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), assists industry and other government agencies to ensure the safety and security of Australia's food supply.
Two key DAFF initiatives currently ensure Australia's is prepared for major incidents that could potentially interfere with the safety or security of our food supply:
How can the SA Food Centre helped others?
Industry Development Officers (IDO) can help you get in touch with the right people to help with your food safety issues.
Who can I contact?
The SA Food Centre can assist your business with food safety and provide advice and assess your business needs.
- Page last modified: July 27, 2010, 12:52 pm
- Welcome URL is http://www.safoodcentre.com.au/
- This page: http://www.safoodcentre.com.au/processing_and_manufacturing/food_safety
