Food Surveillance Monitoring the food supply
FSANZ and other government agencies in Australia and New Zealand monitor the food supply to ensure that it is safe, and that foods comply with standards for microbiological contaminants, pesticide residue limits and chemical contamination. FSANZ has a Bi-National Surveillance and Enforcement Strategy which allows food/health agencies in Australia and New Zealand to discuss and share information about monitoring and surveillance of the food chain in Australia and New Zealand. FSANZ acts as the central point for collection of Food surveillance data from public health units in Australia and New Zealand. This data includes the results of general compliance testing, and specially targeted surveys conducted in the various jurisdictions.
Food surveys
- Australian Total Diet Study
- Report on a Survey of Chemical Residues in Domestic and Imported Aquacultured Fish ( November 2005)
Food Surveillance Australia New Zealand (Newsletter)
Food Surveillance Australia New Zealand, formerly FoodWatch, is an on-line newsletter published on the FSANZ website. It is an initiative of the Bi-national Food Surveillance and Enforcement Strategy Working Group.
Microbiological contaminants
FSANZ sets microbiological safety standards for foods. Dangerous microbiological contaminants may be introduced through poor food handling and storage practices, or foods may be contaminated through outside sources.
FSANZ and other government agencies have recently acted on Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) or Mad Cow Disease; FSANZ has acted on Listeria in Food and the spread of Foot and Mouth Disease in Europe.
Microbiological examination of ready-to-eat foods
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), in consultation with State, Territory and New Zealand health departments, has developed a set of microbiological criteria for ready-to-eat foods. The purpose of the Guidelines for the microbiological examination of ready-to-eat foods is to provide assistance in the interpretation of microbiological analyses of foods where no other microbiological criteria exist.
Pesticide residues and chemical contaminants
The upper limit of a residue allowed in a treated food is known as the Maximum Residue Limit. Australia and New Zealand develop their own Maximum Residue Limits for agricultural and veterinary chemicals in food.
The actual MRLS for a range of pesticide residues and chemical contaminants are set out in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code . Use of chemicals in farming practice is regulated by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA).