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Raw fish dishes

Raw fish dishes Fish is an important part of a nutritious diet. However, eating raw fish can have food safety risks and precautions need to be taken when preparing dishes such as sushi, sashimi, ceviche, gravlax and cold smoked salmon.  Top tips for safe raw fish dishes: Buy the best  Selecting fish that has been commercially prepared and marketed to eat raw is safest.

• Only buy raw fish labelled as sashimi grade from a reputable supplier.
• Do not use fish labelled with cooking instructions for raw fish dishes.
• If you’re not sure, you should cook the fish rather than eating it raw. 

Published 29 July 2025

Thermometers

Thermometers If you're a food business that handles potentially hazardous food, it's important to use a thermometer to check your food is at the right temperature to be sure it is safe to eat. What are the requirements? Under Standard 3.2.2 - Food Safety Practices and General Requirements, food businesses that handle potentially hazardous food need to have an accurate and accessible thermometer. This means:

• there is at least one thermometer somewhere easy to get to (e.g. in an unlocked drawer in the kitchen)
• the thermometer is accurate to within 1°C.

• A digital probe thermometer is usually best for measuring food temperatures. They are inexpensive and are available from…

  Published 1 October 2025

What do food additives do?

What do food additives do? Some food additives have more than one use. Food additives are listed in the statement of ingredients according to the most appropriate class name for the purpose of the food additive in that food. Examples of the most common class names are:

• Acids/Acidity regulators/Alkalis help to maintain a constant acid level in food. This is important for taste, as well as to influence how other substances in the food function. For example, an acidified food can retard the growth of some micro-organisms.
• Anti-caking agents reduce the tendency of individual food particles to adhere and improve flow characteristics. For example, seasoning with an added anti-caking agent flows freely and doesn't clump together.…

  Published 26 May 2016

Diet quality and processed foods

Diet quality and processed foods   Last reviewed 11 September 2020 A nutritious diet is important to the health and wellbeing of Australian and New Zealand consumers. Large studies around the world have reported that diets of lower quality (e.g. high in sugar, salt, and saturated fats) are associated with an increased risk of early death from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Diet scoring systems There is extensive research on ways to measure how nutritious your diet is. Diet scoring systems, also known as diet quality indices, typically rate the quality of your diet based on the different types of foods you eat - such as fruit, vegetables, cereals, meat and fish, and some also look at the nutrients we get from these foods such as sodium, sugars, protein, fibre and fats. For…

Published 30 September 2020

Amendment 150

Amendment 150 Download: Amendment 150 (pdf 77 kb)| (word 87 kb) Amendment No. 150 contains amendments to the following Standard in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code   Standard 1.1.1 Preliminary Provisions - Application, Interpretation and General Prohibitions Standard 1.1A.6 Transitional Standard for Special purposes Foods (including Amino Acid Modified Foods) (New Zealand Only)…

Published 31 October 2014

Amendment 172

Amendment 172 Download: Amendment 172 (pdf 376 kb)| (word 138 kb) Amendment No. 172 contains amendments to the following standards in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code:  Standard 1.1.1 - Structure of the Code and general provisions Standard 1.1.2 - Definitions used throughout the Code Standard 1.2.1 - Requirements to have labels…

Published 8 September 2017

Animals

Animals If you're a food business, assistance animals must be allowed in areas open to customers. It's up to you to decide if you let pet dogs in outdoor dining areas and under what circumstances. What are the requirements? Under Standard 3.2.2 - Food Safety Practices and General Requirements, only certain animals are allowed in food premises:

• assistance animals must be allowed in customer accessed areas
• pet dogs may be allowed in outdoor dining areas
• live animals (except for seafood, other fish and shellfish) are not permitted in areas where food is handled
• contained cats and dogs may be permitted in aircraft cabins where food is served.

Published 30 September 2025

How to recall food

How to recall food 1. Contact your food enforcement agency First, seek advice from a recall action officer from the food enforcement agency in the state/territory where your head office is located. These officers can assist with determining if a recall is necessary and what type of recall (consumer or trade).

• State and territory food recall contacts

Published 1 December 2021

National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey analytical program

National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey analytical program In 2019, FSANZ undertook an analytical program commissioned by the Australian Bureau of Statistics to improve and expand the nutrient dataset to support the upcoming 2023 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NNPAS). Twenty-nine foods were selected for nutrient analysis based on whether:

• they were new to the market and no nutrient composition data was available
• they were commonly consumed in the previous national nutrition survey
• they were likely to contribute significantly to population nutrient intakes
• the data held by FSANZ were out-dated or limited and unlikely to reflect the products currently available for…

  Published 1 March 2022

Analytical survey of total and inorganic arsenic in apple and pear juice

Analytical survey of total and inorganic arsenic in apple and pear juice (April 2014) In 2012 Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) conducted a small analytical survey examining total arsenic and inorganic arsenic levels in apple and pear juice.   In total, 96 apple juice samples and four pear juice samples were analysed. The survey found a quantifiable amount of arsenic in 34 apples juice samples and inorganic arsenic in 20 samples. None were at a level that, based on present knowledge, would cause a safety concern over a lifetime of consumption. The range of concentrations reported for inorganic arsenic were similar to concentrations observed in other countries for apple juice. There were no detections of arsenic…

Published 23 April 2014