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Health and hygiene responsibilities of food businesses

Health and hygiene responsibilities of food businesses Food Safety Standards - Health and hygiene: Responsibilities of food businessesChapter 3 (Australia only) Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code NOTE: The Food Safety Standards do not apply in New Zealand. The provisions of the food standards treaty between Australia and New Zealand do not include food hygiene standards. Under Food Safety Standard 3.2.2 Food Safety Practices and General Requirements food businesses are expected to ensure, as far as they can, that their food handlers and anyone else on the premises do not contaminate food. Food businesses also have specific responsibilities relating to the health of people who handle food, the provision of hand washing facilities, telling food handlers of their health and…

Published 21 October 2021

Allergy information for the food service industry

Allergy information for the food service industry When consumers disclose their food allergy, the food service industry has a responsibility to help the customer with food menu choices by providing information about food allergens that may be present directly and/or indirectly in food menu items. The Allergen Collaboration has agreed to a number of key messages for the food service industry in regard to food allergens. These are listed below. Key messages

• Implement an effective food allergen management program
• Train all staff in food allergen risks, management and communication
• Provide clear, up-to-date and accurate information on the food allergen status of the foods you provide
• When consumers disclose…

  Published 23 June 2020

Genetically modified (GM) food labelling

Genetically modified (GM) food labelling GM food labelling helps consumers make an informed choice about the food they buy. It allows them to identify a GM food or a product that has GM ingredients.  GM food labelling is not about safety. All GM foods and ingredients must undergo a safety assessment and be approved before they can be sold in Australia and New Zealand.  How GM foods are labelled was decided by the ministers responsible for food regulation in 2001. Ministers reconfirmed these labelling provisions following an…

Published 10 November 2022

Strengthening food safety after a recall

Strengthening food safety after a recall Did you know food recalls can do more than just remove unsafe food from shelves? In response to conducting a recall of their product, most businesses take proactive steps to prevent food safety issues from recurring.As part of food recall reporting requirements, food businesses are required to identify corrective actions they have taken.  Our food recall statistics show businesses take a range of corrective actions including staff training, amending handling procedures, updating product labels, altering ingredients, improving manufacturing practices and changing equipment.  The majority of food business (90%) reported undertaking more than one corrective action. These efforts help reduce the likelihood of recalls happening…

Published 13 March 2025

What do food additives do?

What do food additives do? (May 2016) 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.
• Antioxidants retard or prevent the…

  Published 26 May 2016

General information about GM foods

General information about GM foods People have been manipulating the genetic make-up of plants and animals for countless generations. This is referred to as traditional cross breeding and involves selecting plants and animals with the most desirable characteristics (e.g. disease resistance, high yield, good meat quality) for breeding the next generation. Today's techniques use new ways of identifying particular characteristics and transferring them between living organisms. For example, it is now possible to make a copy of a particular gene from the cells of a plant, animal or microbe, and insert the copy into the cells of another organism to give a desired characteristic. Foods derived from genetically modified organisms are called 'GM foods'. All of the GM foods approved so far are from GM…

Published 28 August 2020

FAQs about food recalls for consumers

FAQs about food recalls for consumers What is a food recall? A food recall is action taken to remove unsafe (or potentially unsafe) food from distribution, sale and consumption. If a product is recalled, consumers are generally advised to not eat or drink it, and to either return it for a refund or throw it out. Most recalls are initiated by the food business. Only Australian states and territories and the Ministry for Primary Industries have enforcement powers. These jurisidictions have the power to mandate a recall if necessary. FSANZ has no enforcement powers so cannot mandate, order or force a recall to occur. FSANZ coordinates the recall with the…

Published 11 March 2020

Review of the regulatory management of food allergens

Review of the regulatory management of food allergens Executive Summary Food allergy is an important health issue due to the potential for severe and life threatening reactions. Rigorous declaration requirements are considered the most appropriate risk management option for food allergens since even small amounts of the allergen may trigger allergic reactions. Australia and New Zealand were among the first countries to recognise the need to regulate food allergens with the introduction, in 2002, of mandatory declaration requirements in the Australia and New Zealand Food Standards Code. In October 2006, the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council requested FSANZ to review the regulatory management of food allergens. The overall aim of the review is to determine whether, in the context of…

Published 23 December 2017

Assigning NNPAS foods to ADG classifications

Assigning NNPAS foods to ADG classifications   Every coded food in the 2011-12 NNPAS has been allocated to one of the following three areas in the ADG classification system:   1. Classified foods -NNPAS foods that are directly mapped to one of the ADG Five Food Group or key food group classifications or a sub-group of these major groups. An example of a classified food is white bread.   2. Recipe foods -NNPAS foods that do not have a direct match to one of the ADG classifications and have two or more ingredients, and therefore need to be broken down to their main ingredients via a recipe. The ingredients in the recipe will be at the level which may fit into ADG…

Published 11 May 2016

How much sodium is in Australian foods?

How much sodium is in Australian foods? FSANZ monitors the levels of sodium in the Australian food supply because it's the sodium from salt in the diet that's linked to major health problems. We analysed sodium in monitoring programs in 2006 and 2008 and in 2009 in a range of packaged and take-away foods. In these surveys, the foods found to contain the highest levels of sodium per 100 g were: potato crisps, processed meat and meat products including sausages, meat pies, sausage rolls and chicken nuggets, cheese and pizza. Other high sodium foods include a range of sauces, spreads and condiments. These analysed values include sodium from salt, naturally occurring sodium and sodium from food additives. The food industry has been reducing salt in various products to reduce sodium levels.…

Published 29 January 2019