Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has been asked by the Australian Food Ministers to reassess food safety risk management across several horticultural sectors, including leafy greens, berries, and melons, noting the increase in foodborne illness outbreaks in Australia between 2011 and 2019. The proposal from FSANZ is out for a second round of comment until 16 February 2022.

AUSVEG is represented on the Standards Development Advisory, initiated by FSANZ in 2019 to represent the interest of leafy vegetable growers, and will be making a submission for the current round of consultation.

On behalf of vegetable growers, AUSVEG and the industry are committed to providing the Australian consumer with the highest quality of vegetables under the safest production conditions. This is demonstrated by the food safety schemes (FSS) that leafy vegetable growers subscribe to and encourage growers of varying business sizes to undertake a food safety scheme.

FSANZ has assessed four of possible options:

1. Status quo
2. Regulation
3. A combination of regulation and non-regulatory measures
4. Non-regulatory measures alone

FSANZ’s preferred approach is to strengthen food safety management on-farm and during initial processing by introducing nationally-consistent food safety standards for each of the three sectors, and work with industry to develop guidance materials to help businesses implement the standards – i.e. Option 3.

AUSVEG has proposed the following key points in its engagement with FSANZ and will include them in the written submission:

Key points:

• Industry is committed behind safe food production for consumers.
• AUSVEG supports all growers subscribing to a FSS, including smaller growers. However, for smaller growers, the cost and administrative burden of a FSS is significant and it is important that there is a cost-appropriate pathway to access a fit-for-purpose and size-relevant FSS and regulation.
• AUSVEG urges FSANZ to focus on regulating primary production processes along the production chain rather than specific commodities.

However, if regulation is implemented, for it to be effective and deliver on its objectives, AUSVEG asks for the following to be taken into consideration:

1. That the industry food safety schemes are recognised by the regulation in their entirety and growers who undertake a FSS should be recognised as compliant without requiring any further administration.
2. Implementation across states is uniform to ensure that growers who produce or market across states are not faced with additional administrative burden.
3. There needs to be a pathway and support for smaller growers to become regulation compliant.
4. Growers need to be supported through non-regulatory measures to enable them to implement a food safety culture – e.g. education, training, resources.
5. Allow for sufficient time for the regulation to come into effect and for growers to become compliant.

To discuss the FSANZ proposal, please connect with Zarmeen Hassan at zarmeen.hassan@ausveg.com.au or 03 9882 0227.