Food Standards Australia New Zealand

Primary Production and Processing Standards

(Australia only)

Although Australia enjoys a high level of food safety protection, like many other nations it faces the challenge of continually improving food safety. In order to improve public health and safety Australian Governments have agreed that food safety should be managed throughout all parts of the food supply chain i.e paddock to plate. This also aims to ensure consumers continue to have the highest confidence in the safety of the food they consume, but at the same time do this in a way that minimises the impost on food businesses.

It is considered important that managing food safety focuses on points in the food chain where   hazards are introduced, rather than relying on solving a problem at the end of the process. This through-chain preventive approach to food safety ensures that Australia addresses risks to public health in the food supply, builds consumer confidence, safeguards international trade in food and, in time, improves levels of food safety for the consumer.

This approach builds on the Food Safety Standards developed by FSANZ in 2000, which applied mandatory hygiene requirements to manufacturing, retail and the food services sectors of the food supply

In 2002, the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council gave FSANZ responsibility to extend its evidence-based standard-setting process to the primary production sector. 

FSANZ works in partnership with other agencies of Australian governments, industry stakeholders and consumer groups in the development of primary production and processing standards, particularly through Standard Development Committees established for each primary sector.

Primary production and processing standards have been developed for:

Primary production and processing requirements are currently being assessed for: