What happens to food businesses if they do not comply with safe food practices and policies?

Keeping food safe and free from contamination is critical to public health. Australia has legislation and regulations to make sure local and imported food is safe to eat.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand:

The Australian Government and state and territory governments enforce the standards, in line with their food legislation. 

The Department of Agriculture ensures that imported products meet our strict biosecurity laws and food standards.

Food labelling

In Australia, legislation requires most packaged foods to have a label so that everyone can make informed decisions about what they eat and drink. Labels must include:

The voluntary Health Star Rating system is a quick and easy way to compare the nutrition in similar foods – the more stars, the healthier the food.

Companies can make nutrition claims (like low fat) or health claims (like good for your bones) on the front of the packaging. While the food must meet certain criteria to back these claims up, it’s still important to read and understand the nutrition information.

The National Measurement Institute administers the laws for selling foods by weights and measures. It works with the Australian food sector to test, analyse and measure foods to ensure accurate labelling and food safety.

Read more about food labelling requirements and understanding food labels.

Storing, handling and serving food safely

Australia has a reliable, safe and nutritious food supply. But food poisoning still happens.

There are more than 5 million cases of food poisoning in Australia each year, both through businesses and at home. Storing, handling and serving food safely can prevent this.

Food safety is everyone’s responsibility. By law, businesses and not-for-profit organisations must follow food standards to keep people safe from food-related illness. But it’s important for individuals too, as many cases of food poisoning happen at home.

Food safety includes:

Read the food safety standards or InfoBites for how to store, handle and serve food in a way that keeps everyone safe.

Food recalls

To protect public health and safety, businesses must immediately remove from distribution, sale and consumption any food found to be unsafe.

This could be for many reasons, including contamination, incorrect labelling or a packaging fault.

Food Safety Australia New Zealand coordinates and monitors food recalls. Read more about how food recalls work in Australia and any current food recalls.

Food safety in emergencies

Emergencies, such as flood and fire, can contaminate food and water supplies or block access to shops.

The Australian Government and state and territory governments work to restore access to food as quickly as possible following an emergency.

But there are things you can do to make sure you have safe food and water at home before, during and after emergencies.

Read about what you can do in an emergency at:

Food safety regulations apply to each stage of food and beverage production, from production, processing and manufacture to distribution and sale.

If you are considering starting a business in the food and beverage industry, make sure you are aware of the food safety regulations. You need to understand how your business can meet your obligations and comply with these regulations, or you may face fines or prosecutions.

Food safety regulations

Food safety standards outlined by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) apply to every business involved in the handling of food for sale, or the sale of food, in Australia.

Queensland Health has overall responsibility for food safety in Queensland, including food safety for restaurants and food retailers, and issues with food labelling and food tampering.

Safe Food Production Queensland regulates the food production systems for meat, eggs, dairy, seafood and horticulture (seed sprouts) through industry-based food safety schemes. As Queensland's regulator for primary production and processing activities, Safe Food works in collaboration with industry to verify compliance with food safety requirements in a manner that supports the protection of public health and safety while also reducing the impost on businesses.

As a food and beverage business owner, you must be familiar with:

You can get more information on food safety in Australia from:

• Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry – provides import and export inspection and certification to help Australia keep its highly favourable animal, plant and human health status, and wide access to overseas export markets
• JAS-ANZ – provides accreditation and certification for food safety systems in Australia and New Zealand.

Food safety compliance

Producing safe food is essential to your business's success, as your customers will expect that your food products are safe. You must be able to verify the safety and quality of your products to other businesses that you supply your products to, such as manufacturers, retailers and fast food franchises, as well as to export markets if you choose to export overseas.

Read more about food safety requirements and find fact sheets and resources for food businesses.

Find further information and resources for Queensland's primary production and processing sector.

Also consider...

• Read more about the laws against supplying and feeding swill to pigs.

• Last reviewed: 23 Sep 2022
• Last updated: 4 Oct 2022

Food safety is everywhere we go. From our kitchens to food processing centres and restaurants, food safety is used to ensure the quality of our meals. When it comes to food businesses, Food Safety Supervisor NSW or Food Safety Supervisors (FSSs) are responsible for providing the standards of food safety. They oversee many aspects of food handling to avoid the risks of the following scenarios that could cause damage or injury to food businesses, their employees, and their consumers.

What are examples of these scenarios? Let’s take a closer look.

CROSS-CONTAMINATION

Cross-contamination is when one substance not intended to mix with another substance, such as raw meat and vegetables, ends up mixing due to poor handling. In the case of the given examples, bits of raw meat may end up finding their way into a salad by using the same chopping board without cleaning it first.

This could be very dangerous for consumers, as cross-contamination could lead to bacterial poisoning, such as E. coli and salmonella. There are also food allergies to take into account; food contamination could trigger attacks in people for those with dietary requirements.

FOOD POISONING

Cross-contamination isn’t the only source of poisoning, bacterial, or otherwise. Improper storage, preparation, and consumption of foodstuffs can also lead to food poisoning. Leaving food out in the heat or freezing it for too long can cause bacteria to grow and fester; not adequately washing or preparing food items can lead to the same outcome. Handling food with unclean hands is an example of unsafe food handling practices that FSSs strongly advise against.

The consequences of unsafe food preparation are myriad. From a health perspective, improper food preparation can lead to nausea or vomiting. In other instances, it could lead to

severe outcomes such as seizures, brain damage, or even death.

DISREPUTE FOR YOUR ESTABLISHMENT

In some instances, improper food handling can lead to an establishment’s reputation taking a hit. With today’s extensive connectivity through the internet and smartphones, bad food isn’t just bad food – it’s a mark against a food business when it’s posted on social media sites. All it takes is for one social media post to go viral for an establishment to be known as “that place that serves bad food” or “that place that poisons their customers” forever.

FINES AND PENALTIES FOR BREACH OF FOOD SAFETY

It should also be noted that it’s technically unlawful to handle food improperly. Food establishments are obliged to appoint at least one FSS before they prepare their first dish as an establishment, and with good reason. Business owners and proprietors are responsible for their business, and practising food safety processes is one of their responsibilities. Failure to adhere to such practices, if reported or discovered through independent investigation, can lead to fines or penalties being levied against the establishment.

More extreme consequences include legal proceedings, financial ruin, and loss of business. There have been cases of prominent establishments having to settle lawsuits filed with food poisoning as the main reason. As an example, Maple Leaf Foods, a Canadian food distributor, paid close to $27 million to victims of a listeria outbreak that killed 20 people and sickened thousands more. Maple Leaf Foods was found to have distributed contaminated meat to those affected.

FSSs have a tough job, but it’s also a very rewarding one. They’re responsible for making sure that food is safe for consumption, whether it’s from a coffee shop or a fine dining restaurant. Sign up to be an FSS through a Food Safety Supervisor NSW online course today.