Australia’s largest supermarkets and grocery wholesalers now must follow a new mandatory Food and Grocery Code of Conduct, enforced by the ACCC. The code sets clear rules on how businesses deal with their suppliers, aiming to ensure fair, transparent, and ethical practices across the grocery sector. It applies to all retailers and wholesalers who earned over $5 billion in the…
In 2024, Australia saw a total of 95 food recalls, reflecting an increase from previous years. The primary drivers behind these recalls were undeclared allergens, accounting for 57% of all incidents, and microbial contamination, which contributed to 20% of the recalls. Over the past decade, undeclared allergens have consistently been the leading cause of recalls, with a staggering 213 incidents…
From 12 February 2025, three new standards aiming to reduce food safety risks in berries, leafy vegetables and melons will come into effect in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. These standards are: Background The initial proposal for these standard changes were made in January 2018, as it was recognised that there has been an increase in food safety…
Many businesses fail to properly classify their operations for insurance purposes, resulting in missed opportunities to lower premiums. The complexities of grouping different activities can lead to inflated costs, but the right adjustments can make a substantial difference. Achieving significant savings through a workers’ compensation restructure can make a substantial difference for your business. By optimizing your coverage, you can…
What would your plan be if one of your products needed to be recalled? Everyone in the Food and Beverage industry acknowledges that a recall can be catastrophic for the brand and reputation of their organisation. The aim of any recall is to stop the sale and distribution of a product as soon as possible. For businesses in the food and beverage industries,…
70% of organisations only evaluate their risk profile on an annual basis, limiting their ability to tailor their risk management plan and business strategy to mirror the ever-changing commercial landscape – EY The guiding standard for risk management, ISO 31000, defines risk as the effect of uncertainty on objectives. Whilst this framework can be helpful, in establishing the context, and identification…
In 2017 Victual produced a survey on recall preparedness in the Australian Food Industry. We are currently working with AIFST (Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology) on an update on this survey and would appreciate a few minutes of your time to participate in this short survey. The survey is unanimous, however outcomes will be shared and this will…
Unleash the insights within! We want to hear from you. Victual has partnered with the Australian Institute of Food Science & Technology to create a better understanding of the current state of product recall preparedness in the Australian food and beverage industry. Not only will this help the future development of the AIFST Food Recall Workshop, it will also assist…
