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…
This article was produced by Dipon Sarkar, Victual’s Food Safety Consultant, in partnership with Deon Mahoney. It is a two-part article published in Food Australia magazine. It is reproduced here with permission. With increasing complexities in food production and distribution, a robust framework for assessing and managing risks has become critical. This series in Food Australia aims to explore the…
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…
Ethical and sustainable food and beverage production is increasingly on the radar of not just retailers, but consumers as well. Sustainably sourced products enable a business to operate more efficiently and indicates a company cares about their footprint and their environmental impact. Do you have a fit for purpose, action orientated plan for sustainability? How do you show your customers,…
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,…
We live in a Global economy, which interconnects Australian businesses to other countries to fulfil their supply chain. Any disruption to the supply chain, such as the awful situation occurring right now in Ukraine, can create unprecedented risk to businesses. The impact of war and political unrest is likely to have widespread repercussions across the global markets. Closer to home we…
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…
