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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 incidents in Australia linked to these industries and there are no nationally consistent regulatory requirements for food safety that apply to the primary production and processing of horticultural produce, except for seed sprouts.

The proposal was approved in June 2022 after two rounds of public consultation and the overall aim of these standards is to increase on-farm and initial processing food safety management for berries, leafy vegetables and melons.

Transition Period

Currently, the 30-month transition period for the standards are in effect with implementation required by 12 February 2025. The new standards offer nationally consistent, outcomes-based requirements for primary producers and primary processors of the three commodities along with a range of non-regulatory measures (such as guidelines, fact sheets, animations, webinars and face-to-face meetings) to support the stakeholders.

Here are some helpful resources regarding the FSANZ updates on the proposed changes:

Are You Prepared?

Do these changes affect you? Are you prepared for the implementation of the standard? Contact us today to discuss how we can assist you in navigating these changes and maintaining compliance while maximizing your operational efficiency.