NSW Food Regulation 2015: Updates in Food Safety Standards

For a while now, the Food Regulation 2010 has been considered out of date by various food safety authorities and industry professionals throughout New South Wales (NSW).

Though the NSW government suggested that the previous Food Regulation would be due for repeal on the 1st of September 2016, an earlier review has been conducted and the legislation has now been changed.

Reviewing the Food Regulation 2010 involved a great deal of industry consultation and the use of numerous surveys to the public. As a result, thanks to the public consultation period, the Food Regulation 2015 has been made. This new piece of legislation aims to enhance the effectiveness of the previous outline.

The Updated Food Regulation

The aim of the Food Regulation update for 2015 is to improve upon the previous documentation by introducing numerous amendments in line with the concept of "fit for purpose" foods. The belief of the NSW Food Authority is that the latest Food Regulation should be able to achieve an improved balance between minimising regulatory costs for businesses, and maximising food safety for consumers.

Some of the Amendments Include:

• The decision to remove the application fee previously required to act as an approved analyst.
• The choice to adjust food safety supervisor assessor and trainer standards to meet the guidelines of the National Vocational Education and Training Act of 2011.
• Delivering the correct enforcement agency prescriptions to local councils in regards to food service business notifications.
• Resetting the current baseline that dictates annual audit charges and inspections for non-licensed and licensed businesses - in order to reflect the application of the CPI applied between 2010 and 2015.
• The removal of an out-of-date reference to a publication called "Australian Manual for Control of Salmonella in the Dairy Industry", as well as another reference to the "Australian Manual for Control of Listeria in the Dairy Industry".
• Permitting former holders of shellfish licenses to apply for membership within a local shellfish committee.

The hope is that the updated Food Regulation will allow for a more successful approach to managing food safety throughout New South Wales.