Food Safety Legislation and Regulations Hospitality Notes

FOOD SAFETY LEGISLATION & REGULATIONS:

Food Act 2003 (NSW)

- The Food Act is the main legislation relating to the safe handling of food for sale.

- Its main aim is to protect the public health by preventing the sale of contaminated food.

Key Points of Food Act 2003 (NSW)

- It is an offence to sell contaminated food or food that has been falsely described.

- The food premises and food handler must also conform to certain minimum standards of hygiene or risk prosecution, considerable fines and even jail.

- The Food Act covers all aspects related to the handling of food and the maintenance of hygienic food premises.

- The Act also states the role and responsibilities of the Environmental Health officer.

- Environment Health officers are authorized to seize and remove, or prevent the sale of, any item if they consider it necessary. They also have an absolute right to inspect any food premises they believe to be involved with the preparation, storage or handling of food destined for sale.

- If an Environmental Health officer inspects premises and reports that they are not hygienic, they can apply to the Department of Health to issue a clean-up notice, ordering specific repairs or improvements that must be carried out.

- If the clean up is not carried out to their satisfaction of the Environmental Health office, they can order to close the premises or prevent the sale of any food from that premise.

Food Regulation 2004 (NSW)

- Food Regulations covers in detail, everything related to the handling of food, the food handler, premises, equipment and the transportation of food and food products.

Key Points of Food Regulation 2004 (NSW)

- Construction standards for food premises and food vehicles.

- Appliances used to handle food for sale to be clean and unbroken and not to be made out of certain materials.

- Packaging and labeling of food.

- Protection of food from contamination.

- Cleanliness and hygiene of persons who handle food for sale.

- Conveyance of food in vehicles.

- The storage and labeling of pre-packaged meat, the construction and use of butcher shops and other provisions relating to the sale of met.

- Sampling and analysis.

- Miscellaneous provisions relating to food, including provisions prohibiting certain substances from being added to food, provisions setting out requirements for storing frozen food, and provisions regulating the storage of perishable food.

Food Safety Standards Code (FSC)

- The Food Standards Code regulates the composition and labeling of foods and determines what is allowed to be added to food (ex: preservatives and etc.)

- The Food Standards Code is a national code that covers food sold or produced anywhere in Australia and New Zealand.

- The Food Standards Code was a major breakthrough leading to interstate co-operation relating to food regulation. This breakthrough came about due to an agreement reached and signed on July 30 1991 between the Commonwealth of Australia and the States and Territories to adopt uniform Food Standards. New South Wales adopted this as its’ Food Standards Regulation on September 1 1995 which means that it is now law in New South Wales.

The Australian New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA)

The Australian New Zealand Food Authority has also added food hygiene standards to the Food Standards Code.

There are four hygiene standards within the new Food Safety Standard:

- Interpretation and Application

- Food Safety Programs

- Food Safety Practices and General Requirements

- Food Premises and Equipment

BY: YVONNE YAO