Australian Food Industry

SECTORS OF THE AUSTRALIAN FOOD INDUSTRY

Sectors of the agri-food chain
 The production and supply of food for individual and consumer use
 Sectors are dependent on each other

Agriculture and Fisheries

 Primary
 Contributes to 3% of GDP
 Agriculture is the cultivation of land to produce food derived from plants and animals.
o Involves
 Preparing soil for planting
 Selecting seed
 Sowing
 Fertilising
 Irrigating
 Harvesting
 Storage
 Transportation
 Breeding
 Treating illness/disease
 Transporting animals to sale yards, abattoirs etc.
 Fisheries is the production of plants and animals in the water environment
o Commercial fishing is best known as part of this sector
o Aquaculture is an area growing in popularity which involves cultivating and harvesting aquatic
plants or animals
 Examples
o Sydney fish markets
o Crop and dairy farms
o Meat and chicken farms

Food Processing and Manufacturing

 Secondary
 The plants and animals produced by the agriculture and fisheries sector are usually altered in some way
before they reach the customer.
 Value adding = the processing of goods to increase their selling price
 Examples
o Packaging apples in 3kg bags
o Marinated chicken skewers

Food Service and Catering

 Tertiary
 This sector prepares the food, so it is ready to eat and be served.
 Examples
 o Restaurants
o Takeaway establishments
o School canteens
o Airlines and long-distance trains
o Catered functions – weddings, sports events, parties etc.

Food Retail
 Places where consumers can purchase processed food items
 Examples
o Coles
o Woolworths
o Aldi
o Harris Farms
o Convenience store
o Bakery’s
o Butcher
SFM
 Sydney Fish Markets
 Agriculture and fisheries however it also crosses over to food service and catering as well as food retail
 Founded in 1945
 Core business (main role) – redistribute seafood from all around Australia
 Deregulated in 1999 – previously owned by the government now combination of the gov. and retail
buyers
 200 buyers per day
 60 tonnes of seafood sold a day
 90% is wild caught, 10% aquaculture
 Sydney seafood school operates from within the business
 Buying is done from 4 different sections of the market floor based on regions
o A – long line fishing, Northern NSW, tuna and swordfish
o B – Queensland/South Australia
o C – Live crustaceans and molluscs – crab, lobster, prawns, muscles, scallops
o D – South Coast NSW
 5000 species in Australia – 600 each year – 100 each day
 All seafood sold is sustainably harvested
 Involved in production of value-added products – filleting for retailers

Emerging technologies
Development Example
Online shopping Supermarkets and other stores offering online shopping and home
delivery services
Biotechnology in genetic Involves the transfer of genes with desirable characteristics into
technology another plant or animal. This may lead to pest and disease resistant
plants
Organic farming Foods grown without the use of artificial fertilisers, pesticides,
herbicides, antibiotics or growth hormones or regulators.
Packaging Light-weight glass, smart labels, biodegradable plastics
Home delivery UberEATS, Deliveroo, Woolworths home delivery
Production of low-fat products Low-fat mayonnaise, butter, milk, yoghurt and cheese
Nutritionally fortified foods Bread with added iron and fibre
Pre-prepared food items Marinated kebabs and pre-packaged salads
Biotechnology in genetically modified food
 Genetic modification: process of modifying the genetic material of plants or animals
o Scientists may duplicate, remove or insert one or more new genes into a specific plant or animal
to improve characteristics
o Allows desirable characteristics of certain plants or animals to be transferred or transplanted
 GMO is controversial
o Consumers concerned with science interfering with nature
 Advantageous to increase global food supply and food security
Genomics
 Science of gene mapping and study of genes and their function
 Can select certain breeding patterns
o 'built-in' protection against specific insect or plant disease; tolerance to pesticide; improve
nutritional composition

Transgenic organisms
 DNA from particular animal or plant transferred to another (might not be related)
 E.g. 'antisense' gene inserted into tomato plant stops function of the gene that produces ethylene
(usual signal for ripening)
o Therefore unable to ripen unless exposed to external ethylene
o Controlled ripening extends shelf life
o E.g. growth hormones injected in embryos to produce lean animals ready for slaughter faster

Ecologically sustainable production methods

Ecological farming
 Less harmful to environment
 Refers to all methods put in place to grow plants and animals
o Incl. prevention of soil erosion, organic farming practises, water infiltration and retention,
reduced carbon emissions, use of biofuels and increased biodiversity
 Farming techniques incl. no till, multispecies cover crops, strip cropping, terrace cultivation and crop
rotation

Organic farming
 Produce food without the use of harmful chemicals that can damage the environment
o Produced in a natural way
 They are grown, processed and manufactured without use of pesticides, herbicides, fertilisers or
growth hormones
 Crop rotation: important feature giving soil chance to rejuvenate and replenish nutrients
 Yield is lower and produce is more expensive
 ASPECTS OF THE AUSTRALIAN FOOD INDUSTRY
Levels of operation and mechanism

Household
 Food production is basic  quantity is minimal
 Equipment is restricted to home appliances
 Eg. Making a batch of lemon butter to sell at local markets

Small Business
 Equipment is usually not industrial
 Less than 20 employees
 Eg. Boutique cake chops, gourmet butchers etc.

Large Company
 Several stores or processing plants
 Quantity is produced on a large scale
 More than 50 employees
 Many production tasks are automated  less labour  less jobs
 Eg. Woolworths, Coles, Greens

Multinational
 Has stores all around the world
 Highly sophisticated technology
 High yield/product
 Eg. Heinz, Kellogg’s, Nestle etc.

Levels of mechanisation
 Mechanisation  reduces the need for human labour and ensures processes are consistent
 Larger companies use more levels of mechanisation
 More chances for problems to occur (eg. metal falling into products)
o Special machines have been developed to ensure this doesn’t happen
SFM
Operation 
 Large Company – because of the high volume of turnover of produce and profits
 Annual turnover of 160 million dollars a year
 Large scale machinery such as Dutch auction – sophisticated computerisation
 Mechanisation – forklifts, ice machines, Styrofoam crusher
Mechanisation 
 Dutch auction clock
o descending order price auction
o increases efficiency
o ensures the seafood is sold quickly
o 1000 boxes sold per hour
o 60 tonnes of seafood a day
o Starts $3-5 above the expected selling price
o Each turn of the clock takes $1 off
 Computerised keypads on the auction floor to increase efficiency
 Bar scanners and barcoding used to track boxes – scanned on way into the markets – scanned on way
out to confirm the purchaser
 Ice machines on market floor – 2 tonnes of ice per hour generated
 Forklifts used for transportation
 Styrofoam crushers to squash the foam and enable it to be recycled
 Band saws used to half frozen lobsters (come from WA)

Research and development

 Research and development in the Australian food industry is costly but necessary to ensure it remains
up to date and competitive on a world scale.
 CSIRO research all sectors of the AFI
 CSIRO work with farmers and research teams to develop innovative agri-foods and processing
technologies to increase sustainability and prosperity in Australia’s agribusiness sector
 Benefits – increased exports, production of healthier and safer foods and improved farm profitability.
SFM
 New building
o Showcase fish
o Facilitate the wholesale and commercial sale
o Increase retail opportunities – food trucks and more ready to buy food
o Create hub for seafood for tourism
o Increase the education behind the processes of the organisation
 Mud crab revival project
o Working with James Cook university
o Researching the ammonia build up in the flesh of the crabs
o Developed Aerated tanks with filtered, recycled clean water pumped into the tanks the extend
shelf life of the crabs
o Less quality loss of the crabs because of aeration
o Less product hydration
o Adds value ad less fishing needs to be done, overfishing issue with sustainability, less wastage,
great product sustainability

Quality assurance
 Quality assurance is a process of ensuring that set standards and product consistency is met.
 Food organisations adopt measures of quality control to maintain their standards.
 They create the optimum product (prototype) and then compare all other products to the optimum to
ensure that they are consistent.
 Quality assurance is the ultimate aim of quality control-all parts of a company working together to
maintain quality of products produced.
 Most food procedures use a system called Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) , which looks
at problem areas in food production and aims to control or minimise hazards helping to maintain a
high-quality product.
 Certain industries within the agri-food chain follow a compulsory management system, and state
government inspectors check regularly to ensure that the system is being used correctly.
o E.g. meat and poultry industries have developed a standard HACCP plan for all farmers and
producers and independent auditors ensure that these HACCP principles and systems are met.
SFM
 Quality produce ensures the confidence of the buyers and the sellers
 SFM maintains best practice through chain traceability systems, at all levels they need to make sure
they can test the quality
 SFM work with industry bodies to ensure best practice
 3 people whose job is quality assurance – start at 3am each day and inspect every lot for quality
 Temperature (between 0-5 degrees)
 Good storage of seafood will extend the shelf life
 Visual inspection (Smell – fresh sea, no sliminess, 45-degree flex is ideal – body, clear eyes, scales
intact, gills should be bright red)
 Riga mortise – just dead and stiff
 Cool environment will reduce stress and improve quality
 Ice levels are important
 Ensure the cold chain and temperature is maintained
 Sashimi rating – portion of tail cut out for visual inspection – a grade best for restaurants – lower grade
goes to retain or used as steaks
 Random testing of the flesh to test the enzyme levels or degradation
 Only live mud crabs are sold due to the high ammonia levels once they die
 WHS – workers had gumboots on (protective), Fluro vests for a safe work environment
 Reputation of fisherman is integral to buyer’s confidence

Consumer influences such as value-added foods

 The changing nature of Australian society has resulted in demands for a range of different foods.
 The demographics of a population, such as;
o age, income, ethnicity, geographic location and change over time have a huge influence on the
food that consumers demand.
 Those in the food industry must ensure that food products reflect,
o Changing consumer tastes and behaviours
o Advances in technology
o Changing market structures throughout the agri-food chain
o New food legislation and regulations
o Environmental concerns
o Globalisation issues
o Political decisions
 In the last 50 years, about 28 000 new food products have emerged on our supermarket shelves (one
product every week), some products have remained and some products have disappeared.
 Consumer demand drives manufacturers’ decisions on what to produce
o e.g. McDonald’s is a multinational retail food chain that has changed its menu and marketing in
response to consumer demand, their ‘healthy choice’ range of items appeals to those who want
fast food but without the fat.
SFM
 Consumers want to know where their seafood comes from (country of origin labelling – mandatory in
retail outlets)
 Multiculturalism – different ethnic groups demand different seafood species e.g. philopenas fish heads
 Half of the buyers in the market are of an Asian background meaning there is such a diverse range of
species sold
 Popularity of cooking shows like MasterChef
 Seafood cooking school caters to demand for education
 Certain size of fish – plate size fish such as brim and snapper are desirable
 Line and pole method rather than using fishing nets where there is more by catch
 Consumers being prepared to pay more for value added products such as filleted whole fish

Impact on the environment including waste management, packaging practices,

production techniques, and transportation
 Conventional farming uses chemicals to control weeds and pests, prevent diseases, regulate growth in
animals and fertilise the land.
o The long-term damage done to the environment by years of chemical use and land clearing is
becoming apparent.
 It is estimated that over half of Australia’s farmland needs some kind of treatment to overcome
infertility, salinity and acidification of the soil, repair erosion, and eliminate the pesticide poisoning of
wildlife and toxic algae in waterways.
o However, without synthetic agricultural chemicals a significant proportion of the world’s
agriculture would be lost.
 There are over 2500 different farm chemicals available to Australian farmers and the most frequently
used are synthetic herbicides and insecticides.
 Organic farming is an alternative to using synthetic chemicals that has had a big increase in popularity
in recent years. It uses chemical-free plant and animal production techniques that aim to maintain or
improve soil fertility and organic matter.
 Organic farmers must consider all aspects of the environment in their production processes.
 Certain requirements must be met before any food item or produce can be labelled as ‘organic’.
o In Australia, organic produce is certified by several organisations that are accredited by the
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) under the National Standard for Organic
and Biodynamic Produce. All certifying organisations must ensure that their members comply
with this standard.
 Organic farming has less impact on the environment but there are some issues associated with this
method of production.
o Yields are often lower than those farming with chemical pest control.
o Organic foods may cost more because of the higher production costs.
o Organic farms are usually smaller.
o Organic farmers must pay to have their soil tested and farming practices evaluated before their
products can be ‘Certified organic’
 There is a growing demand for organic foods in Australia with most supermarkets now stocking organic
products, however, only 10% of the population regularly buys them (perhaps due to the higher costs).
o At present, organic food is still considered to be a niche market fulfilling the needs of a minority
of the population.
SFM
 Ocean watch – gov. funded organisation – aiming to achieve sustainability through awareness and
education – 5c from every box sold goes to ocean watch – SFM encourages protection of aquatic
habitats by being an active member of ocean watch
 Promote sustainable practices at all levels of the business
 All seafood comes from ecologically sustainable wild fisheries – aquaculture or wild caught
 Waste product is heat treated then rendered into fish feed or fertiliser
 Seek to minimise water run off by having recycled water systems
 Fish have quotas – max that you can safely harvest to prevent overfishing
 Lobsters maximum size limit – breed better and want to encourage reproduction
 Restriction on the number of females allowed to be caught
 Tagging system – lobster – keep track of how many being taken from particular areas – checked by
dept. of primary industries
 Shark fin is only able to be purchased through the markets
 Line and pole fishing are better for the environment because there is less by-catch (unintentional
catching of marine life) e.g. tuna is caught with line (long shelf life – stored in salt – up to 6 weeks)

Economy, e.g. generation of profit and changes in employment

 The Australian food industry is vital to Australia’s economy, accounting for 46% of the country’s total
retail turnover.
 The food industry provides employment to over half a million people in Australia.
 Internationally, our exports are a 2.7% share of the world food trade worth $23.3 billion boosted
recently by free trade agreements.
 Australia has gained a reputation overseas for producing high-quality products and being a reliable
supplier, due to quality management and attention to food safety which compares to the highest
international standards.
 According to a survey in America, the two best attributes of Australian products were ‘clean’ and
‘green’.
 Provides employment
SFM
 3-billion-dollar industry
 Large employer providing jobs for 65 people
 Privately owned company half fisherman and half retailers meaning they have to pay tax to the
government (30%) – tax is going back into society e.g as infrastructure to improve our roads and
services
 Tourist destination – first stop from airport on buses – Chinese
 Popularity of the retail outlets – large amount of spending is going through the businesses

Society including lifestyle changes

 Consumers are well catered for with most people not producing their own food but rely on the food
industry to supply them with items.
 The eating and lifestyle patterns of Australian consumers have changed dramatically over the past 50
years which can be attributed to several factors, but mostly the changing mix of Australian society.
 Migration and travel have given Australian’s the opportunity to sample a variety of food from different
cultures, this has developed ‘modern Australian cuisine’.
o Modern Australian cuisine is heavily influenced by European and Asian cultures and is reflected
by the food choices in supermarkets.
 The food industry caters for our needs, allowing us to concentrate on other roles in society, but has
there been an overall cost to society?
o Through advertising, many businesses can dictate what is on our supermarket shelves and in
our fast-food outlets.
o The top two supermarket chains make over 79% of national grocery sales, which means that
these multinationals are in a position of power, controlling what is produced, how much is
produced and when it is produced.
o Can the impact of the food industry on society can be judged by bathroom scales?
 o There is a cost to society in terms of obesity and health-related issues, as well as growing
unease among consumers about added preservatives and colours in their foods.
o The impact of the food industry on our environment also affects the health of the nation.
o At a time when more people are conscious of reducing their ecological footprint, the production
of food is only just coming under the spotlight.
o The food industry uses vast amounts of fossil fuels and produces poisonous wastes at all levels
of the food production chain; this can lead to water pollution, damage to our ecosystems, soil
degradation and water shortages.
SFM
 Society more encouraging and willing to try different species of seafood – high in protein, low in fat
(omega 3), source of calcium
 Should be consuming seafood 3 times a week - Less cost associated with hospitals
 Increasing multiculturalism
 Partnership with the Australasian Chinese community
 Sponsor dragon boat racing
 Seafood school – educates 12000 people per year
 Busy, vibrant area for relaxation, socialisation (gathering place)
 SFM partner with get fresh with fish campaign which is an educational initiative that encourages people
to eat local seafood

Career opportunities and working conditions

 There is a wide variety of employment opportunities in the food industry for unskilled to semi-skilled
and highly skilled workers.
 As the industry becomes more highly automated, the need for unskilled workers will decline.
 The Australian food industry is currently facing a major skills shortage in its workforce.
 The industry must look to streamline and simplify its training packages and develop regional services.
 Attracting young workers to the industry requires establishing strong partnerships with the
government, industry associations and the community.
 Shift work is common in food service and catering and work seasonal in the agriculture and fisheries
sectors.
 Careers vary in entry level, some requiring university or TAFE qualification, others no experience or
qualifications.
o Many jobs today involve on-the-job training and re-skilling
 Working conditions in the food industry depend on the nature of the business, although, the following
characteristics are common:
o Remuneration (wages/salaries) depends on skill level and the nature of the work.
o In large organisations, most employees belong to a trade union.
o Enterprise bargaining is more common, enabling employees to negotiate directly with their
employer.
o Some jobs may have unusual conditions. E.g. low temperatures in a food storage warehouse.
o Workers may be required to wear personal protective equipment while working.

Gender issues within the food industry

 Various sectors of the food industry face a gender imbalance.
 The agriculture and fisheries sector is physically demanding, involves long hours, is sometimes
dangerous, is often seasonal and generally offers lower pay than other sectors.
 In all sectors, upper management and physically demanding jobs are dominated by men, with 59% of
workers in the food retail sector female.
 While the food industry adopts equal employment opportunity policies, it is failing to attract young,
female workers.
 Career decisions may be affected by employment entitlements, working conditions, career pathways
and image.
SFM
 65 people employed in a range of different areas – management, marketing, quality assurance, IT,
retail staff, floor staff, contractors e.g. filleters), education
 Encompassing the fisherman, people doing inspections
 Buyers who come from a range of different buyers
 Buyers 5% restaurant, ¾ retail shop, 20% wholesalers
 Heavily male dominated
 Strong multicultural mix
 Physically demanding environment – lifting, filleting, need to wear back brace
 Fishing - High risk occupation – 12 fishermen die each year – work span of a fisherman is only 20 years
– for that reason they are well payed
 Female workers, administration, office work, retail, marketing (traditional female career areas)

POLICY AND LEGISLATION

Advisory groups that have a role in formulating and implementing policy and
legislation
 Advisory Groups: independent organisations responsible for guiding and providing advice to the govt.
when developing policies and legislation
o Expert in their field w. in-depth knowledge of their particular industry and its associated
products and links to other industries
o May be defined as business group that belongs to a particular sector of the food industry, who
provide support and promotion
 E.g. Pork Limited Australia
o Involved in providing health info.
 E.g. Diabetes Australia and National Heart Foundation

Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC)

 Leading national advisory body representing Aus.'s food, drink and manufacturing industry
 AFGC shapes business environment for food manufacturing sector to grow and remain profitable
o Provides input in policy formulation that impacts profitability, viability and sustainability of
industry (nationally and internationally)

Nutrition Australia
 Independent, NGO, community based organisation that promotes health and wellbeing of all
Australians
 Aus.'s main community nutrition education body
o Provides scientifically based info encouraging to eat variety of foods and be physically active

Australian Beverages Council

 Represents non-alcoholic industry
o Incl. carbonated soft drinks, sport/energy drinks, bottle water, fruit juice, iced teas, cordials and
ready-to-drink coffees

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)

 The agency that sets the standards that must be met before food is sold in Food Standards Australia
New Zealand (FSANZ)
 Independent statutory agency
o Has power to make laws relating to food
 Est. 1991 in Food Standards Australia and New Zealand Act
 FSANZ works with govt. to develop and implement uniform standards related to content of food and
labelling requirements
 Sets nationwide standards to maintain food safety
o Works with health ministers
 
Food Standards Code
 FSANZ develops and administers the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code
 The code ensures a manufacturer is not able to produce and sell a new food product without abiding
by the rigorous standards set
o Divided into 4 chapters
 Published Dec 2000 - Revised 1 March 2016
 Chapter 1: General standards that apply to all foods
o Incl. labelling req., use-by-dates, food additives (vitamins, minerals, flavours, colours),
nutritional info. and acceptable level of contaminants/residues
 Chapter 2: standards for classes of foods incl. meat, cereals, eggs, fish, fruit, vege, dairy, oils, sugar,
honey, alcoholic & non-alcoholic beverages, infant formulas and meal replacements
o The standard says what is allowed in product by law
 Includes composition of product
 Chapter 3: safety standards to ensure only safe and suitable food is sold for human consumption (only
in Aus.)
o Info on safety practises, HACCP, food premises and equipment and food services to vulnerable
people (elderly, children)
 Chapter 4: standards for dealing with the primary production and processing of food in Aus.
o Incl. seafood, poultry, meat, dairy, cheeses, eggs (&products), seed sprouts and wine
 Code incl. guidelines for businesses to follow
Product recalls:
 FSANZ coordinates and monitors food recalls in Aus.
 Food recall: removes food that may pose health or safety risk from distribution, sale or consumption
o May be filed by manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer, importer, consumer
 Main reasons for recall:
o Defect in quality of a food item which does not present a risk to public health & safety
o Defect in quality of a food item that could pose a safety threat to consumers due to a
production fault or tampering
o Product can only return to marketplace once issue is resolved

Department of Agriculture and Water Resources:

 Develops and implements policies and programs to ensure Australia's agricultural, fisheries, food and
forestry industries remain competitive, profitable and sustainable
 Supports sustainable and productive use of rivers and water resources
 Manages quarantine controls at borders to minimise risk of exotic pests and diseases entering Aus.
 Certifying imports to preserve health of Aus.'s people, plants and animals
o Preserving biosecurity
 Aus. Has strict policy and protocol to keep country free of unwanted pests and disease
 International travel and imports increase, further exposing Aus.'s location
 Coastline is 60,000 km
 o Many entry points for exotic pests and diseases
 Monitor, inspects and declares 'fit for entry' the millions of people, mail parcels, baggage, ships,
animals, plants and cargo containers that enter Aus.
o Use x-ray machines, surveillance and detector dogs
 To protect Aus. from potential contamination,
o Imported animals, plants and their products are inspected
o Monitoring and inspecting international travellers (so they don’t bring stuff in)
o Certification of all agricultural exports for global market
 To ensure bio security,
o Airport screen programs involve x-ray machines, bag inspections and use of detector dogs
o International mail program uses x-ray machines and dogs
o Seaport program requires trained personal to board sea vessels and inspect consignments
o Ballast water program inspects ships for contaminated water
o Plants and animals are quarantined for inspection

Government policies and legislation (local, state, federal) that impact on the
Australian food industry including legislative requirements for labelling
Policy Legislation
 Strategy put in place by the govt. that provides  Law passes by govt. that states what can and
national leadership on the regulation of the food cannot be done in certain situations
supply  Exists at the local, state and federal levels
 Address a particular concern or aim to improve  Laws can be rewritten, modified, changed or
standards revoked at any time
 May cover areas incl. use of GM foods in food  If not followed, fines can be issues, put out of
production; food-labelling laws or policies relating business or sent to jail
to import or export of certain food items

Policy

Food and Nutrition Policy 1992

 Developed to improve health and minimise diet-related disorders for all Australians
 Aims to
o Educate the Australian public oh health lifestyle choices
o Monitory the food sector and nutritional produce
o Incorporate food and nutrition objectives throughout the policy areas and sectors
 It is hard to determine of this policy was effective as diet related disorders are at a national high and
more diet related disorders have since been discovered
 This policy was developed in 1992 and is yet to be updated therefore some government advisory
groups believe this policy is outdated and needs to be revised
 This policy impacts the AFI as it provides the basis for nutrition and healthy lifestyle strategies
throughout Australia therefore impacting what products are favoured in Australia’s food market in
relation to nutrition and healthy living.
 Australian guide to healthy eating

Australia’s Foreign Investment Policy 1975

 Ensures that the Australian government review any major foreign investment proposals individually
through the foreign investment review board (FIRB)
 Developed to regulate foreign investment within Australia
 Case by case assessment allows the Australian government to maximise the flow of investments while
protecting national interests
 Foreign investment creates new job opportunities, upskilling of the current workforce and promotes
competition between Australian businesses
 It allows for the evolution of imports and exports to and from Australia
 Impacts the AFI as individuals or businesses can invest in organisations that run within or externally
impact the AFI

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2013-2023

 Designed to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health over the next decade until 2023
 It is part of close the gap campaign
 Aims to improve ATSI’s health so they are as healthy as non-indigenous people and enjoy the same life
expectancy by 2031
 This policy has outlined accountability tools and specified the roles and responsibilities of each partner
in progressing this health plan
 The effects of this policy are still being measured; however, many people have already benefited from
increased access to health services
 The Australian government encourages the non-government sector, for example the food industry to
demonstrate their commitment to this plan by aligning their strategic planning and public reporting to
reference this health plan

Legislation – Federal

Competition and Consumer Act 2010

 This act creates a fair and competitive operating environment for companies
 This act also promotes competition, fair trade and consumer protection
 The purpose of this act was to provide a competitive and fair operating environment for businesses
where competition is promoted, and consumers are protected through fair trade
 This act enables consumers to buy goods in a safe and secure manner. It also allows consumers to
safely participate in company competitions and promotions
 This has an impact on the AFI as companies are required to work under the same legislation to ensure
that the market remains competitive and equal.

Imported Food Control Act 1992

 Aims to
o Control and inspect imported foods to Australia
o Ensure imported foods are compliant with Australian food standards
o Protect the public from health and safety risks related to imported foods
 The objective of this act is to control and inspect food imported from foreign countries into Australia.
This law guarantees that imported foods comply with Australian food standards
 This act makes companies more responsible for the foods they import because if the goods do not
comply with the Australian Food Standards, they will note be allowed into the country
 This effects the AFI because consumers can confidently buy imported overseas products here in
Australia with the knowledge that they can comply with the Australian safety standards

Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 (FSANZ)

 Established to
o Protect public health and safety of community
o Provide sufficient information on food to help consumers make informed choices
o To prevent fraud and deception in relation to food
 Aims to work alongside government to develop standards about what is in our food and how it is
labelled.
 FSANZ is responsible for educating the public about food safety, allergies and nutritional issues. They
also coordinate product recalls and develop risk assessments for imported foods
 The standards ensure the quality of food purchased in Australia
 FSANZ administers the food standards code which covers everything from labelling requirements,
standards for individual classes of foods e.g. eggs, food safety/HACCP as well as primary production
and processing standards. The effect is our food is safer, more informative and trustworthy
 FSANZ impacts the AFI as it is an independent agency with the power to make and regulate food laws.
Without FSANZ our food industry would not have the reputation that is possesses. Health ministers
from all over Australia work with FSANZ to assist with their goal of safe food supply.

Legislation – State

Work Health and Safety Act 2011

 Protects employees of businesses in relation to health, safety and welfare in the workplace
 This act also extends to all other people such as visitors who could potentially be affected by the work
 This act was created to protect workers in the workplace by setting clear expectations and
requirements that employers must follow to ensure the safety of their employees
 This act has made workplace safer across NSW as business must follow strict rules and guidelines or
face potential penalties. It has also improved worksites for employees and minimised countless
potential workplace injuries
 The act has impacted the AFI as it outlines specific safety standards and regulations for all workers un
the AFI. This makes working in the food industry more desirable as it meets all the safety standards

NSW Food Act 2003

 Objectives
o To ensure food for sale in both safe and suitable for human consumption
o To prevent misleading conduct in connection with the sale of food
o To provide for the application in this state of the Food Standards Code
 This act ensures that food for sale is safe for human consumption. It is important because it also
protects consumers for misleading conduct – false information
 The Australian population confidently purchase food products in NSW, knowing that the food industry
must comply with the NSW Food Act 2003 or face serious penalties
 Impacts the AFI by holding business accountable for their actions and fining companies for
o Handling or selling unsafe or unsuitable
o Falsely describing the food for sale or misleading customers
o Not complying with the Food Standards Code
o Incorrectly labelling beef products; for e.g. its classification, category, cut or grade

Legislation - Local

Environmental Health Officers (EHO)

 Role
o Enforcing local legislation by carrying out food surveillance e.g. temperature checks
o Investigating allegations of food borne illnesses (food poisoning)
o Auditing and inspecting food businesses
o Investigating complaints about labelling
o Providing businesses with advice about labelling
 o Providing businesses with advice on food safety law and food standards
o Monitoring compliance of food safety legislation
o Enforcing action through improvement notices, prohibition orders, penalty notices or
prosecutions
 EHO’s are needed in the AFI because they regulate compliance of current food policies and legislation
at local level
 Ensures that the public are provided with food and food services that meet Australian food standards.
EHO’s improve the health and safety of the food industry for their local community. EHO’s Impact the
AFI as they have the power to make businesses more accountable for their food safety practices