Food safety for horticulture producers

Under the Food Act 1984, all producers (of all commodities) have an obligation to ensure that food for sale is safe and suitable for human consumption and to comply with the Food Standards Code, where applicable.

The 3 new standards introduce further specific requirements and will be regulated by Agriculture Victoria.

Agriculture Victoria is determining how standards will be implemented and enforced in Victoria. Our regulatory aim is to take a proportionate, educative approach to these new requirements.

Agriculture Victoria is working to implement these changes through a new registration scheme.

From 12 February 2025, businesses that grow or are primary processors of berries, leafy vegetables or melons must register via the Agriculture Victoria Connect online system. Through this system, business must provide information demonstrating how they will meet the requirements of the standards. This includes explaining business practices on product traceability, managing safety of inputs such as water, worker hygiene and premises hygiene.

There are different requirements for different commodities and businesses, including the following:

• Berry businesses will be required to inform Agriculture Victoria of how they are complying with the standards.
• Leafy vegetable and melon businesses in recognised Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) schemes (such as Freshcare) can notify Agriculture Victoria of their certification via their online registration, and this will be recognised as meeting the requirements. This recognition will reduce regulatory burden for businesses, avoid duplicative audits and reduce fees for businesses.
• Leafy vegetable and melon businesses not in recognised schemes will need to submit a food safety management statement to Agriculture Victoria and participate in an audit to verify directly that their business is compliant with the Food Standards Code.

A food safety management statement is a document that:

• summarises your business activities
• identifies food safety risks and how you manage them
• is approved by Agriculture Victoria
• is checked and updated by you or your staff
• can be verified by Agriculture Victoria (for example, through an audit).

There will be an annual fee to register with Agriculture Victoria through the online system and a fee for audits, where required. The details of these fees are still being determined but will be scaled to the size of your business. Penalties may apply for failing to register and failing to follow these new standards.

There are benefits to both business and industry as part of this registration scheme, beyond fulfilling a legal obligation. These include fostering consumer confidence, market consistency and assurance that you are effectively managing food safety risks. It will also support food safety incident response.

Agriculture Victoria has consulted peak industry bodies to assist in regulatory design.

Agriculture Victoria will support businesses to meet their obligations under the standards through an education and awareness campaign targeting industry and grower groups. This engagement will continue after the February 2025 implementation date.

Three new standards were prepared by Food Standards Australia New Zealand between 2018 and 2022, with a decision taken by the Food Ministers’ Forum to introduce standards in 2022.

The standard development process involved extensive stakeholder consultation, including two formal public calls for submission. Evidence considered included technical assessments of food safety risks, cost benefit analysis, a decision regulation impact statement, and consideration of implementation arrangements. Industry was provided opportunity to engage throughout this process, including through formal submissions, farm visits and technical advisory roles.

Implementation of new standards is now the responsibility of individual state governments. An Implementation Working Group led by NSW Department of Primary Industries is working to coordinate efforts and ensure – where possible – national consistency.

Standard 4.2.7 – Primary Production and Processing Standard for Berries

Standard 4.2.7 – Primary Production and Processing Standard for Berries requires growers and primary processors (e.g. pack-house) to identify and control food safety hazards associated with berry growing and primary processing, and to notify regulators of their activities.

• Berries are defined in the standard as fresh berries and includes berries such as strawberries, blueberries, and berries from the genus Rubus.
• Examples of berries included are, but not limited to those listed and raspberries, blackberries, boysenberry, loganberry, silvanberry and youngberry. ​

Standard 4.2.8 – Primary Production and Processing Standard for Leafy Vegetables

Standard 4.2.8 – Primary Production and Processing Standard for Leafy Vegetables requires growers and primary processors (e.g. pack-house) to identify and control food safety hazards associated with growing and primary processing of leafy vegetables and to have an approved food safety management statement which includes notifying regulators of their activities.

Leafy vegetables have been defined in the standard as vegetables of a leafy nature where the leaf is consumed raw; and includes baby leaves, lettuce, and leafy herbs; and does not include seed sprouts (requirements found in a separate standard).

• Examples of leafy vegetables include but are not limited to all lettuces (iceberg (crisphead), rocket, romaine (cos), red leaf, butterhead, endive, oak leaf, watercress, radicchio, baby leaf, battavia, all other loose-leaf lettuces), kale, chicory, watercress, swiss chard, Asian leafy greens (e.g. bok choy), all leafy herbs consumed raw (e.g. parsley, basil, coriander, dill, fennel leaves, mint, thyme, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, chives), spring onions, microgreens, spinach leaves, silverbeet and cabbage.
• Examples of vegetables that are not considered leafy vegetables include broccoli, broccolini, cauliflower, asparagus, artichoke, root and tuber vegetables, bulb vegetables, brussel sprouts, kohlrabi, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, rhubarb, squash, celery, and leek.

​Standard 4.2.9 – Primary Production and Processing Standard for Melons

Standard 4.2.9 – Primary Production and Processing Standard for Melons requires growers and primary processors (e.g. pack-house) to identify and control food safety hazards associated with the growing and primary processing of melons and to have an approved food safety management statement which includes notifying regulators of their activities.

• Melons have been defined in the standard as fresh melons and includes watermelon, rockmelon, honeydew melon and piel de sapo.
• Examples of melons included are, but not limited to those listed and, galia melon, charentais melon, Korean melon, hami melon.

For further information please contact food.safety@agriculture.vic.gov.au.