Overview
The Implementation Subcommittee for Food Regulation (ISFR) met in Melbourne on 15 and 16 October 2025.
The ISFR aims to ensure food regulation is consistently implemented, monitored and enforced. ISFR members:
- are heads of agencies or senior operational experts
- can make and implement decisions about compliance and enforcement issues in their jurisdictions.
Key discussions
The key discussions were about:
- Implementation of Primary Production and Processing Food Standards
- Preventing foodborne illness – safe and suitable food
- Energy labelling on alcoholic beverages guidance
Implementation of Primary Production and Processing Food Standards
Work is underway to support the implementation of Proposal P1052 (Primary Production and Processing Requirements for Horticulture (Berries, Leafy Vegetables and Melons). Work is underway to support the implementation of Proposal P1060 (Egg Food Safety and Primary Production Requirements).
Preventing foodborne illness – Safe and suitable food
- Food Ministers have agreed that food safety initiatives remain a core objective of the agreed four Strategic Outcomes for the Joint Food Regulatory System (safe and suitable food; healthy food supply; informed and empowered consumers; and a thriving food economies).
- Further information can be found under the Strategic Plan 2025 – 2028, published on the Food Regulation website.
- With further project-level detail available under the Work Plan.
- An agreed focus area under the ‘safe and suitable food’ Strategic Outcome includes continuing to pay particular attention to minimising Campylobacter throughout the food chain (from farm to fork), recognised as Australia’s highest (and most costly) bacterial foodborne pathogen.
- Another agreed focus areas will be the development of a framework to support the food regulation system’s data intelligence capability and develop a dedicated Data Governance Framework, including surveillance and monitoring activities, data sharing, collation and analysis.
Energy labelling on alcoholic beverages guidance
- ISFR members discussed the development of guidance for the alcoholic beverage industry on how to best implement energy labelling on alcoholic beverages.
Local government reports
The meeting included reports on activities and key matters for local government:
- Australian Capital Territory
- New South Wales
- Northern Territory
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Victoria
- Western Australia
- New Zealand
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).
Australian Capital Territory
Environmental Health Officers meet regularly to ensure consistency across food safety inspections and compliance concerns. The meetings also include implementation of standards and alignment with other jurisdictions.
The Health and Community Services Directorate works across government in the food regulatory system.
New South Wales
Food Regulation 2025 commenced operation in NSW on 1 September 2025. Key changes introduced were:
- Introducing the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Primary Production and Processing Standards for berries, leafy vegetables and melons into NSW law. These standards will commence operating from 12 February 2026.
- Introducing a new fee for businesses to resume operation after receiving a prohibition order due to a serious food safety issue.
- Food Safety Supervisor courses must be completed with the one approved RTO.
- CPI adjustments made to existing licence fees; and
- Penalty units increased for penalty notice offences in the Food Act 2003 and Food Regulation.
Council annual activity reports for 2024/25 have been submitted concerning food retail business inspections. A summary report for this reporting period is provided has been published on the NSW Food Authority website.
The Food Regulation Partnership (FRP) has launched the FRP library and FRP web-hub to replace the new de-commissioned FRP portal. The FRP library is the place where NSW local government officers can find training resources to assist them in their inspectorate role. Public facing material for local government stakeholders remains on the Food Authority website.
Northern Territory
The Environmental Health Leadership Group meets three times a year. This group consists of representatives from the Environmental Health strategy and operations units. The meeting includes discussion on standards implementation and national considerations.
Queensland
The 2024-25 financial year annual reporting of local government activities under the Food Act 2006 is currently being finalised. It is anticipated to be released by the end of 2025.
An interactive dashboard will be available which comprises visual representations of the main findings and trends in local government activities, as well as an interactive map that displays the reported data for each local government.
South Australia
SA Health continue to work closely with local government as co-regulators of food businesses in SA. This included attending the Environmental Health Australia (EHA) managers forum where a presentation on the implementation of Standard 3.2.2A was shared, and the EHA Food Special Interest Group (SIG) to share other new learnings and potential issues with environmental health managers and officers working within local councils. SA Health also ran Food Business Risk Classification training for 16 new graduate EHOs and supported 5 EHOs to attend the SAI Global Lead Food Safety Auditor Training.
Tasmania
The Department of Health Tasmania and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania continue to work with local government as co-regulators in the food regulation system.
Victoria
The Department of Energy Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) and the Department of Health are working closely to deliver on Victoria’s commitment to a new food safety regulator, Safe Food Victoria, commencing in mid-2026. To date this has included extensive consultation with interested parties, both directly and through the Engage Victoria website. Public consultation on these reforms is still open via the Engage Victoria website until 17 October at the following link: https://engage.vic.gov.au/foodsafety
Western Australia
WA Health acknowledges the ongoing regulatory food safety activities undertaken by WA local governments.
To support these activities WA Health has worked closely with local governments to:
- implement the new food safety standards for horticulture.
- Explain the proposed changes to the egg food safety standard.
- Publish a reporting dashboard of local government activities under the Food Act 2008.
New Zealand
New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) continues to maintain regulatory systems and provide timely information and advice to its co-regulatory partners (67 Territorial Authorities) on the exercise of powers and operational interpretation of the Food Act 2014.
Key recent engagements with local government include:
- Domestic Food Business Levy: From 1 July 2025, the Levy came into effect, with Territorial Authorities acting as collection agencies.
- Consultation on Exemptions: Territorial Authorities participated in consultation on the proposed exemptions for home-based cake makers, aimed at reducing regulatory burdens for small businesses.
- Training and Implementation: Territorial Authorities are actively training staff and supporting businesses with the roll-out of the updated Simply Safe & Suitable Template Food Control Plan for food service and retail operators.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)
FSANZ reported it continues to support the Food Regulation System priorities through its work on addressing foodborne illness through data collection and analysis, and development of standards and non-regulatory tools. Work included: Proposal P1060 Review of the Egg Primary Production and Processing Standard, Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR), Health Star Rating system; Branded Food Database.
Next meeting
The ISFR will meet again in May 2026.
Contact
If you have any queries, please contact the Food Regulation Secretariat.