June 30, 2016
As the official food regulatory agency in New South Wales, the NSW Food Authority is the premier information provider on food safety and regulation for the food industry, local governments, and consumers in NSW.
The NSW Food Authority was created to:
- Regulate and monitor food safety across NSW from primary production to processing, wholesale, and retail
- Administer and enforce national and State food legislation, including the Food Act 2003
- Develop a regulatory framework for the NSW food industry
- Regulate key industry sectors through food safety schemes in the Food Regulation 2010
- Apply the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code
How Does NSW Food Authority Protect The Community?
To protect the community, the NSW Food Authority:
- Shares information on food safety
- Provides information on food labelling
- Educates consumers on food safety, including safe food handling practices
- Administers the Food Standards Code
- Audits and verifies statutory food safety requirements
- Empowers consumers to make informed choices about the food they eat and handle food safely
How Does NSW Food Authority Engage With Food Businesses?
The NSW Food Authority engages with food businesses in NSW in many ways. These include:
- Licensing NSW food businesses
- Recording notification of NSW food businesses
- Conducting risk-based surveillance of all food industry sectors
- Auditing and inspecting food business operations to improve compliance with food regulations
- Inspecting vehicles and equipment used for the handling or transportation of food
- Penalising non-compliance with food safety law
- Providing the food industry with access to appropriate, effective information on food safety, labelling and standards
- Enforcing food labelling laws
- Managing food safety incidents and emergencies such as food poisoning outbreaks
- Benchmarking and verifying NSW food industry performance
- Ensuring that food workers are safe, skilled and accountable, working in alignment with food safety laws
How Does NSW Food Authority Fit With The Government?
The NSW Food Authority is a part of the Primary Industries ministerial portfolio and acts as a Statutory authority within the NSW Department of Trade and Investment.
What Are NSW Food Authority’s Aims and Objectives?
The NSW Food Authority aims to:
- Ensure the safety and integrity of the food supply chain in NSW
- Be actively involved in applications and proposals to amend the Food Standards Code
- Establish food safety schemes for higher-risk foods and businesses through a process of risk analysis
- Educate consumers by providing information on safe food handling practices and assistance in understanding food labels
- Lead the way on national policy initiatives such as the disclosure of nutrition information in fast food outlets
