---
title: "NSW Food Authority: Key Facts and Overview"
description: As the official food regulatory agency in New South Wales, the NSW Food Authority is the premier information provider on food safety and regulation.
---

[Food Safety Blog | Food Safety Tips | AIFS ](https://blog.foodsafety.com.au)

# [NSW Food Authority: Key Facts and Overview](https://blog.foodsafety.com.au/nsw-food-authority-an-overview)

 Written by [Australian Institute of Food Safety](https://blog.foodsafety.com.au/author/australian-institute-of-food-safety) | Jun 30, 2016 4:00:00 AM

 As the official food regulatory agency in New South Wales, the [NSW Food Authority](https://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/) 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](http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/code/Pages/default.aspx)

## 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

[View full post](https://blog.foodsafety.com.au/nsw-food-authority-an-overview)

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