Executive summary
At the request of State and Territory Health Ministers, the Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) developed a package of food safety reforms to update existing regulatory requirements and to ensure a nationally consistent approach to food safety. As part of these reforms, ANZFA proposed that food businesses should be required, over time, to implement a food safety program based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) to control potential food safety hazards. ANZFA has developed a draft food safety program standard for this purpose. To help businesses meet such a requirement, a process for recognising the equivalence of existing food safety, quality and regulatory systems is being developed.
Jurisdictions that implement a food safety program requirement will need to develop an audit system infrastructure in order to assess compliance. ANZFA has developed an audit system for the purposes of auditing food safety programs. The audit system comprises three major elements. These are:
- the food safety auditor approval process;
- the audit process; and
- the audit management system.
The roles and responsibilities of State and Territory Governments in ensuring the integrity of the audit system have been outlined throughout this paper.
The Australia New Zealand Food Authority prepared this report with assistance from the audit system working group:
Copies of this document can be obtained from www.foodstandards.gov.au or the Information Officer at:
Food Standards Australia New Zealand
PO Box 7186, Canberra Business Centre
Australia ACT 2610
|
Fax: |
+61 2 6271 2278 |
|
Telephone: |
+61 2 6271 2241 |
|
Email: |
or
Food Standards Australia New Zealand
PO Box 10559, Wellington
New Zealand 6036
|
Fax: |
+63 4 473 9855 |
|
Telephone: |
+63 4 473 9942 |
|
Email: |
This document is intended as a guide only: legal requirements are contained in the Food Standards Code and relevant food legislation and other applicable laws. The information in this document should not be relied upon as legal advice or used as a substitute for legal advice. You should exercise your own skill, care and judgement before relying on this information in any important matter.
© Australia New Zealand Food Authority 2001
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from Info Products. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Manager, Legislative Services, Info Products, Department of Finance and Administration, GPO Box 1920, Canberra, Australia ACT 2601.