Biosecurity & Food Safety Compliance: Regulatory Priorities 2019-2020
The Biosecurity & Food Safety (BFS) Compliance team is responsible for conducting compliance and enforcement activities to verify a safe and secure food supply as well as the welfare of exhibited and research animals.
The team investigates reports of non- compliance, foodborne illness, pest and disease issues and assists in emergency management operations as necessary.
Critical Core Functions
Legislation
The BFS Compliance team is responsible for conducting compliance and enforcement activities under the following legislation:
- Food Act 2003
- Biosecurity Act 2015
- Poppy Industry Act 2016
- Hemp Industry Act 2008
- Exhibited Animals Protection Act 1986
- Animal Research Act 1985
- Stock Medicines Act 1989.
BFS Compliance Activities
Each year, the BFS Compliance team conducts in excess of:
- 5,000 audits,
- 18,000 inspections, and
- 2,500 investigations.
Each year, the team issues in excess of:
- 350 written warnings,
- 450 directions and orders, and
- 170 penalty notices.
Each year, the team administers over 17,500 authorisations (permits, licenses, registrations, approvals, accreditations) covering more than 20,000 facilities.
Operational Activities
Review of high risk horticulture products: leafy greens and berries
Establish baseline requirements with industry for businesses engaged in producing and packing leafy greens and berries.
Egg farm biosecurity and food safety compliance
Execute a surveillance plan to monitor and measure compliance against the Biosecurity (Salmonella Enteriditis) Control Order 2019.
Honey adulteration
Monitoring and surveillance of honey packers and blenders focusing on the use of oxytetracycline for treating American Foulbrood.
Review of food safety practices in poultry processing facilities
Inspect poultry processing facilities (excluding abattoirs) against enhanced key food safety indicators (KFSIs).
Targeted Operations
Commercial beekeeper compliance
Inspections of commercial beekeepers during pollination season to identify notifiable pests and diseases, unregistered beekeepers and bee pollination movements.
NLIS compliance along the supply chain
Partnering with LLS to develop and enhance compliance and verification system at key points in the supply chain for sheep, cattle, pigs and goats.
NLIS for domestic abattoirs
Expand food safety audits to include NLIS verification compliance inspections.
Abandoned/neglected horticultural properties
Targeted inspections of abandoned/neglected horticultural operations to evaluate their biosecurity risk.
Governance
Review of Animal Research compliance activities
Develop and implement an improved risk based compliance program for animal research establishments.
Review of third party food safety auditing
Evaluate and enhance current third party food safety auditing system.
Review of Plant Health Certificates administration
Evaluate and enhance issuance of Plant Health Certificates.
Review of Manufacturers and Wholesalers Inspection Program (MWIP)
Review and refinement of the MWIP procedures and risk ratings.
Performance
Online legislation training course developed
Annual online training course developed for Authorised Officers under the Food Act 2003 and Biosecurity Act 2015.
Cross-skilling of BFS Compliance staff
Development and assessment of staff to allow for cross skilling, verification of skills, upskilling of staff and succession planning.
Enhance incident response capability
Training of staff in biosecurity and food safety incident response protocols.
New electronic service delivery options
Implement bee registration changes from GLS to Byte and scope the development of online services for exhibited animal authorisations.
