The Food Act Report 2014
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The Food Act report 2014 State of food safety Page 1 The Food Act report 2014: State of food safety This report has been developed as required under the Food Act 1984 (s.7C). To receive this publication in an accessible format phone 1300 364 352, using the National Relay Service 13 36 77 if required, or email [email protected] Authorised and published by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne. © State of Victoria, Department of Health and Human Services May 2016 ISSN 2200–1239 (Online) Available at www2.health.vic.gov.au/public-health/food-safety (1602001) Page 1 The Food Act report 2014: State of food safety Message from the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services With more than 66,000 food businesses subject to the Food Act 1984 operating in Victoria, the challenging food safety mandate of the Department of Health and Human Services and our co- regulators in local government is immediately apparent. Victoria has implemented major reforms via the regulatory framework of the Food Act 1984 to ensure that the Victorian community can have confidence in the safety of the food they eat, whether they’re in a nursing home, a café or buying food from a vending machine. Food businesses are classified into groups based on the risk they present to public health and safety and are regulated in accordance with these ratings. Food businesses deemed high risk are, for example, required to have food safety programs documenting their procedures to keep the food they prepare and sell safe. Councils report business compliance and enforcement activities to the department which provides a statistical profile of the performance of the food regulatory system. In 2014 the department embarked on a major work program to achieve a more consistent regulatory approach across local government. This work responds to food business requests and a Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission recommendation1 and will demand different ways of thinking and working for the department, local governments and food businesses. The approach to food safety in Victoria also moved forward in a number of other important areas. Among the highlights for 2014 was the launch of a new food sampling app that improved council food safety surveillance practice and yielded better data. A new video and interactive website helps community volunteers conducting food fundraisers to understand their food safety obligations and a major campaign targeting home cooks tackled safe food handling in the home; home is where most cases of food poisoning occur. Throughout the 2014 departmental staff worked with our state and national counterparts to ensure that the public health response to food safety incidents and outbreaks was faster, better coordinated and more effective. I take pleasure in recommending the Food Act report 2014: State of food safety to all interested parties. Kym Peake Secretary Department of Health and Human Services 1 Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission 2007, Simplifying the menu: food regulation in Victoria, final report, State Government of Victoria, Melbourne. The Food Act report 2014: State of food safety 2 Message from the Chief Executive Officer, Municipal Association of Victoria In collaboration with the Department of Health, the work of the local councils in 2014 enhanced Victoria’s reputation as a leader in food safety regulation and ensured that public health and safety remained the utmost priority. Of particular interest this year were steps towards more sophisticated risk assessment in relation to the 66,000 food premises regulated under the state’s Food Act 1984. In common with similar jurisdictions, Victoria is moving away from a traditional ‘tick-a-box’ approach to assessing business compliance with the Act and the Food Standards Code in favour of a HACCP-based risk- and outcomes-based approach. The desired outcome is that actions taken by councils in response to food business noncompliance reflect the inherent level of food safety risk and are outcomes based, procedurally fair and consistent across the state. This report includes new information on council compliance assessment and enforcement action. While not yet flawless, these statistics offer a first glimpse of business performance and council activity across the state. They give cause for confidence in the food sector and in councils’ success in bringing poor performers back into line. Another striking feature this year was the extraordinary growth of the street food sector. In 2014 the number of coffee carts, food vans and market stalls swelled to more than 20,000 – an increase of 54 per cent compared to the previous year. For these premises, Streatrader, the department’s online business system for temporary and mobile food premises, has dramatically reduced the time and costs of complying with their food safety obligations. At the same time, Streatrader has assisted councils to manage this substantial additional workload through streamlining the registration/notification process and providing access to traders’ compliance histories at all locations. Most importantly, this enabled council officers to focus their efforts on food businesses that pose greater risks to public health and safety. Confidence and trust in the safety of foods sold in Victoria rests on such work. The roles of the department and councils in protecting consumers, regulating the food industry, enforcing food safety standards and using the best scientific advice to underpin risk management decisions have never been more important. Rob Spence Chief Executive Officer Municipal Association of Victoria Page 3 The Food Act report 2014: State of food safety Contents Message from the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services .......................................... 2 Message from the Chief Executive Officer, Municipal Association of Victoria ................................... 3 About us .................................................................................................................................................... 10 Department of Health ................................................................................................................................. 10 Councils ...................................................................................................................................................... 10 About this report ...................................................................................................................................... 12 Scope ......................................................................................................................................................... 12 The national scene ................................................................................................................................... 14 Intergovernmental agreement .................................................................................................................... 14 Food safety regulation in Victoria .......................................................................................................... 18 Year in review ........................................................................................................................................... 19 From principles to practice ......................................................................................................................... 19 Risk management matters ......................................................................................................................... 21 The challenges ........................................................................................................................................... 22 Working together ..................................................................................................................................... 27 Shared responsibility .................................................................................................................................. 27 Working with co-regulator PrimeSafe ........................................................................................................ 28 Working with the Department of Environment and Primary Industries and local councils ........................ 29 Innovation ................................................................................................................................................. 36 Digital advances ......................................................................................................................................... 36 Food safety at community events – new resources ................................................................................... 39 Food safety incidents .............................................................................................................................. 42 Food premises registrations and notifications ..................................................................................... 48 Risk-based food premises classification .................................................................................................... 48 Industry sector, premises type and location ............................................................................................... 51 Premises class and business type ............................................................................................................. 59 Compliance and enforcement approaches ..........................................................................................