The board of Victoria’s meat and seafood safety regulator has fully accepted the recommendations of the independent review into its activities.
The review was led by Allan Myers AO QC, and interviewed 45 people from licensee, industry and support groups, and also received 20 written submissions.
PrimeSafe chairman Len Vallance said submissions demonstrated “food businesses understand the value of compliance with Australian food safety standards to ensure public health, manage potential risks and liabilities, and maintain consumer confidence and market access.”
The Review panel recommended that PrimeSafe modify some processes and procedures around communication, education and engagement, licensing, compliance, and audits.
“We can make some procedural changes immediately – for example those that require approval for variations to the production of an existing products,” Mr Vallance said.
“Other whole of system modifications may require testing and analysis to ensure the best practice food safety of Victoria is maintained.
“We’re committed to addressing the recommendations and will regularly engage with our licensees and stakeholders throughout this process.”
The recommendations can be found here – http://tinyurl.com/px2tfld
Mr Vallance said a key issue was the ability for prospective or new licensees to understand what is required of them to become licensed, and operate a meat or seafood business.
“To address this, and support Government’s commitment to growth of small regional food businesses and alternative food networks, PrimeSafe will work collaboratively with industry and government to improve information, support and education for small businesses,” Mr Vallance said.
The review also identified regulatory arrangements that require consideration in order to ensure the consistent application of Australian Food Safety Standards across all food businesses.
Victoria’s Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford says the government has given in principal support to all but one of the findings of an independent review into Victoria’s meat and seafood regulator, PrimeSafe.
Mr Pulford said the review identified a number of ways to further improve the way PrimeSafe undertook its regulatory activities.
“The Government has also requested PrimeSafe undertake additional actions to address concerns raised in the review about the way in it interacts with businesses in discharging its regulatory functions,” Ms Pulford said.
“These actions will be outlined in the Minister for Agriculture’s Statement of Expectations for PrimeSafe, which is due to be delivered later this year,” she said
“This - and PrimeSafe’s response - will be made publicly available in line with existing protocols.
The review also looked at delivering efficiencies for industry and improved information, support and education for small businesses.
“The review made 24 recommendations, of which the Government supports 23 in principal,” Ms Pulford said.
“The Government does not support the recommendation to transfer the regulation of supermarkets and farmers markets to PrimeSafe.
“Instead, the Government has requested PrimeSafe work with the Victorian Committee of Food Regulators to develop a more consistent regulatory approach for supermarkets.”
Ms Pulford said in the case of farmers markets, there was an existing exemption under the Meat Industry Act for the sale of packaged meat.
“The Government intends to remake this exemption and extend it to cover the sale of packaged meat from other locations such as farm gate sales to try and reduce unnecessary regulatory burden on small businesses undertaking low risk activities,” she said.
Clarification of the extent of the exemption would mean examining the risks and practices associated with the sale, storage and transportation of packaged meat , as well as consultation with key stakeholders.
PrimeSafe has committed to a broad consultation with businesses on the implementation of the recommendations from the review.
Ms Pulford said the government expected the PrimeSafe board to consider how to evaluate the ongoing experience of licensees in their dealings with the organisation, to facilitate continual improvement.
“The Government has every confidence that PrimeSafe’s regulation of industry protects public health and supports the strong reputation that our industries have for safe, high quality meat and seafood,” Ms Pulford said.
