All GFSI and HACCP programs now require the business to build a positive food safety culture at work by developing awareness, empowerment and commitment to food safety.
There is a 2 minute free online U Tube video introducing the topic of "What is Food Safety Culture", produced by Safe Food Production QLD. It may be a useful introduction to staff to start discussion about the importance of building a positive Food Safety Culture. 

Codex Alimentarius  The General Principles of Food Hygiene CXC 1- 1969 has been updated in late 2020.
Changes include:

• The establishment and maintenance of a positive food safety culture.
  The commitment of the management and all personnel to the production and handling of safe food.
• Chapter 1. Good Hygiene Practices. Minor changes.
  Requirement for a traceability/product tracing system.
• A Code of Practice on Food Allergen Management for Food Business Operators CXC 80-2020
• Some additional and variations of definitions
• Subtle changes to The Principles of HACCP.
  Some of these changes are consideration of unintended use, as well as intended use of products. 
  Validation of Critical Limits.
  Validation of the HACCP plan prior to Verification of the HACCP system to ensure it is working as intended.
• Strengthening of HACCP training and competency as an essential element for the effective implementation of HACCP.

These changes to HACCP occurred late 2020.
Correct Food Systems will be working with our clients to make any required adjustment to HACCP plans. We will be allowing adequate time for businesses make the necessary changes to their HACCP plans.
Download  Codex HACCP 2020 below.
Register now for a Update - HACCP Refresher 2020 trainng

See our Utube interview with Gary Kennedy explaining this change.
Watch our short interview for an overview of the changes.

Late February 2021 the FSANZ Code was amended to introduce new requirements for the labelling of allergens in food, sold in Australia. FSANZ approved Proposal P1044 Plain English Allergen Labelling (PEAL).
Businesses have 3 years (till 25 February 2024) to adjust their product information and labels to meet the new requirements. There is a further 2 years stock in trade period.

These requirements change how allergen information is to be declared.
Products for sale in Australia will have specific allergen information, in a specific format, specific wording and terms, in bold font, in a specific location on food labels.
PEAL changes include

• Allergen identification in the Ingredients List, for each ingredient
• Required specific names for making allergen declarations
• Declaration of allergens in processing aids used
• Bolded format of specific allergen words
• In a size of type no less than that used for other text
• Molluscs as a new allergen category
• Specific nut type must be named rather than "nuts" or "tree nuts", eg cashew, hazelnut. almond
• Specific cereal type must be named rather than "cereals", eg wheat, barley, oats in the ingredient list
• ‘Wheat’ must still be declared when it is present in food, irrespective of whether gluten is present
• Specific declaration of gluten in the separate allergen statement
• A separate allergen statement in addition to the Allergens declared in the Ingredients list
• Allergen information clearly legible, and same size font so as to contrast distinctly with the background of the label
• FSANZ has specified the mandatory terms that must be used in both the Ingredient List and the Allergen Declaration Statement. In some cases - where gluten is present in the specific cereal, gluten must be named in the Allergen Declaration Statement

Note: This is not an exhaustive list of all the changes.

See the Plain English Allergen Labelling webpage at Correct Food Systems

Further information can be found at FSANZ in Standard 1.2.3 ( link to Standard 1.2.3), and Schedule 9 Mandatory Advisory Statements (link to Schedule 9) and in the proposal  approval report.

FSANZ Food Standards Code 3.2.2.
Food Standards Practices and general requirements
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AS 4696: 2007
The Australian Standard for the Hygienic production and transportation of meat and meat products for human consumption  ensures meat and meat products comply with food safety requirements. This standard is in addition to other national food safety standards and State and Territory requirements.
This Australian Standard is sometimes used as an alternative validation resource for temperature control in meat processing, and chilling and thawing of meat and meat products.
​Download the AS4696 Standard from CSIRO here.

​This document is recommended reading for the CTS Audit a Cook Chill Process training program.

Queensland Health have a excellent guide on the design and fitout of food premises, using information in Standard 3.2.3 and Australian Standard 4674-2004: Design, construction and fit-out of food premises. It aims to provide users seeking further information on how to comply with the requirements of the Standard with acceptable solutions on how they may meet the outcomes.  The guide also provides some best practice options for those food businesses that choose to demonstrate a higher level of compliance.

Queensland health has a detailed guidance sheet on labelling information.
Available as a download . https://www.health.qld.gov.au/publications/portal/food-safety-labelling/label-buster-guide-bus.pdf
​

​This checklist has been designed to assist food businesses make a self-assessment of their level of compliance with the Food Safety Standards. It was developed in consultation with various industry representatives and is suitable for use by all businesses involved in the handling, storing, and sale of food in Queensland including food retailers, food service and take-away food businesses, catering, manufacturing and transporters of food.
https://publications.qld.gov.au/dataset/food-act-compliance-information-for-businesses/resource/915e72c1-120d-495b-b6a3-c14476ae17e_0
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This guide explains the temperature control requirements in Food Safety Standard 3.2.2 Food Safety Practices and General Requirements and provides some advice on how to comply with the requirements applied to Potentially Hazardous Foods.
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/publications/documents/FSTemp_control_Edition_for_printing.pd_f
Potentially hazardous food has a legal definition in Standard 3.2.2 Food Safety Practices and General Requirements. It means food that has to be kept at certain temperatures to minimise multiplication of any food-poisoning bacteria that may be present in the food or to prevent the formation of toxins in the food. 
Download this guidance material here: 

The NSW Food Authority has published a useful information brochure outlining how audits of food businesses in NSW work.
This information guideline provides an explanation of  the audit requirements for various food businesses, grading of audits. Table 5 lists key areas for various types of food businesses.
Table 6 provides guidance on various aspects of audit compliance.
if you operate a food business that is audited by the NSW Food Authority scheme this is well worth a review.

This is a guideline document to Standard 3.2.2 Food Safety Practices and General Requirements.
This Standard sets out specific requirements for food businesses and food handlers that, if complied with, will ensure food does not become unsafe or unsuitable. This Standard specifies process control requirements to be satisfied at each step of the food handling process. Some requirements relate to the receipt, storage, processing, display, packaging, distribution disposal and recall of food. Other requirements relate to the skills and knowledge of food handlers and their supervisors, the health and hygiene of food handlers, and the cleaning, sanitising, and maintenance of premises and equipment.
Download this Guideline here.

This document is recommended reading for all of the CTS  training programs.

Scarm 60 Standard for meat Processing.
Download here

​The NSW Food Authority (the Food Authority) has prepared the NSW Food Safety Schemes Manual (the Manual) to specify certain requirements for the following Food Safety Schemes under the Food Regulation 2015:  This outline the tests and frequency for NSW business that fall under
Dairy food safety scheme, Meat food safety scheme, Plant products food safety scheme, Seafood safety scheme , Vulnerable persons food safety scheme , Egg food safety scheme.
(Click here)