GROWERS must incorporate food safety practices into the cost of production.
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That idea was one to come from the International Fresh Produce Association Australia and New Zealand's (IFPA A-NZ) second annual Food Safety Summit last December.
Growers were also encouraged to view food safety as an investment in market access and an insurance policy against outbreaks.
Held in Melbourne, the summit attracted growers, packers, retailers, peak industry representatives, researchers and food regulators.
IFPA A-NZ head of food safety Deon Mahoney and United States-based IFPA chief food safety and regulatory officer Natalie Dyenson were among the speakers.
The changes to the Food Standards Code gazetted by the Federal Government in 2022 would see horticulture included as a new responsibility for state and territory regulators, according to Mr Mahoney.
"There has been some confusion and angst about what the new standards mean for berry, melon, and leafy vegetable sectors and how they will work," Mr Mahoney said.
"The fresh produce industry currently works with voluntary standards set by supermarkets and food service customers and there have been no previous standards for these sectors.
"The regulations are not that onerous. The general view is that if producers are already meeting stringent supermarket standards, they will meet the new regulations.
"However, there's much work to be done by the regulators including first registering growers and packers."
Ms Dyenson said delegate feedback indicated growers appreciated the chance to be involved in the process.
"Regulators can move things forward when growers and packers are engaged and that's what we're seeing," she said.
"From an international standpoint, other developed countries have had these regulations in place for decades. Australia is catching up."
Ms Dyenson said the safety of Australia and New Zealand's food supply chain was equivalent to that of the world's leading nations including the United States and parts of Europe.
However, food safety was a constantly evolving area and producers needed to be ready for what could go wrong, Mr Mahoney said.
"There are 4.86 million cases of foodborne illnesses in Australia each year which has a pretty staggering $2.8 billion burden on the medical system," Ms Dyenson said.
"Life-limiting illnesses can be caused by Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter and E. coli in the food chain and can come out of nowhere.
"The industry needs to do all it can to protect consumers - at every step along the supply chain.
"Australians generally trust the food supply chain. However, they also have long memories, and an outbreak can affect their perception of a fresh produce line well after the issue has been rectified."
Ms Dyenson and Mr Mahoney said pressure points for food outbreaks included climate change causing extreme events, labour shortages, rising costs of transportation, access to safe water and soil amendments.
"There's the added pressure around the need for fresh produce growers to be sustainable," Mr Mahoney said.
"Packaging is a big one - it's functional, protects against contamination, and aims to reduce food waste - but is not always sustainable.
"Finding an intersection between food safety and sustainability is a challenge."
He said the next decade would see the emergence of new pathogens causing foodborne illnesses.
Yet there would also be better diagnostics such as (now mainstream) genome sequencing to detect the cause of outbreaks.
"In the food industry, you can run but you can't hide. There is hardly a product that cannot be affected by Salmonella or Listeria," he said.
"Growers often don't think of themselves as part of the food supply chain, but they need to.
"The IFPA A-NZ can help, and we urge growers to take advantage of our services and resources including webinars, newsletters and workshops."
Another summit will be held in late 2024.
IFPA chief food safety and regulatory officer Natalie Dyenson. Click to download large file.
FSANZ food safety officer Mark Rullo addresses upcoming standards for key sectors. Click to download large file.
IFPA A-NZ managing director Ben Hoodless discusses food safety challenges. Click to download large file.
Key topics included an overview of the global food safety landscape; upcoming changes to production and processing standards for berries, melons, and leafy vegetables due for implementation on February 12, 2025; and how the IFPA A-NZ can support growers on food safety.
