Legislation
The NSW food industry is subject to requirements outlined in the:
Other laws which relate to food and promotion and packaging are enforced by other agencies including:
- Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cwlth) - enforced by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
- Fair Trading Act 1987 (NSW) - enforced by the NSW Fair Trading
- weights and measures - enforced by the National Measurement Institute
Contact the above agencies for questions relating to each law.
Effective, minimum regulation
NSW food regulations are actively reviewed and updated to keep pace with changes in the food industry and to minimise the burden of government regulation.
Current regulations and change proposals are based on evidence and consultation.
Food Regulation 2015
The Food Regulation 2015 underpins the Food Authority's food regulatory work, which aims to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness linked to certain food sectors in NSW.
It is important to the food industry as it sets minimum food safety requirements for food industry sectors that have been identified as higher risk: meat, dairy, seafood, shellfish, plant products, egg and vulnerable persons.
These businesses are subject to Food Safety Schemes because of the priority classification.
Under each scheme there are licence categories that specify the types of activities each business is licensed to perform (eg opening oysters, raw milk transport).
Administrative food laws
The Food Authority is also responsible for the following administrative laws relating to food:
Food Instrument of Delegation 2020