FPSC A-NZ releases new food safety fact sheets

Food Defence

The Fresh Produce Safety Centre (FPSC) Australia & New Zealand has released a new fact sheet to support ‘food defence’ in fresh produce.  

Businesses across the supply chain – growing, packing and processing – can make use of the guidance in this fact sheet to prevent intentional contamination and ‘malicious attacks’ that compromise food safety and public health. 

This covers various threats along the supply chain, including:  

• Malicious adulteration 
• Espionage 
• Cybercrime 
• Economically motivated adulteration 
• Extortion, and
• Counterfeiting 

The fact sheet provides an introduction to food defence in fresh produce safety, key terms and frameworks, examples of ‘malicious attack’ and steps for mitigating risk, including guidance for considering contamination possibilities, conducting threat assessments and preparing critical controls/incident response plans. 

APAL has a robust, regularly-reviewed industry crisis management plan in place to respond to industry crisis and minimise any negative effect.

If you experience a food safety crisis in the apple and pear supply chain, contact APAL Head of Government Relations and Advocacy, Jeremy Griffith.

View the FPSC A-NZ food defence fact sheet here. 

Bushfire and fresh produce

The FPSC A-NZ has also released a fact sheet on The Effects of Bushfires on Fresh Produce Safety.

This fact sheet addresses how bushfires can impact the safety and quality of fresh fruit and vegetables, and what practical actions can be taken in the event of a bushfire. The guidance is intended to build preparedness for future rounds of bushfires and the specific food safety risks these pose for growers and producers.

It covers the impacts on:

• Water
• Soil
• Fresh produce, and
• Human health and safety, specifically staff.

View the FPSC A-NZ bushfire and fresh produce fact sheet here.