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Complaints

PrimeSafe views all complaints seriously and will investigate complaints in relation to:

  • Food safety issues or non-compliance with the applicable standards at a licensed meat or seafood processing facility, or a meat transport vehicle;
  • The operation of an unlicensed facility or vehicle;
  • The service delivery of PrimeSafe;
  • Inadequate performance of an accredited third party auditing body or an individual auditor; or
  • A breach of the Information Privacy Principles under the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014.

PrimeSafe does not investigate complaints in relation to:

  • Customer service grievances;
  • Product that is fit for human consumption but considered to be of poor quality; or
  • Issues where no substantiating evidence is provided to support an allegation.  

Complaints regarding food borne illnesses or nuisances may be investigated by PrimeSafe or local councils depending on the nature of the complaint.

Complaints regarding facilities registered with local councils, such as supermarkets and restaurants, should be directed to the council where the facility is located. If you are unsure whether a facility is licensed by PrimeSafe or a local council, use our online tool to conduct a search of all PrimeSafe licensed meat and seafood processing facilities.

Search PrimeSafe licensed facilities

Complaints in relation to the service delivery of PrimeSafe will be investigated by the Chief Executive Officer. Complaints relating to a decision made by the Chief Executive Officer will be investigated by the Chairperson.

Under the Meat Industry Act 1993 and the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014, PrimeSafe is required to keep the details of complainants strictly confidential. PrimeSafe does not disclose the identity of a complainant.

What information should I provide in a complaint?

To allow us to take action on your complaint as soon as possible, please provide as much information as you can. Typically, the relevant details required are name of business, address, date of alleged incident and vehicle registration number. PrimeSafe will only consider primary or direct evidence to support allegations.

When we receive your complaint, the information is assessed to determine the appropriate course of action.

How does PrimeSafe investigate complaints?

The most common method of investigating complaints are conducting an unannounced inspection of the business and/or reviewing relevant records from the licensee’s quality assurance program. Where an investigation reveals non-compliance, the licensee is required to remedy the issue to the satisfaction of PrimeSafe and take action to remove the likelihood of this issue occurring again. The licensee must be able to demonstrate sustained compliance.

Due to the confidentiality provisions of the Meat Industry Act 1993 and the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014, there are limitations on the information PrimeSafe can disclose to the complainant at the completion of an investigation.

Depending on the nature and outcome of the complaint, PrimeSafe may install sanctions or undertake formal legal action following an investigation. To prevent disclosure prior to any subsequent legal proceedings and in accordance with the confidentiality provisions of the legislation, PrimeSafe is unable to provide specific details on the progress or outcome of any complaint. However, a complainant will be advised that an investigation has been completed and whether their complaint was substantiated where requested.

How do I submit a complaint?

Complete our online form to submit a complaint to PrimeSafe.

Submit a complaint

Further information