Information & Support

Food safety programs

State legislation requires that PrimeSafe licensed facilities and businesses must have a food safety program. The food business must assess the food safety hazards associated with processing, handling and storage of meat, seafood, poultry and pet meat products.

Food Safety Programs are based on Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points (HACCP) or other risk-based programs that meet the regulatory requirements of the relevant Victorian and/or Australian Standards.

A useful reference for writing Food Safety Programs can be obtained from A Guide to the Implementation and Auditing of HACCP.

Food Safety Programs can presented as hard copies and can be in Electronic format. PrimeSafe accepts electronic monitoring as method of demonstrating compliance with the recording requirements of the Food Standards Code and the applicable Australian Standards. For more information refer to the PrimeSafe eNews 17.

Seafood businesses can also use the FSANZ Standard Chapter 3 for writing Food Safety Programs.  

For more information about food safety programs and requirements, refer to the PrimeSafe eNews 7.

PrimeSafe offers free Food Safety Programs to Retail Meat and Smallgoods Retail licensees on request. The Programs can be used in the existing template or as an amended copy specifically tailored to cover the business’s activities. Licensees wishing to make amendments to the free Food Safety Program can do so by contacting PrimeSafe and may be required to pay a fee for any complex amendments made to the existing templates.

To obtain a free PrimeSafe Food Safety Program or for more information, contact PrimeSafe on (03) 9685 7333 or info@primesafe.vic.gov.au