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PrimeSafe eNews Edition 27
In this edition, we cover:
- Packaging of Ready-to-Eat Smallgoods
- Changes to PrimeSafe Technical Guidelines
- On-Farm Slaughter and Meat consumption
- Recent PrimeSafe Prosecutions
- Transition from PrimeSafe to Safe Food Victoria (SFV)
- Licence renewals for June 2026
Packaging of Ready-to-Eat Smallgoods
Facilities that package or repackage Ready-to-Eat (RTE) meat products are subject to two audits per year, as are smallgoods manufacturers. RTE smallgoods products such as hams, salami, kabana, devon, and Strassburg, and handling of sliced or whole smallgoods (often with a shelf life of 5 days or longer), are considered high-risk for post-processing contamination. These activities pose a greater likelihood of exposure to Listeria monocytogenes, a pathogen that can cause serious foodborne illnesses.
What is Listeria?
Listeria monocytogenes is a pathogen that can contaminate food during handling and packaging, particularly after cooking. It is commonly found in the environment and may pose a risk if a facility does not maintain good manufacturing practices, as well as effective cleaning and sanitation. Repackaged RTE meat products may be at risk of cross-contamination from the processing environment, including both non-food contact and food contact surfaces.
The Listeria monocytogenes pathogen can cause Listeriosis with indicative symptoms such as fever, muscle aches and nausea. In severe cases, it can lead to life-threatening complications. Vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, older people, and those with weakened immune systems, are at greater risk. This highlights the importance of strict food safety practices.
Guidance for Businesses
To help businesses implement best practices, PrimeSafe offers valuable resources, including the Listeria Management of Ready-to-Eat Meat Products Technical Guideline. Businesses can also refer to the AMRG Guidelines for the Management of Listeria, accessible via the links below:
- Listeria Management of Ready-to-Eat Meat Products Technical Guideline
- AMRG Guidelines for the Management of Listeria
Changes to PrimeSafe Technical Guidelines
In January 2026, PrimeSafe initiated a review its publicly facing guidance materials. Three technical guidelines were identified as requiring independent review. A consultant was engaged to review and amend these guidelines. The three guidelines identified for review concerned smallgoods, dry aged beef, and shelf life and labelling. A technical review was performed against current PrimeSafe policies, the applicable Australian Standards, the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, other advisory documents and regulations, the scientific literature, PrimeSafe staff and industry opinions. Valuable input was also received from AMIC and members.
Amended versions of all these three technical guidelines are now available in the Resource Library on the PrimeSafe website and are accessible via these links:
On-farm slaughter and meat consumption
A PrimeSafe licence is NOT required for the slaughter of an animal on a farm if—
(i) it is slaughtered for consumption on that farm; and
(ii) it is not slaughtered for sale; and
(iii) it is not slaughtered for use in the preparation of food for sale; and
(iv) it is not removed from that farm.
A farm is land used for the primary production of animals.
The Food Act 1984 definition of sell includes—
(a) barter, offer or attempt to sell; and
(b) receive for sale; and
(c) have in possession for sale; and
(d) display for sale; and
(e) cause or permit to be sold or offered for sale; and
(f) send, forward or deliver for sale; and
(g) dispose of by any method for valuable consideration; and
(h) dispose of to an agent for sale on consignment; and
(i) provide under a contract of service; and
(j) supply food as a meal or part of a meal to an employee in accordance with a term of an award governing the employment of the employee or a term of the employee’s contract of service, for consumption by the employee at the employee’s place of work; and
(k) dispose of by way of raffle, lottery or other game of chance; and
(l) offer as a prize or reward; and
(m) give away for the purpose of advertisement or in furtherance of trade or business; and
(n) supply food under a contract (whether or not the contract is made with the consumer of the food), together with accommodation, service or entertainment, in consideration of an inclusive charge for the food supplied and the accommodation, service or entertainment; and
(o) supply food (whether or not for consideration) in the course of providing services to patients in hospitals or prisoners in prisons; and
(p) sell for the purpose of resale.
Anyone in doubt as to the requirements concerning the on-farm slaughter of animals for personal consumption and the requirements around selling of meat products should lodge an enquiry with PrimeSafe at info@primesafe.vic.gov.au
Recent PrimeSafe Prosecutions
PrimeSafe has undertaken three recent enforcement actions involving alleged or proven breaches of Victoria’s food safety laws. The matters include charges against a St Albans butcher shop over food safety and cleanliness issues, charges against a Melbourne butcher shop for the illegal use of preservatives in fresh meat, and the conviction of a Geelong man for operating an unlicensed seafood business.
PrimeSafe reinforces the importance of complying with food safety standards and licensing requirements.
Transition from PrimeSafe to Safe Food Victoria (SFV)
Safe Food Victoria (SFV) will be established on 1 July 2026. All the functions and staff of PrimeSafe, Dairy Food Safety Victoria (DFSV) and the food safety functions of the Health Regulator, will be moved into Safe Food Victoria on its commencement date.
Once Safe Food Victoria is established, PrimeSafe and DFSV will no longer exist, and all businesses previously regulated by PrimeSafe and DFSV will be regulated by Safe Food Victoria.
Reform is being progressed in two stages:
- The first stage of reform is the establishment of Safe Food Victoria on 1 July this year.
- The second stage of reform, likely to occur in late 2027, will be to consolidate the four separate pieces of food safety legislation to create a more contemporary, efficient, flexible and effective regulatory framework. Further consultation with stakeholders will take place as work on this second stage of reforms develops.
In this first stage of reform and at the commencement of Safe Food Victoria, there will be no changes to the regulatory framework that businesses operate under the Meat Industry Act 1993, Seafood Safety Act 2003, Dairy Act 2000 and Food Act 1984 will all still exist. This means that regulated businesses can expect to interact with Safe Food Victoria in the same way they interacted with PrimeSafe and DFSV. Licensing and audits, license conditions, fees and charges, and all regulatory requirements, will all remain the same at commencement of Safe Food Victoria.
You can find out more about the plans for Safe Food Victoria and what it will mean for businesses by registering to attend a food safety reform webinar.
The webinar will be held live at 1pm on 27 May and will cover:
- Key features of the Safe Food Victoria Act 2026
- Transition information
- What this means for you
We will continue to keep you informed throughout the transition to Safe Food Victoria and further information will be disseminated to licensees.
For further details or questions about the transition, please feel free to contact PrimeSafe or email foodreform@deeca.vic.gov.au
Licence Renewals for June 2026
PrimeSafe uses an online licensee portal for all renewal submissions. Renewal notices are not mailed out unless you are not registered for the portal. We will send a bulk email and SMS notification when the portal opens for renewals, typically late April for Meat Transport Vehicles (MTVs) and late May for all other licence categories expiring in June.
To remain licensed by PrimeSafe and operate after 30 June 2026, licensees must complete and submit the online renewal form and pay the renewal fee through the portal.
Licensees can pay via BPAY or credit card through the online portal. Cheques and money orders are acceptable if mailing a paper form.
For detailed instructions on how to renew your licence, please visit our website: PrimeSafe Licensee Portal. Here, you will find step-by-step guidance on using the PrimeSafe Licensee Portal.
Licence categories due for renewals by 30 June:
- Meat Transport Vehicle (MTV)
- Abattoir
- Further Meat Processing Facility
- Prime Tallow Processing Facility
- Game Meat Processing Facility
- Inedible Rendering Facility
- Pet Meat Processing Facility
- Pet Food Establishment
- Poultry Processing Facility
- Wildcatch
- Aquaculture
- Game Meat Field Harvester
Important:
If you fail to renew your licence by the due date, you may have to pay an application fee on top of the annual renewal fee. Significant penalties can apply if you operate without a licence, as these fines are set by law.
Licence periods
Each licence has a ‘licence period,’ which you must renew before its end date. For Meat and Poultry licences, the licence period is from 1 July – 30 June. Check our website to see the specific licence period for your licence category.
For any enquiries, or if you have not received your renewal notification by early June, please contact the PrimeSafe office.
Facility licence certificates now emailed (no hard copies)
Following the successful rollout in 2025, PrimeSafe will now email licence certificates to all facility licensees only. Hard copy certificates will no longer be posted. Make sure your email address is up to date to ensure prompt delivery.
Please note MTV labels will still be posted.
If you have any questions about your renewal or need help accessing the Licensee Portal, please contact PrimeSafe on (03) 9685 7333 or email info@primesafe.vic.gov.au
Image Disclaimer: Some images featured in this article were generated using Microsoft Copilot. These images are AI‑generated and may not depict real events, people, or locations.
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