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Environmental Health Branch - Food Safety Policy and Regulation Unit

Role

The Food Safety Policy and Regulation Unit (FSPR Unit) of Queensland Health is the lead agency in Queensland for food safety legislation, policy, standards and regulation involving food safety in the manufacturing, food service and retail sectors, and food composition, labelling and advertising.

The Minister for Health is the lead Minister for Queensland on the Australia New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council, which is primarily responsible for the development of domestic food regulatory policy. The Environmental Health Branch is responsible for briefing the Minister on food safety and standards issues with a whole of government position.

Responsibilities

The FSPR Unit plays a key role for Queensland in coordinating, managing and responding to:

• food borne illness outbreaks
• food recalls
• food incidents including the suspected intentional contamination of food (food tampering)
• investigation of food complaints
• testing for presence of prescribed contaminants in food, which includes a number of common food-borne pathogens
• notifications by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Services (AQIS) of imported food that does not comply with the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code)
• food safety in State food businesses
• the management of public health risks associated with the provision of food.

The FSPR Unit plays a key role for Queensland in:

• supporting local government to enforce and administer the Food Act 2006 (the Act)
• working collaboratively across Government with Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) and Safe Food Production Queensland (SFPQ )
• the development of national food safety and standards policies
• the development of food safety, composition and labelling requirements of the Code
• advising the Minister for Health and Cabinet on contentious food safety issues that have whole-of-government implications
• development of food safety resources and provision of advice about the Act to enforcement officers, the food industry and the public
• food safety auditor approval and verification
• providing consumer information on food safety
• food surveillance activities including monitoring and sampling.

The FSPR Unit also has involvement with enforcement activities, by providing advice and leadership to Queensland Health Public Health Units and local governments and developing support material including templates, forms and guidance material for enforcement of the Queensland Food Act 2006  and of the Code.

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Legislation

The FSPR Unit is responsible for the development and implementation of the following legislation in Queensland:

• Food Act 2006
• Food Regulation 2006

While the Code is enforced by Queensland Health and Local Government, the development and review of the Code is co-ordinated through Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). Any person may make an application for amendment of the Code. For further information, please refer to the FSANZ website.

Contact details

Food Safety Policy and Regulation Unit
Environmental Health Branch
PO Box 2368
FORTITUDE VALLEY Q 4006
Telephone: +61 7 3328 9310
Facsimile: +61 7 3328 9354
Email: foodsafety@health.qld.gov.au

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