Victoria has launched a new food safety regulator aimed at simplifying oversight for food producers while maintaining the state’s existing standards for consumer protection.
Safe Food Victoria officially began operations on Tuesday, bringing together the responsibilities of Dairy Food Safety Victoria, PrimeSafe and other regulatory functions under a single organisation.
Agriculture Minister Michaela Settle marked the start of the new regulator’s operations during a visit to Meredith Dairy alongside Safe Food Victoria Chair Luke Wilson and Chief Executive Officer Mike Gooey.
The new regulator is expected to oversee around 12,000 food producers across Victoria and will report to the Minister for Agriculture.
The Victorian Government says consolidating multiple regulators will reduce administrative complexity for businesses by creating a single regulatory framework. The change forms part of the state’s Economic Growth Statement, which includes measures intended to reduce regulatory burden and make it easier for businesses to operate.
Safe Food Victoria will work alongside local governments to deliver food safety regulatory services while continuing to oversee standards designed to protect consumers from food safety risks.
The government says existing regulatory expertise will be retained, with staff transferring to the new organisation under their current employment conditions. No redundancies are planned as part of the transition.
Further reforms are also planned to modernise food safety legislation and strengthen the regulatory framework to respond to emerging risks across the food sector.
Minister for Agriculture Michaela Settle said maintaining public confidence in Victoria’s food system remained a priority.
“Whether it’s milk in the fridge or dinner on the table, Victorian families should know their food is safe,” she said.
She said a trusted food safety system would support consumers, producers and the state’s export industries.
Health Minister Harriet Shing said food safety remained an important public health issue and described the new regulator as a collaborative approach to overseeing the sector.
Meredith Dairy co-owner Julie Cameron welcomed the launch, saying food safety was central to the business and that the company looked forward to working with Safe Food Victoria as the new regulatory arrangements take effect.
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