Page 4186 - Week 13 - Thursday, 27 November 2014
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The government recognises that each of these food-related activities has unique characteristics in terms of food safety risks, commercial contexts and community expectations. The bill we are debating today puts forward measures that will give our food regulation framework greater flexibility to deal appropriately with each activity. It seeks to strike a sensible balance between protecting the public from foodborne illnesses and supporting industry and the community to undertake food-related activities with proportionate regulation.
The impacts of foodborne illnesses are serious, for both individuals and our community. A recent report released by the commonwealth Department of Health estimates that there are 4.1 million cases of foodborne gastrointestinal illness in Australia annually, each having flow-on effects to our health system and economy. I am sure members would agree that this is an unacceptably high number of cases for something that is largely preventable. In this context, it is important that governments, industries and consumers work together to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness.
The measures in this bill complement broader initiatives the government is undertaking in food regulation. As part of our efforts to enhance collaboration and transparency in government, ACT Health has recently established a food regulation reference group to discuss and advise on aspects of food regulation in the ACT. The reference group comprises representatives of industry, government and public health organisations, including Clubs ACT, Restaurant & Catering, Nutrition Australia, the AHA, the Australian Food and Grocery Council and the Public Health Association. The group meets to discuss issues including the implementation of regulatory requirements and incentives for food businesses to achieve higher food safety standards. The establishment of the reference group demonstrates the government’s commitment to balancing food safety with red tape reduction—and so does this bill.
The bill contains a number of regulatory reforms designed to reduce the compliance burden on food businesses across the spectrum, whilst ensuring strong protection of public health.
I will now speak about the removal of notifications. Currently food businesses in the ACT must register with ACT Health unless they meet certain exemption criteria. Generally speaking, the exemption applies to food businesses that represent a lower risk of foodborne illness—for example, those that sell only pre-packaged, shelf-stable items such as plain biscuits, breakfast cereals and confectionery. Those that sell food straight after thorough cooking for immediate consumption—for example, barbecued foods—are also exempt from registration in some circumstances.
Although they are exempt from registration, these businesses and organisations are still required to notify Health of their details prior to commencing food sales. The government has assessed that the burden of this requirement is disproportionate to the public health risk posed by such food sales. The bill seeks to remove this notification requirement, which will lower the administrative burden on such businesses and allow ACT Health resources to be redirected towards the regulation of higher risk areas.
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