JUNE 2018 Dairy safE NEwsfrom the interim CEO

I am pleased to be addressing you for the first time as CEO. Although only eight weeks in, with the support of the Board and staff and the warm welcome from industry, my transition to the role has been a smooth one.

After many years at FSANZ in developing and setting food safety standards

it is good to be able to see them implemented to ensure the safety of dairy food products and to safeguard public health.

It is important to me that I gain a thorough understanding of the workings of the businesses DFSV licence and the environment in which they operate. Since joining DFSV, I have taken the opportunity to meet with a number of people from industry to hear their views on current challenges and the opportunities for dairy now and in to the future. We will continue to seek your opinions and your feedback on our services.

A key focus for the organisation right now is consideration of our long-term direction and how we might get there.

In July 2018 we will start a strategic review. This wide-ranging review is a critical exercise for DFSV as we develop our strategic objectives for the coming decade. Other significant work to be undertaken in parallel will be to progress the review of the DFSV funding model that was started in 2017. This is important for DFSV’s future financial sustainability and will provide more certainty for industry.

In light of this, the DFSV Board has agreed to maintain the level of licence fees and charges across the whole Victorian dairy industry for 2018–19 at the 2017–18 level.

The strategic review will be undertaken in consultation with industry and DFSV will use discussion papers, public fora, targeted consultations and social media to provide more opportunity for input.

I look forward to greater engagement with the dairy industry in general, and plans are already underway to establish effective discussion forums with representation from across industry sectors.

applauding excellence in dairy products

In May 2018, the Dairy Industry Association of Australia (DIAA) celebrated all that is good about dairy.

DFSV again sponsored the 2018 DIAA Victorian Dairy Product Competition awards luncheon. The awards celebrate individual achievements, but also recognise the high standard of quality of food produced across the entire Victorian dairy industry. DFSV congratulates all recipients of awards in the 2018 competition, with special mention of most outstanding show exhibitor, Dooley’s Ice Cream.

Winners of the National Dairy Product Competition were announced that evening at the Awards of Excellence dinner. Dooley’s Ice Cream was again successful, taking out the major award. Other Victorian winners of national awards included: St David Dairy, Apostle Whey Cheese, That’s Amore, Meredith Dairy, NuLac Foods, Bulla Dairy Foods Fonterra Cobden, Warrnambool Cheese and Butter, Parmalat and Camperdown Dairy.

Congratulations to all winners.

Dairy food safety Victoria

Level 2, 969 Burke Road

Camberwell, Victoria 3124

Postal address

PO Box 8221

Camberwell North, Victoria 3124

Phone: + 61 3 9810 5900

fax: + 61 3 9882 6860

Email: info@dairysafe.vic.gov.au

www.dairysafe.vic.gov.au

Micro testing – an important verification tool

On 19 June we held the latest in our series of seminars and workshops for dairy manufacturers, tackling common food safety issues related to the production of dairy foods.

Around 140 people attended the Microbiological testing of dairy products seminar, which explored the role of testing in assuring the safety of dairy foods.

Held at the Australian Synchrotron, eight presenters from the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, FSANZ, testing laboratories and DFSV emphasised the importance of microbiological testing as a component of a manufacturer’s food safety program.

The aim of the seminar was to assist manufacturers understand the microbiology of dairy products, microbiological testing methods, and interpretation of results.

Topics covered included an overview of food microbiology, a look at specific organisms of concern and current test methods used to detect and enumerate them, and the evolving methods used for microbiological testing.

An outline of how the Food Standards Code currently relates to dairy products and future developments in microbiological criteria; DFSV’s expectations as described in the Microbiological Testing Criteria guideline; and microbiological requirements for exporters and importers of dairy products, provided the regulatory context.

The most important take away is that an appropriate end-product testing program to detect particular microorganisms or groups of organisms, is an important verification tool to demonstrate that your food safety program is working effectively. This includes in-process and end-product testing and environmental.

Keeping it safe on farm

At the most recent Farm Auditor Working Group meeting, held in May, DFSV reported the six-monthly compliance results, which showed that veterinary treatments, milk cooling and storage, and calibration continue to be the most common areas of non-conformance on farm.

The importance of addressing these issues was brought into sharp focus when Shayne Daniels, Director of the Dairy Export Program at the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, outlined the key on-farm areas of interest to importing countries. These include milk collection temperature, milk quality parameters (total plate counts and bulk milk cell counts), antibiotics and controlled use of agvet chemicals.

Other points of discussion on the day included the potential to move towards a simpler structure when auditing and reporting on regulatory food safety compliance matters on farm, a clarification of reporting requirements for farm audits, and how these audits also incorporate Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) requirements for inputs into red meat production.

The DFSV facilitated, bi-annual meetings are an important means of engaging with the farming sector on compliance. Around 40 people attended the meeting including farm auditors, farm food safety company representatives, manufacturing company milk quality assurance managers, field personnel, milk supply managers, and regulators from three states (Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania).

Compliance and enforcement

DFSV has completed a review of its compliance and enforcement framework and developed a strategy and revised supporting policy. These documents outline DFSV’s risk-based approach to regulating the Victorian industry, and describes DFSV’s compliance and enforcement decision-making framework.

This involves a comprehensive risk assessment and application of a regulatory response that is commensurate with the overall risk. The policy lists the range of actions DFSV may undertake in response to a non-compliance or a risk to food safety.

The policy will be available to view on the DFSV website.

Country of origin labelling looms

From 1 July 2018, updated country of origin labelling (CoOL) requirements for food sold in Australia will become mandatory. This follows a two-year transitional period to allow current stock-in-trade to see out its shelf life.

The new Country of Origin Food Labelling Information Standard 2016 was introduced under Australian Consumer Law, and will be overseen by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

The standard covers the labelling of food that is grown, produced, or made in Australia, and provides a range of labelling options including the kangaroo logo, a graduated bar chart indicating the percentage of Australian ingredients, and a section of explanatory text.

Dairy manufacturers are responsible for determining the type of origin claim they make and must ensure there is a reasonable basis for any claims made. This is important where you are using imported ingredients.

The ACCC website contains comprehensive information for businesses on country of origin labelling, including a Country of origin labelling and the dairy industry fact sheet.

The Department of Industry, Innovation and Science website also provides important information, including a CoOL online tool to determine if you need a label, and if so, will then find, customise and download the appropriate label for your food products.

farm licence renewals

A new DFSV licence period commences for farmers on 1 July 2018. Bovine dairy licences have been automatically renewed for most farmers based on manufacturer confirmation of milk supply, and licence certificates for the 2018−20 licence period recently posted to all renewed licensees.

It is a condition of the licence that farms are audited at a frequency no greater than 24 months or within six months of a new licence being listed. Therefore, please ensure that you are aware of your most recent audit date at your licensed premises and work with the manufacturer you supply to ensure compliance with this licence condition.

Please contact DFSV at info@dairysafe.vic.gov.au or on 03 9810 5900, if you have any questions related to your licence.