Food Safety: The priority classification system for …

1 food Safety: The priority classification system for food businessesA risk-based system designed to classify food businesses into priority ratings based on the risk they present to public health and safety This information paper outlines the system and describes how to apply it to food businessesAcknowledgmentsThe Australia New Zealand food Authority prepared this report with assistance from the priorityclassification system working group:Brigid Hardy (Chair)Australia New Zealand food AuthorityScott CrerarAgriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Australia Patricia DesmarchelierFood Science AustraliaMichael Di GiovanniTasmanian Department of Community and Health ServicesTony DownerAustralian food CouncilCatherine GayFood safety VictoriaIan HendersonAustralian Institute of Environmental HealthChris HigginsFranklins LtdCathy IsbesterSouth Australian Local GovernmentWendy LakeRestaurant and Catering Association of VictoriaRod McCarthyNew South Wales HealthPaul VanderlindeFood Science AustraliaANZFA expresses its appreciation of the assistance from these people throughout the development ofthe audit system and acknowledges that the views contained in the report do not necessarily representthe working group members views or views of their of this document can be obtained from the Information Officer at.

2 Australia New Zealand food AuthorityPO Box 7186 Canberra Mail Centre ACT 2610 AustraliaFax:+61 2 6271 2278 Telephone:+61 2 6271 New Zealand food AuthorityPO Box 10559 The TerraceWellington 6036 New ZealandFax:+63 4 473 9855 Telephone:+63 4 473 The priority classification system for food businesses22 Background to the system23 Application of the system34 Why classify food businesses?45 Factors considered in classification of food type and intended use by of the food of base66 How the scoring system works67 Key features of the system68 How desktop classification will work79 The scoring priority classification system for food How food businesses should be Examples131 THE priority classification system FOR food BUSINESSES1 The priority classification system for food businessesThe priority classification system is a scoring system that classifies food businesses into risk categoriesbased on the type of food , activity of the business, method of processing and customer base.

3 Foodbusinesses are assigned a score that relates to one of three priority classifications: high, medium andlow. Individual scores for a specified set of risk factors are added to achieve an overall score thatdetermines the priority classification for the food business. State and Territory Governments thatimplement a food safety program requirement can use the classification system to determine:1. the food safety program implementation timetable; and2. the initial audit frequency for food priority classification system does not apply to food businesses within the primary industry sector. 2 Background to the systemIn July 2000, the Australia New Zealand food Standards Council (ANZFSC) agreed to the formaladoption of three food safety Standards, Interpretation and Application, food safety Practicesand General Requirements and food Premises and Equipment into the Australia New Zealand FoodStandards Code1to replace existing State and Territory hygiene regulations.

4 Nationally consistentimplementation of the standards will overcome existing regulatory duplication and overlap between theStates and Territories. The standards were gazetted in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette ( ) on Thursday 24thAugust 2000 and will commence six months from this food safety Practices and General Requirements and Standard food Premisesand Equipment will require food businesses to: comply with the requirements for food safety practices and food premises and equipment; ensure that staff have skills and knowledge in food hygiene and safety matters commensurate withtheir work activities; have in place a system for food recall; and notify the relevant authority about the food safety Programs, which sets out the requirements of a food safety program wasput on hold by ANZFSC in October 1999.

5 ANZFSC recommended that a two-year study be undertakenby the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care to assess the cost and feasibility of amandatory food safety program requirement. While the Territories were generally supportive of a delay2 THE priority classification system FOR food BUSINESSES1 In July 1996 an Agreement between Australia and New Zealand came into effect which established the Australia NewZealand food Authority. ANZFA is developing joint food standards for both countries to be contained in an Australia NewZealand food Standards Code. Although the food safety Standards will be contained within the Code, they will falloutside the scope of the Agreement and therefore will only apply in Australia. Accordingly the classifications are intendedfor use in Australia introducing a mandatory requirement for food safety programs, some States indicated their wish toimplement an earlier requirement for food safety programs in their jurisdictions.

6 To minimise thepotential for the fragmentation of food safety program requirements between jurisdictions, ANZFSC adopted Standard , in the form of a standard with voluntary implementation at their last nextmeeting in November 2000 The objectives of the food safety reforms are to provide nationally consistent, efficient and cost-effectiveregulatory arrangements governing safe and hygienic production, storage, transportation and handlingof food . It is anticipated that the reforms will encourage a culture of commitment to food safety in thefood industry. A number of infrastructure initiatives intended to guide the implementation of the food safety Standardshave been developed. These initiatives include the priority classification system for food Australia New Zealand food Authority (ANZFA), in conjunction with food Science Australia andState and Territory Health Departments, has developed a risk-based system to be used for theclassification of food businesses.

7 The system is designed to classify food businesses into priorityratings based on the food safety risks associated with the business. 3 Application of the systemBusinesses will be allocated a priority classification by the relevant enforcement agency through adesktop process linked to notification. Businesses will be required to provide information regarding thenature of their business in order to comply with the notification requirements of Standard FoodSafety Practices and General Requirements. Some States and Territories have existing mandatoryregistration or licensing requirements for food businesses. In these jurisdictions the notification processmay be incorporated into any existing arrangements. Where registration does not exist, the notificationprocess will need to be enforcement agency will use the information supplied by the food business to allocate a priorityclassification and to notify businesses of their food safety program implementation timeframe and initialaudit frequency.

8 Classifications will be assigned using a list of food businesses and correspondingclassifications that has been developed by ANZFA in consultation with the States and Territories. Theclassifications assigned to food businesses have been determined based on the risk factorsconsidered in the priority classification classification of food businesses will occur once in order to support the introduction of a foodsafety program requirement in the relevant jurisdictions. However, a business classification may bechanged by the enforcement agency if it believes that an inappropriate classification has beenassigned to the food business. The scoring system will be available to the enforcement agency forreference so agencies can advise food businesses of the basis for the classification that they havebeen priority classification system FOR food BUSINESSESSome jurisdictions have indicated that there may also be a role for self- classification of foodbusinesses.

9 ANZFA has agreed to develop, for State and Territory consideration, an appropriatemechanism for self- classification based on the priority classification system for food Why classify food businesses?Four food safety Standards will now be included in the Australia New Zealand food Standards classification system will be used to guide implementation of the following requirements of the FoodSafety Standards: If implemented by State and Territory Governments, a food safety program requirement will requirefood businesses to introduce and maintain food safety programs if they identify one or morehazards in their business. It is recognised that the implementation of food safety programs will needto be phased in by the food industry over a specified time period. The implementation of food safetyprograms by food businesses will be guided by the priority classification system .

10 High-riskbusinesses are likely to be required to implement food safety programs before medium- and low-risk businesses. Jurisdictions that introduce a food safety program requirement will also need to implement an auditsystem infrastructure. The initial audit frequency for food businesses will be based on the samepriority classification established for food safety program implementation. The frequency assignedto a food business will be used for subsequent audits until a compliance history can be outcome of two audits will be required to establish a compliance history that may allow theadjustment of audit frequency. The audit frequency model was developed by ANZFA s auditworking group (Table 1).Table 1 The audit frequency modelCLASSIFICATIONAUDIT FREQUENCIES (every x months)Starting pointMaximumMinimumLow181224 Medium12618 High63124 THE priority classification system FOR food BUSINESSES5 Factors considered in classification of food businessesA risk-based classification system aims to classify a food business according to the food safety risksthat the business presents.