All establishments involved in the processing and storage of dairy products for export must have a current export registration certificate issued by the DoA, Dornom says. “DoA officers undertake an on-site audit of establishments, and export registration is only issued once the establishment has been audited and found to be compliant with Australia’s export legislation, including importing country requirements,” she elaborates.
Companies exporting dairy products must be registered with the DoA and subject to compliance audits. “These audits are conducted by the State Food Authorities on behalf of the DoA,” Dornom explains. “Moreover, importing countries regularly come to Australia to audit the Australian dairy food safety system. For Australian dairy establishments to export to the U.S., they must be registered by the U.S. FDA and may be subject to on-site audits by the FDA.”
Emerging Dairy Safety Issues
Even in the absence of any current dairy safety issues, the Australian Dairy industry’s Issues Management Group (IMG) was developed in 2002 as a network of interested industry and government stakeholders coordinated by DA. The IMG’s objective, says Dornom, is to provide a comprehensive and industry-wide approach to address issues that may affect the reputation and future viability of the Australian dairy industry.
“We embrace a cooperative and pro-active partnership approach to identify any emerging food safety issues that may affect dairy product safety at any time down the road,” Dornom says. “This requires strong links with a wide range of Australian and international organizations such as FSANZ, CSIRO, Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, Codex Alimentarius Commission, World Animal Health Organization, and the International Dairy Federation. This collaboration also ensures the Australian industry is aware of potential issues in other countries and actions being taken by various agencies and scientific researchers to investigate measures to correct or manage whatever the issue might be.”
Leake is a food safety consultant, auditor, and award-winning journalist based in Wilmington, N.C. Reach her at [email protected].
For more information on food safety in Australia, click on additional content:
Food Safety in Australia
Australia: Focus on Red Meat
Australia: Focus on Horticulture
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