🌱Welcome to Fresh & Safe News. This month marks the end of the hugely successful Horticulture Food Safety Initiative (HFSI) project which we delivered over the past 3 years. The HFSI project was a capability building initiative that transformed food safety resource development, outreach, engagement and collaboration across Australia and New Zealand while creating strong momentum for long-term improvement.
We are very thankful to pledgers who have already increased their funding level which enables us to continue the most impactful activities and outputs. The project has inspired stakeholder conversations about opportunities and challenges in fresh produce food safety which are being considered and scoped into proposals for future work to build on the successes of HFSI. Please reach out if you'd like to consider funding our work or to discuss a new project idea.
Development of Quick Guides – available in four languages
Increased reach and awareness of FPSC activities in collaboration with stakeholders
Establishment and coordination of a Community of Practice - now with 95 members
Over 180 engagement and outreach activities including webinars, podcasts, workshops presentations, and two International Fresh Produce Safety Symposiums
Quantitative and qualitative evaluation showed that the HFSI project generated evidenced improvements across Knowledge, Awareness, Skills and Attitudes (KASA) compared to baseline in 2023. The biggest improvements were attained with professional practitioners and those with intermediate competency, while we have also found that there is still more to be done to support small growers and those for whom English is a second language. In the coming weeks we will publish a report to provide stakeholders with greater insight into the activities, outputs, and impact of the project
I am immensely proud of what our team and many collaborators have achieved over the past three years. I am also very thankful for the significant financial and in-kind support which made it all possible. A special thanks to Hort Innovation Frontiers and our co-funders (listed below) for investing in this project.
Though the project has come to an end, we are continuing to provide support and collaboration via the recent Woolworths Technical Roadshow for suppliers across Australia, the NZ Fresh Produce Food Safety Network, the International Fresh Produce Safety Symposium 2026, and Hort Connections next week. My session will be in the Blue Stream on Thursday morning (4th June) where I’ll be presenting on ‘Protecting fresh produce food safety in a changing climate’ with a focus on floods, managing critical incidents, and stepping through the FPSC resources available to support growers.I will be at the IFPA stand afterwards and I am keen to hear about any food safety challenges or opportunities.
International Fresh Produce Safety Symposium 2026 (IFPSS26)
New resource: Food Safety Essentials – Bushfire Incidents
Join our Community of Practice
Outreach & Engagement
World Food Safety Day – 7th June: Call to Action
Calendar of events
Thanks to our HFSI collaborators and co-funders
It takes a village to deliver an ambitious project like this across Australia and New Zealand, so I would like to extend a huge thanks to everyone who has contributed their time to development of resources, coordination of events, sharing communications, making connections, sharing your knowledge, providing feedback, and inviting us to participate in your food safety activities.
I’d also like to express a huge thanks to our project funders and in-kind contributors who made it all possible. The HFSI project was funded through Hort Innovation (Hort Frontiers), with co-investment from FPSC, University of Sydney, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Agriculture Victoria, South Australia Health, Coles, Zespri International, New Zealand Food Safety Science & Research Centre (NZFSSRC), Vegetable Research and Innovation Board, HortNZ, Woolworths and in-kind contributions from University of Sydney, Food Standards Australia & New Zealand (FSANZ), Centre for Produce Safety (USA), New Zealand Food Safety Science & Research Centre (NZFSSRC), Agriculture Victoria, NZ Food Safety (Ministry for Primary Industries), Zespri International, NZ Vegetable Industry Research Board, AUSVEG, Berries Australia and contributions from the Australian Government.
Join us as we turn ‘Evidence into Action’ at the International Fresh Produce Safety Symposium 2026 (IFPSS26) in Sydney on 21-22 July. Back by popular demand, we also field trip on Monday 20th July which will include a trip to Family Fresh Farms showcasing good practice and food safety culture in action.
IFPSS26 is where science meets real-world application, where global expertise connects with local challenges and where the people shaping food safety across the supply chain come together. This year we're emphasising practical implementation of food safety practices which will appeal to growers, QA managers, auditors, advisors and scientists alike.
The bar has been raised this year with not one, but two international keynote speakers, Dr Elizabeth (Betsy) Bihn, Director of the Produce Safety Alliance at Cornell University (USA) and D'Arcie Rice from the British Leafy Salads Association (UK). Betsy and D’Arcie will be joined by Australian and New Zealand experts to tackle the issues shaping produce safety today, from water quality and microbiological risk management to emerging technologies and evolving food safety risks.
At IFPSS26, you’ll explore:
• Risk assessment to mitigation
• Science into implementation
• Practical food safety for growers
• Data-driven decision making
• Capability building across the supply chain
Through case studies, industry insights and an interactive workshop, the programme is designed to move beyond theory and into real-world application. You’ll leave with practical knowledge, fresh ideas and tools you can put into action. If you’re serious about fresh produce food safety, this is where you need to be!
NEW RESOURCE: Food Safety Essentials – Bushfire Incidents
Bushfires can pose serious food safety risks to fresh produce through smoke, ash, water contamination, and infrastructure damage. Growers are encouraged to take proactive steps to protect produce, water sources and facilities over the winter months.
Key actions to take:
Review your incident management plan and ensure it is up to date
Identify and secure critical records and infrastructure
Monitor fire, smoke and weather conditions closely
Prepare to assess crops, water and equipment for contamination
Ensure access to clean water and backup power where possible
Key hazards to be aware of:
Smoke and ash settling on crops and food contact surfaces
Contaminated water sources from debris, sediment or animal intrusion
Wildlife movement into production areas increasing contamination risk
Chemical residues from firefighting activities
If a bushfire impacts your operation, it is critical to assess all produce, water and surfaces before harvest or supply. Access the Fresh Produce Safety Centre’s FREE practical guidance and resources here: Food Safety Essentials – Bushfire Incidents
The food safety Community of Practice (COP) is a mechanism for improving collaboration, stakeholder engagement and knowledge sharing on food safety across the fresh produce supply chain in Australia and New Zealand. With 95 members currently, the COP includes growers, packhouses, processors, retailers, regulators, researchers, auditors, certification providers, extension personnel and technical specialists.
The COP meets online quarterly with technical presentations, guest speakers, facilitated discussions, and collaborative review activities informed by stakeholder feedback, emerging issues and evolving requirements. The COP is also an active extension and engagement mechanism to support capability development, collaboration and practical implementation of food safety improvements via member networks.
Email technical@fpsc-anz.com to join this growing network to collaborate and learn more about fresh produce food safety.
The team has been active in recent months with ongoing grower outreach, collaboration with stakeholders, sharing FPSC resources and contributing to initiatives that strengthen fresh produce safety across Australia and New Zealand.
The key activities include continued support for: NSW DPIRD on the roll out of PPP standards, United Fresh members update, Woolworths on their Technical Roadshow across Australia, the NZ Food Safety Science Research Taskforce, the NZ Fresh Produce Food Safety Network, the NZ Extension Community of Practice, HARPS, and GS1 Australia. Please reach out if you have a food safety project, idea or issue that you’d like us to explore further.
World Food Safety Day – 7th June: Call to Action
The theme for World Food Safety Day 2026 is “From burden to solutions – safe food everywhere” which highlights how data on illness, its burden and lost lives can guide action towards focused and cost-effective solutions. This year’s Call to Action asks food businesses to:
Strengthen employee training and education on the latest food safety practices and emerging risks
Use Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) to identify and control hazards and manage food safety risks from production to consumption.
Implement food safety programmes using data within the business to monitor food safety risks and track improvements
This campaign aligns well with our strategy where growers are supported by FPSC guidelines and outreach activities while implementing their assurance programme (e.g. Freshcare, HARPS, NZGAP, GLOBALG.A.P.) in their business.
Fact Sheet – Foreign Object Contamination of Fresh Produce 2021 > More
Fact Sheet – Impact of Animals on the Risk of Foodborne Illnesses in Fresh Produce 2021 > More
Fact Sheet – Reducing Listeria Contamination from Salad Vegetables 2021 > More
Innovation Agenda Rapid Diagnostic Methods for Foodborne Pathogens: Outlook for the Fresh Produce Industry (Summary) 2021 > More
Innovation Agenda Rapid Diagnostic Methods for Foodborne Pathogens: Outlook for the Fresh Produce Industry (Full Report) 2021 > More
Factsheet – Reducing Food Safety Risks From Pre-harvest Water 2020 > More
Reducing Food Safety Risks From Pre-harvest Water 2020 > More
Innovation Agenda Review of the Audit Process (Summary) 2020 > More
Innovation Agenda Review of the Audit Process (Full Report) 2020 > More
Prepare and prevent fresh produce tampering > More
Fresh Produce Safety Centre Limited, Building F22, Room 517, Level 5, City Road, Life Earth & Environmental Sciences Building, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia, info@fpsc-anz.com | +61 448 806 909 AUS | +64 27 536 8063 NZ
