For three years FSANZ has been working on a proposal to more tightly regulate the production and sale of berries, leafy vegetables, and melons after several outbreaks of listeria, e coli, and salmonella from large monocultures. AFSA has provided feedback from the beginning on the need to approach any changes with a scale-appropriate lens to ensure our members – small-scale market gardeners who sell their products directly to eaters and restaurants – are not caught up in overly burdensome regulation.
We have made recommendations as follows:
Recommendations
| Recommendation 1 | That a fee-free threshold is set for any farm that sells its produce direct to the consumer. |
| Recommendation 2 | That no licence nor audits be required for producers of leafy vegetables or melons who sell directly to consumers. |
| Recommendation 3 | That standards to prohibit inclusion of animals in production areas be revised to provide guidance on the safe management and withholding periods when animals are integrated into farming systems. |
You can read the full submission here.
