Member Matters

FSANZ Act Review report released: Significant reform ideas on the table, but no government response yet 

29 October 2026

The long-awaited review of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Act 1991 has reached an important milestone, with the final report published on Friday 23 October. The review, which commenced in 2020, examined the effectiveness of the FSANZ Act, as well as FSANZ’s operations and responsibilities, with the objective of strengthening the food regulation system for the future.  

The report contains 31 recommendations across four broad themes: FSANZ’s purpose, standard-setting processes, operations, and system agility. While the recommendations are significant, it is important to note that they are not yet government policy. The Australian and New Zealand Governments must now consider the report and agree on any changes to the Act before reforms can proceed. The accompanying impact analysis is also intended to inform government decision-making.  

For industry, several recommendations stand out. 

One of the most notable is the proposal to explicitly recognise both short- and long-term public health outcomes within FSANZ’s remit, including consideration of diet-related disease and associated risk factors, within the definition of public health and safety in the Act. Although the report suggests this clarifies rather than fundamentally transforms how public health and safety is interpreted by FSANZ, it signals a shift towards broader public health considerations within food regulation. 

The review also places strong emphasis on having a more risk-based and proportionate regulatory system. Recommendations include developing a formal risk-based framework, enabling greater use of suitable international standards and overseas regulatory assessments for lower-risk matters, and undertaking more proactive reviews of existing standards. These changes could potentially improve regulatory efficiency while maintaining public health protections. 

Also positive are recommendations aimed at improving transparency and predictability, including clearer explanations of ministerial policy guidance, greater visibility of supporting implementation materials, and retention of the current expedited paid application pathway until an alternative risk-based approach is developed. 

Other recommendations focus on governance and system coordination, including stronger collaboration between FSANZ and food regulation partners, modernising the Act, improving board appointment processes, and strengthening engagement with First Nations and Māori stakeholders. 

Importantly, while the report signals a potential direction of future reform, there is still a considerable process ahead. The review report is now with the Australian and New Zealand Governments for consideration, and agreement between both governments would be required for any legislative amendments as well as appropriate funding. In short, this is a development worth watching closely, but stakeholders should not expect immediate changes.  

AFGC is reviewing the report in more detail and will provide further analysis on the potential implications for members as the government’s response takes shape.