FSANZ(FSANZ)
Definition
Food Standards Australia New Zealand — the regulatory body that develops and maintains the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code governing food labelling, safety, and composition.
Key Takeaways
- •FSANZ is a bi-national statutory authority that develops the Food Standards Code for Australia and New Zealand
- •FSANZ sets the rules but does not enforce them — enforcement is the responsibility of state and territory food authorities
- •Manufacturers must comply with the Food Standards Code as law, regardless of whether they have been audited or inspected
- •FSANZ also administers Australia's national food recall system and maintains AUSNUT, the official food composition database
- •Standard amendments are proposed through a public consultation process — food businesses can submit submissions during this process
Regulatory Source
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 (Cth)— The Act that establishes FSANZ as the bi-national statutory authority responsible for developing and maintaining the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code
Last verified against current standards: April 2026
Regulatory authority: Food Standards Australia New Zealand
What is FSANZ?
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is the bi-national statutory authority responsible for developing and maintaining the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code — the primary legal instrument governing food safety, labelling, and composition across both countries. FSANZ was established by the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 (Cth) and operates as an independent statutory body funded by the Australian and New Zealand governments.
FSANZ does not enforce the Food Standards Code. Enforcement is the responsibility of state and territory food regulatory authorities in Australia (e.g. NSW Food Authority, Safer Food Queensland, PrimeSafe Victoria) and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) in New Zealand. FSANZ develops the standards; state agencies enforce them.
What FSANZ Does and Does Not Do
FSANZ is responsible for:
- Developing, varying, and repealing food standards through a formal consultation and assessment process (Applications and Proposals)
- Maintaining the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code
- Administering the national food recall system (in coordination with state food authorities)
- Conducting food safety risk assessments
- Maintaining the AUSNUT food composition database used for NIP calculations
FSANZ is NOT responsible for:
- Inspecting food businesses (state/territory food authorities do this)
- Issuing food business licences or approvals (state/territory responsibility)
- Enforcing labelling compliance on products in the market (ACCC and state/territory authorities share this role)
- Regulating therapeutic goods (TGA responsibility) or agricultural and veterinary chemicals (APVMA responsibility)
FSANZ in Practice for Australian Food Manufacturers
Why FSANZ matters to your daily operations: Every labelling decision you make — what goes on your NIP, how you declare allergens, whether you can make a health claim, how you format your ingredient list — is governed by a standard that FSANZ wrote. Understanding that FSANZ is the source of these rules, and knowing how to navigate the Food Standards Code directly, is a core compliance skill.
How FSANZ makes standards: When FSANZ wants to develop a new standard or amend an existing one, it publishes a Proposal or Application for public consultation. Manufacturers can (and should) submit during consultation on proposals that affect their category. The consultation process from initiation to gazettal typically takes 18 to 36 months for significant changes.
Keeping up with FSANZ changes: FSANZ publishes standards updates, call for submissions, and final assessments on foodstandards.gov.au. Subscribe to the FSANZ Notification Circular to receive alerts when new standards are gazetted.
Key FSANZ standards for food manufacturers:
- Standard 1.2.8 — Nutrition Information Panel
- Standard 1.2.3 — Allergen declaration
- Standard 1.2.4 — Ingredient list
- Standard 1.2.5 — Date marking
- Standard 3.2.1 — Food safety programs (HACCP)
- Standard 3.2.2 — Food safety practices
How Batchbase Aligns with FSANZ Requirements
Every compliance feature in Batchbase is built against a specific FSANZ standard. NIP generation is calculated against Standard 1.2.8 using AUSNUT nutrient data and Schedule 12 rounding rules. Allergen declarations are generated against Schedule 9 of Standard 1.2.3. Ingredient list ordering follows Standard 1.2.4. Date marking logic follows Standard 1.2.5.
When FSANZ amends a standard, Batchbase updates its calculation logic accordingly — so your labels stay compliant without you having to manually track every standards variation.
Related Standards and References
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 (Cth) — legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A04346
- Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code — foodstandards.gov.au/food-standards-code
- FSANZ website
Related Terms
Allergen Declaration
A mandatory label statement identifying the presence of priority allergens in a food product, required under FSANZ Standard 1.2.3 of the Food Standards Code.
Food Standards Code
The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code — the collection of standards governing food composition, labelling, safety, and production maintained by FSANZ.
Nutrition Information Panel
A mandatory table on packaged food labels in Australia displaying the average quantity of energy, protein, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugars, and sodium per serve and per 100g or 100mL.