The Fresh Produce Safety Centre Australia & New Zealand (FPSC A-NZ) has released Version 5 (2025) of the Fundamental Guidelines for Fresh Produce Food Safety, providing an updated, science-based framework to help the sector manage food safety risks with confidence.
Food Surety’s Managing Director, Ray Haddad, contributed as a member of the technical committee, working alongside specialists from across Australia and New Zealand to review and strengthen the new edition.
What’s new in Version 5 (2025)
- New chapters: Managing Critical Incidents & Recalls, and Food Safety Culture
- Expanded appendices: Food Safety Regulation and Assurance Programmes and The uses and significance of faecal indicator bacteria
- Improved guidance: Water quality criteria, microbial testing protocols
- Updated, clearer, and more practical visuals
- New Quick Guides for Fresh Produce Food Safety ideal for growers and operational teams
These updates give fresh produce businesses — from growers and packhouses to auditors and compliance managers — clearer expectations and practical tools to strengthen their food safety systems.
Download the guidelines
The guidelines are freely available from FPSC A-NZ and serve as an excellent reference for anyone responsible for fresh produce safety, verification, or QA leadership.
Download the guidelines from the FPSCANZ website here.
Disclaimer: The information contained on this article is based on research done in the last months and the author’s personal experience and opinions. It is not intended to represent the view of any organization they work for or collaborate with. The authors will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information provided in the article.
Written by
Ray Haddad
Ray is the Principal Trainer & Managing Director at Food Surety Limited. He has worked in the food industry in quality assurance roles, auditing, consulting, training, instructional design, workplace assessment and as an advisor in international food safety projects. This varied experience has given him a depth of understanding of the needs and the pain points among the different parties in the food industry.
Since 2007, Ray has built a proven track record conducting hundreds of audits including external third-party certification audits as an auditor/verifier recognised by the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). In addition, he has trained thousands of food professionals from government agencies, NGOs, academia and businesses across the whole supply chain from farm to fork and across the different sectors, not only in New Zealand but in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
Ray is driven by food professionals’ experiences of light bulb moments and breakthroughs in their thinking. He enjoys supporting them protecting food for all.
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