Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code—Amendment No. 246

Food Standards (Application A1288 – Thermolysin from Anoxybacillus caldiproteolyticus Rokko as a processing aid) Variation

The Board of Food Standards Australia New Zealand gives notice of the making of this variation under section 92 of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991. The variation commences on the date specified in clause 3 of this variation.

Dated 24 November 2025.

MATTHEW O’MULLANE, Delegate of the Board of Food Standards Australia New Zealand.

Note:

This variation will be published in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. FSC 186 on 4 December 2025. This means that this date is the gazettal date for the purposes of clause 3 of the variation.

1 Name

This instrument is the Food Standards (Application A1288 – Thermolysin from Anoxybacillus caldiproteolyticus Rokko as a processing aid) Variation.

2 Variation to a Standard in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code

The Schedule varies a Standard in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

3 Commencement

The variation commences on the date of gazettal.

Schedule

Schedule 18 – Processing aids

[1] Subsection S18—9(3) (table)

Insert:

Thermolysin (EC 3.4.24.27) sourced from Anoxybacillus caldiproteolyticus Rokko

For protein hydrolysis during:

(a) beer brewing; and

(b) the manufacture and/or processing of the following types of food:

(i) dairy;

(ii) eggs;

(iii) meat;

(iv) fish;

(v) protein concentrates and isolates; and

(vi) yeast.

GMP

Food Standards (Proposal P1060 – Egg food safety and primary production requirements) Variation

The Board of Food Standards Australia New Zealand gives notice of the making of this variation under section 92 of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991. The variation commences on the date specified in clause 3 of this variation.

Dated 24 November 2025.

MATTHEW O’MULLANE, Delegate of the Board of Food Standards Australia New Zealand.

Note:

This variation will be published in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. FSC 186 on 4 December 2025. This means that this date is the gazettal date for the purposes of clause 3 of the variation.

1 Name

This instrument is the Food Standards (Proposal P1060 – Egg food safety and primary production requirements) Variation.

2 Variation to Standards in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code

The Schedule varies Standards in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

3 Commencement

The variation commences on the date that is 18 months after the date of gazettal.

Schedule

Standard 4.2.5—Primary production and processing standard for eggs and egg product

[1] Table of Provisions

Repeal the Table, substitute:

Table of Provisions

Division 1 – Preliminary

1 Application

2 Interpretation

Division 2 – Primary production of eggs

3 General food safety management

4 Inputs

5 Waste disposal

6 Health and hygiene of personnel and visitors

6A Animals and pests

7 Skills and knowledge

8 Design, construction and maintenance of premises, equipment and transportation vehicles

8A Range area

9 Bird health

9A Environmental sampling to monitor bird health

9B Storage and transport of collected eggs and egg pulp

10 Traceability

11 Sale or supply

Division 3 – Egg Processing

12 Application

13 General food safety management

14 Receiving unacceptable eggs

15 Inputs

15A Cleaning of eggs

16 Waste disposal

17 Skills and knowledge

18 Health and hygiene of personnel and visitors

18A Animals and pests

19 Design, construction and maintenance of premises, equipment and transportation vehicles

20 Traceability

21 Processing egg product

22 Storage and transport of eggs

22A Storage and transport of egg product

23 Sale or supply

[2] Clause 1

Repeal the clause, substitute:

1 Application

This Standard does not apply to any of the following –

(a) the retail sale of eggs or egg product other than the direct sale of eggs by an egg producer to the public;

(b) catering activities other than the direct sale of eggs by an egg producer to a caterer.

[3] Subclause 2(2)

Insert in alphabetical order:

broken egg means an egg that has both -–

(a) a shell with one or more cracks; and
(b) contents that are leaking at the time of collection.

flock means all the birds that share a contained area (such as a range area or a poultry house).

poultry house means any of the following –

(a) the fixed or mobile housing where birds roost;
(b) the ground that is directly beneath fixed or mobile housing where birds roost and where bird faeces accumulate.

range area means an outside area that a flock has access to for roaming and foraging.

[4] Subclause 2(2) (definition of cracked egg)

Repeal the definition, substitute:

cracked egg means an egg that has –

(a) a shell with one or more cracks that are:

(i) visible; or

(ii) visible by candling or another equivalent method; and

(b) an intact membrane at the time of collection.

[5] Subclause 2(2) (definition of egg processor)

Repeal the definition, substitute:

egg processor means a business, enterprise or activity that includes any of the following activities in relation to eggs –

(a) assessing for cracks;

(b) candling;

(d) grading;

(e) oiling;

(f) packing;

(g) processing in accordance with clause 21 of this Standard;

(h) pulping;

(i) separating;

(j) storing un-marked eggs;

(k) transporting un-marked eggs.

[6] Subclause 2(2) (definition of food safety management statement)

Repeal the definition.

[7] Subclause 2(2) (Editorial note to the definition of food safety management statement)

Repeal the Editorial note.

[8] Clause 3

Repeal the clause, substitute:

3 General food safety management

An egg producer must comply with the general food safety management requirements.

Note: The general food safety management requirements are set out in Division 2 of Standard 4.1.1.

[9] Clause 4

Omit the words ‘take all reasonable measures to’.

[10] Clause 4 (Editorial note)

Repeal the Editorial note, substitute:

Note 1: Clause 2(1) provides that the definitions in Chapter 3 apply to this Standard, and the terms ‘unsafe’ and ‘unsuitable’ are defined in Standard 3.1.1.

Note 2: The term ‘inputs’ is defined in Standard 4.1.1 to include ‘any feed, litter, water (including recycled water), chemicals or other substances used in, or in connection with, the primary production or processing activity’ (which, in this case, is egg production).

[11] Clause 6 (title)

Omit ‘requirements’, substitute ‘of personnel and visitors’.

[12] Subclause 6(2)

Omit the words ‘take all reasonable measures to’.

[13] After clause 6

Insert:

6A Animals and pests

(1) An egg producer must ensure the presence of any animals, vermin and pests in any of the following does not make eggs unsafe or unsuitable –

(a) equipment;

(b) premises;

(d) transportation vehicles.

(2) An egg producer must ensure that any animal used to guard or protect a flock does not make eggs unsafe or unsuitable.

[14] After clause 8

Insert:

8A Range area

An egg producer must ensure that a range area does not make eggs unsafe or unsuitable.

[15] Clause 9

Omit ‘the bird is’, substitute ‘the birds are’.

[16] After clause 9

Insert:

9A Environmental sampling to monitor bird health

An egg producer must –

(a) take samples from each poultry house used by a flock; and

(b) test those samples for presence of Salmonella Enteritidis.

9B Storage and transport of collected eggs and egg pulp

An egg producer who transports or stores eggs or egg pulp or both eggs and egg pulp must ensure that the time and temperature conditions under which those activities are undertaken do not make the eggs or egg pulp unsafe or unsuitable.

[17] Subclause 10(1)

Repeal the subclause, substitute:

(1) An egg producer must not sell eggs unless each individual egg is uniquely marked to identify the egg producer.

[18] Subclause 10(4)

Repeal the subclause, substitute:

(4) In addition to subclauses (1) and (2), an egg producer must keep and maintain a record of each of the following –

(a) the number of eggs collected on each date of collection;

(b) the flock from which the eggs were collected;

(d) the name and contact details of each person to whom eggs or egg pulp are sold or supplied (other than by direct sale of eggs to the public);

(e) the date of each sale or supply referred to in paragraph (d);

(f) the number of eggs sold or supplied to each person referred to in paragraph (d) on each date referred to in paragraph (e).

[19] Clause 11

Repeal the clause (including the Editorial note), substitute:

11 Sale or supply

(1) An egg producer must not sell or supply broken eggs for human consumption or for processing for human consumption.

(2) An egg producer must not sell or supply eggs or egg pulp for human consumption that the producer knows, ought to reasonably know or to reasonably suspect, are unacceptable.

(3) Subclause (2) does not apply to any of the following:

(a) the sale or supply of dirty eggs to an egg processor for cleaning;

(b) the sale or supply of egg product to an egg processor for processing in accordance with clause 21.

Note: ‘Supply’ is defined in Standard 4.1.1 as including intra company transfers of product.

[20] Clause 12

Omit ‘clause 22’, substitute ‘clauses 22 and 22A’.

[21] Clause 13

Repeal the clause, substitute:

13 General food safety management

An egg processor must comply with the general food safety management requirements.

Note The general food safety management requirements are set out in Division 2 of Standard 4.1.1

[21A] Paragraph 14(c)

Omit ‘egg pulp’, substitute ‘egg product’.

[22] Clause 15

Repeal the clause (including the Editorial note), substitute:

15 Inputs

(1) An egg processor must ensure inputs do not make eggs or egg product unsafe or unsuitable.

(2) For the purposes of subclause (1), inputs includes any of the following –

(a) chemicals;

(b) packaging;

(d) sugar;

(e) water (including recycled water);

(f) other inputs used in, or in connection with egg processing.

Note: The term ‘inputs’ is defined in Standard 4.1.1 to also include ‘any feed, litter, water (including recycled water), chemicals or other substances used in, or in connection with, the primary production or processing activity’.

15A Cleaning of eggs

An egg processor who cleans eggs must ensure that the cleaning does not make the eggs unsafe or unsuitable.

[23] Clause 18 (title)

Omit ’requirements’, substitute ‘of personnel and visitors’.

[24] Subclause 18(2)

Omit the words ‘take all reasonable measures to’.

[25] After clause 18

Insert:

18A Animals and pests

An egg processor must ensure that the presence of any animals, vermin and pests in premises, equipment and transportation vehicles, does not make eggs unsafe or unsuitable.

[26] Clause 20

Repeal the clause, substitute:

20 Traceability

(1) An egg processor must not sell eggs unless each individual egg is uniquely marked to identify the egg producer who produced that egg.

(2) An egg processor must not sell or supply egg product unless each package or container containing the egg product is marked with both of the following –

(a) the date on which it was made; and

(b) the unique identification of the egg processor.

(3) In addition to subclauses (1) and (2), an egg processor must keep and maintain a record of each of the following –

(a) the name and contact details of each person from whom the egg processor received eggs for processing;

(b) the name and contact details of each person from whom the egg processor received egg product for processing;

(c) the number of eggs received from each person referred to in paragraph (a) and the date on which those eggs were received;

(d) the amount of egg product received from each person referred to in paragraph (b) and the date on which the egg product was received;

(e) the name and contact details of each person to whom the egg processor sold or supplied eggs or egg product (other than by direct sale to the public);

(f) the date of each sale or supply referred to in paragraph (e);

(g) the number of eggs and amount of egg product sold or supplied to each person referred to in paragraph (e) on each date referred to in paragraph (f).

[27] Clause 22

Repeal the clause, substitute:

22 Storage and transport of eggs

An egg processor must ensure that eggs are stored and transported under time and temperature conditions that will not make the eggs unsafe or unsuitable.

22A Storage and transport of egg product

(1) An egg processor must ensure that egg product is stored and transported under time and temperature conditions that will –

(a) not make the egg product unsafe or unsuitable; and

(b) control the growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.

(2) For the purposes of subclause (1), egg product includes egg product that is unprocessed and egg product that has been processed under clause 21.

Standard 2.2.2—Eggs and egg products

[28] Section 2.2.2—4

Repeal the section, substitute:

2.2.2—4 Traceability

Eggs for retail sale or for sale to a *caterer must be individually marked to identify the egg producer who produced the egg.