Safe Food Victoria to streamline food safety regulation

FOOD safety in Victoria will be overseen by a new independent regulator from 2026, replacing a patchwork of agencies with a single authority.

Agriculture Minister Ros Spence said Safe Food Victoria would deliver simpler processes and greater consistency while maintaining the standards and expertise of existing regulators.

“We’re making it easier to get fresh food to market and improving food safety for Victorians,” Ms Spence said.

The new statutory authority is expected to begin operating in mid-2026, subject to legislation.

Food safety is currently split across several departments, agencies and councils, including Dairy Food Safety Victoria and PrimeSafe.

Staff from these bodies will transfer to the new authority on their current conditions, with no redundancies.

Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said the regulator would play a critical role in protecting public health.

Victorians are being invited to have their say on the new authority’s priorities and operations through online.