Question 1

What does Food Business & Compliance support include?

Accepted Answer

Practical support to help your food business understand and meet relevant food safety requirements — including food handling practices, premises conditions, food safety controls, labelling and allergen considerations, and supporting documentation. It is a professional assessment to identify areas that may require attention — it does not certify regulatory compliance or guarantee a particular Local Government inspection outcome.

Question 2

Can you review my food premises or fit-out plans?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Under Premises & Pre-Purchase Advice, proposed premises arrangements — preparation areas, hand washing, fixtures, equipment, ventilation, lighting, storage, waste and workflow — are considered with reference to Standard 3.2.3 and applicable WA requirements. A review does not replace the relevant Local Government approval or assessment process.

Question 3

Can you review my food label and allergen information?

Accepted Answer

Yes. As part of Food Business & Compliance support, food labels and food information are reviewed against the requirements applicable to your product and method of sale, including ingredient information, allergen declarations, mandatory information and date marking where relevant. Requirements vary by product, and this is not medical or clinical allergy advice.

Question 4

Do I need a Food Safety Plan?

Accepted Answer

Not every food business is legally required to have one. Standard 3.2.2A introduces specific food safety management tools for certain food service, catering and retail businesses. If you have existing documentation, it can be reviewed and strengthened; if not, I can discuss appropriate documentation for your circumstances.

Question 5

Can you arrange food sampling and laboratory analysis?

Accepted Answer

Under Sampling & Testing, EnviroHealth Solutions assists with sampling and coordinates submission to an accredited laboratory where analysis is required. Laboratory analysis is undertaken by the laboratory, not by EnviroHealth Solutions, and the laboratory invoices you directly. Optional interpretation and advice can be provided.

Question 6

Can you help me understand food legislation?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Under Risk & Regulatory Support, practical professional guidance is provided regarding requirements relevant to your circumstances, including the Food Act 2008 (WA), Food Regulations 2009 and the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. It is professional advice, not legal representation — where specialist legal advice is needed, a suitably qualified legal practitioner should be consulted.

Question 7

What if I'm not sure which area I need?

Accepted Answer

Start with a Specialist Consulting consultation. Tell me about your situation and I can help identify the most appropriate capability area or next step.

Question 8

What is PEAL, and what changed on food labels?

Accepted Answer

Plain English Allergen Labelling (PEAL) is a set of changes to the Food Standards Code made through FSANZ Proposal P1044, mainly to Standard 1.2.3 and Schedule 9. On packaged food labels, allergens must be declared using set 'required names', shown in bold in the statement of ingredients (for example, 'maltodextrin (wheat)'), plus a separate bold summary statement that starts with 'Contains' (for example, 'Contains milk, soy'). The summary must sit directly next to the ingredient list, in the same field of view.

Question 9

When did PEAL become mandatory, and can I still sell old-label stock?

Accepted Answer

The changes took effect on 25 February 2021, followed by a three-year transition period that ended on 25 February 2024. Food packaged and labelled under the old rules before then could keep being sold during a two-year stock-in-trade period, which ended in February 2026. That means packaged food that must carry a label now needs to meet the PEAL requirements. Stock labelled under the old rules should not be sold unless its label also meets PEAL.

Question 10

Which allergens must be declared, and how must they be named?

Accepted Answer

The required names are wheat, fish, crustacean, mollusc, egg, milk, lupin, peanut, soy, sesame, and each tree nut by name: almond, Brazil nut, cashew, hazelnut, macadamia, pecan, pine nut, pistachio and walnut. Barley, oats and rye are named in the ingredient list if they contain gluten, and declared as 'gluten' in the summary statement. Wheat that contains gluten needs both 'wheat' and 'gluten' in the summary. Added sulphites at 10 mg/kg or more are declared as 'sulphites'. Limited exemptions apply.

Question 11

Does this apply to cafes, restaurants and takeaway food?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The bold and 'Contains' formatting rules apply to packaged food that must carry a label, but allergens still have to be declared for food that doesn't need a label, such as meals served in a cafe, restaurant or takeaway. Using the required names, the information must be displayed with the food or given to the customer on request. WA Health notes that customers have a legal right to this information, verbally or in writing, when eating out or buying takeaway.

Question 12

Do I have to use 'may contain' statements?

Accepted Answer

No. Voluntary precautionary allergen labelling, such as 'may contain' or 'may be present', is not regulated by the Food Standards Code, and PEAL did not change that. A precautionary statement can never replace a mandatory declaration: if an allergen is an ingredient, additive or processing aid, it must be declared. If you use 'may contain' wording, base it on a genuine assessment of cross-contact risk in your own process. FSANZ refers businesses to the Allergen Bureau for guidance on this.

Question 13

What happens if an allergen is left off a label?

Accepted Answer

Undeclared allergens are among the most common reasons food is recalled in Australia. The business responsible usually needs to stop distribution and sale, notify its local enforcement agency and FSANZ, and run a trade or consumer recall. Under the Food Act 2008 (WA), failing to comply with the Food Standards Code is an offence. Enforcement options include infringement notices, seizure and prosecution, depending on the circumstances.

Question 14

Who enforces allergen labelling in WA?

Accepted Answer

The Food Act 2008 (WA) adopts the Food Standards Code. Local government enforcement agencies and their authorised officers, usually Environmental Health Officers, are responsible for compliance and enforcement of allergen declaration requirements. The WA Department of Health publishes guidance for enforcement agencies and food businesses, and its Food Unit works with FSANZ on food recalls. FSANZ develops the Code and coordinates recalls nationally, but does not have enforcement powers.

Question 15

How can EnviroHealth Solutions help with allergen labelling?

Accepted Answer

I can review draft labels and allergen declarations against the current Code, check recipes, ingredient specifications and supplier information for allergens, and help you put practical allergen procedures and staff guidance in place for the kitchen and front of house. Where testing is needed, I can coordinate sampling through an accredited laboratory, which carries out the analysis. My advice is professional guidance. It isn't legal advice, laboratory analysis or a guarantee of compliance.

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