- About PrimeSafe
- What We Do
What We Do
Learn about PrimeSafe's role and functions.
Summary
- PrimeSafe regulates the safe production and transportation of meat, poultry and seafood products, including pet food
- We do this by issuing licences to meat and seafood businesses and supporting businesses to meet food safety standards
- We prosecute businesses that consistently fail to comply with their licences.
Our vision
Strong consumer confidence in the safety of Victoria’s meat, poultry and seafood through industry quality assurance.
Our mission
To advance and regulate food safety in Victorian meat, poultry, seafood and pet food industries through credible quality assurance systems and services that also support opportunities for industry growth and innovation.
Our functions
Our functions are listed in Section 44 of the Meat Industry Act 1993. They are:
- to control and keep under review the standards of meat, poultry meat and game meat produced for consumption or sale within the state
- to control and keep under review the standards of the construction and hygiene of plant and equipment in a meat processing facility
- to control and keep under review the standards of construction, maintenance, cleanliness and hygiene of meat transport vehicles
- to ensure that appropriately qualified persons are authorised as inspectors
- to license meat processing facilities
- to subject to the Regulations, to determine categories of licences
- to approve quality assurance programs and to monitor the implementation of those programs
- to in consultation with the Secretary of the Department of Health or a municipal council, to protect public health
- to fix and charge fees in respect of the carrying out of any of its functions or the exercise of any of its powers
- to carry out the functions conferred on the Authority by the Seafood Safety Act 2003 or the regulations made under that Act
- to carry out any other function that is conferred on the Authority by the Meat Industry Act 1993 or the regulations or by any other Act or the regulations made under any other Act.
Prosecutions
We may prosecute businesses who:
- have breached their licence requirements
- acted unlawfully, or,
- acted without a licence.
You can read examples of prosecutions in PrimeSafe Prosecutions.
Forums
We host forums about food safety requirements. Speakers and participants can be from industry advisory bodies or other Government Departments. At these forums you can ask Primesafe staff complex questions about the subject.
Our past forums include:
- Listeria Management
- Dry-Ageing
- Animal Welfare
To register your interest for our next forum Contact Us.
Meat Industry Communications Committee (MICC)
The MICC helps Meat Processing Facilities with:
- meeting the Victorian Meat Industry Act, 1993
- meeting the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code
- meeting other prescribed Australian and Victorian Standards for food safety and animal welfare
- finding effective ways to manage food safety
- improving consumer confidence
- growing sales
PrimeSafe was established on 1 July 2003 under the Seafood Safety Act 2003 and the Meat Industry Act 1993.
We administer two Acts and two Regulations.
Click the links to download.
- Meat Industry Act 1993
- Seafood Safety Act 2003
- Meat Industry Regulations 2015
- Seafood Safety Regulations 2024
You can buy a copy from LitSupport (TIMG).
The Public Interest Disclosure Act 2012 came into force on 1 January 2020. It replaced the Protected Disclosure Act 2012 which had replaced the Whistleblowers Protection Act 2001 (Whistleblowers Act).
The current Public Interest Disclosure Act 2012 encourages people to make disclosures (be a whistleblower) and protects them when they do.
A public interest disclosure is when someone makes a complaint about improper or corrupt conduct by a public officer or a public body.
Improper or corrupt conduct is the substantial:
- mismanagement of public resources; or
- risk to public health or safety; or
- risk to the environment; or
- corruption.
It is a criminal act or something for which an officer could lose their job.
Make a Public Interest Disclosure
You can make a public interest disclosure about PrimeSafe, its Board members, officers or employees.
Public Interest Disclosures are made to the Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission (IBAC) Victoria. Do not make your disclosure to Primesafe.
Contact IBAC at:
Address: Level 1, North Tower, 459 Collins Street, MELBOURNE VIC 3000
Postal address: GPO Box 24234, MELBOURNE VIC 3001
Phone: 1300 735 135
Website: www.ibac.vic.gov.au
Email: The IBAC website details the secure email disclosure process. It does allow anonymous disclosures.
You are protected
Primesafe will protect anyone who makes a public interest disclosure (a whistleblower) about a Primesafe officer.
Primesafe will identify, assess, control and monitor potential risks to whistleblowers and witnesses.
The Public Interest Disclosure Act 2012 states that a person who makes a public interest disclosure must be protected from:
- action causing injury, loss or damage
- intimidation or harassment
- discrimination, disadvantage or adverse treatment in relation to a person’s employment, career, profession, trade or business including the taking of disciplinary action.
This includes threats and inciting others to threaten or harm the person who made the public interest disclosure.
Report any harassment, discrimination or ill treatment to the Chief Executive.
It is confidential
Primesafe protects the confidentiality of the subject of the public interest disclosure. This is regardless of the outcome of the disclosure. All relevant printed material is kept in a locked filling cabinet. All electronic files are stored outside of PrimeSafe’s general access computer network.
Freedom of information requests
Find out more about freedom of information requests
