For over 18 months, Freshcare has been undertaking a comprehensive review of all our standards to make them simpler, clearer, and better aligned with both Australian market needs and global benchmarks. This work has been driven by feedback from program users including growers, supply chain businesses, auditors, and industry partners, and directly addresses many of the concerns about compliance burden raised across the sector.
Our goal is to deliver:
- Simpler compliance – streamlined requirements across all Freshcare programs.
- Reduced complexity – better alignment with regulatory and market requirements to avoid unnecessary overlap.
- Clearer guidance – new tools, worksheets, and resources for participants and auditors.
- Improved market access – standards designed meet both domestic and export market requirements with confidence.
As we progress with developments, we will keep you up-to-date with any changes regarding:
- Updated standards format and access (starting with Food Safety and Quality cover on-farm and supply chain activities.
- Updated tools and resources for participants.
- Timeline and release dates for transition and adoption.
- Engagement opportunities through webinars and direct briefings.
Freshcare is proud to be taking a proactive, industry-led approach to making compliance simpler and more practical. We are committed to ensuring that our programs work for growers and the broader supply chain and we’ll continue to keep you updated as we move towards launch.
See previous update: 10 December 2024
