Food Safety in Australia
Linda Leake writes: “Ask Australians to share some of their favorite foods and they are quick to mention hamburgers with beetroot, crab sticks, barbequed snags, pavlova, lamingtons, and Vegemite on toast, just to start the list. These unique local lip-smacking goodies and the many other tasty foods produced on the continent of Australia are the fruits of a highly developed food production and food safety system that extends from farm to fork. To be sure, the food industry is a significant part of the Australian economy. Fifteen percent of the Australian workforce is involved in food production, according to the Australian Department of Agriculture (DoA). Some AU$30.5 billion (as of Oct. 31, 2014, 1 AU$ equals .88 US$) worth of food is exported annually, while Australia produces enough to feed the country twice over. Food creation is the biggest employer in rural and regional communities.”