Fresh Insights on Food Safety: A Research Survey of Fresh Produce Stakeholders in Australia and New Zealand

FPSC-ANZ invites you to participate in our research survey aimed at improving food safety standards within the Australian and New Zealand Fresh Produce Industry. Your participation will help us to better understand Industry needs, gather insights, and identify opportunities for outreach, support and research. By sharing your experiences and perspectives, you can help us in tailoring food safety engagement strategies to meet the specific needs of growers, food safety managers, supply chain stakeholders, researchers, and experts.

Together, we can strengthen collaboration, elevate industry standards, and ensure the safety and quality of fresh produce for consumers. Help us to help you by sharing your insights – we are eager to hear from you. Thank you for your participation and commitment to building a safer future for our Industry.

To ensure confidentiality, all responses provided in this survey will remain anonymous, and the results will be aggregated to present overall trends and findings.

This research survey includes 25 questions and will take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

Participants also have the chance to win a $250 gift card upon completing the research survey**

Question Title

* 1. What State/Country is your business based in?

New Zealand

New South Wales

Victoria

Queensland

South Australia

Western Australia

Australian Capital Territory

Northern Territory

Tasmania

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 2. What part of the fresh produce industry do you operate in? Select the most appropriate.

Growing

Packing

Distribution

Wholesale

Retail

Importer/Exporter/Marketer

Agribusiness Service Provider

Government/Regulatory

Industry Association

Research

Standard Owner

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 3. What is the approximate number of employees in the business you work (where applicable at peak of season)?

0-4

5-20

21-200

201+

Question Title

* 4. Do you identify as having English as a second language (ESL)?

Yes

Question Title

* 5. How confident do you feel in your business's current knowledge and practices regarding food safety?

Extremely confident

Very confident

Moderately confident

Slightly confident

Not confident

Not applicable

Question Title

* 6. What is your business's current level of food safety knowledge in the following areas:

	No knowledge	Limited knowledge	Moderate knowledge	Good knowledge	Expert knowledge	N/A
Crisis Management	Crisis Management No knowledge	Crisis Management Limited knowledge	Crisis Management Moderate knowledge	Crisis Management Good knowledge	Crisis Management Expert knowledge	Crisis Management N/A
Measuring and reporting food safety culture (Food safety culture is about attitudes, behaviours and the priority given to food safety in an organisation)	Measuring and reporting food safety culture (Food safety culture is about attitudes, behaviours and the priority given to food safety in an organisation) No knowledge	Measuring and reporting food safety culture (Food safety culture is about attitudes, behaviours and the priority given to food safety in an organisation) Limited knowledge	Measuring and reporting food safety culture (Food safety culture is about attitudes, behaviours and the priority given to food safety in an organisation) Moderate knowledge	Measuring and reporting food safety culture (Food safety culture is about attitudes, behaviours and the priority given to food safety in an organisation) Good knowledge	Measuring and reporting food safety culture (Food safety culture is about attitudes, behaviours and the priority given to food safety in an organisation) Expert knowledge	Measuring and reporting food safety culture (Food safety culture is about attitudes, behaviours and the priority given to food safety in an organisation) N/A
Causes of microbial contamination	Causes of microbial contamination No knowledge	Causes of microbial contamination Limited knowledge	Causes of microbial contamination Moderate knowledge	Causes of microbial contamination Good knowledge	Causes of microbial contamination Expert knowledge	Causes of microbial contamination N/A
Interpreting and acting on water quality test results	Interpreting and acting on water quality test results No knowledge	Interpreting and acting on water quality test results Limited knowledge	Interpreting and acting on water quality test results Moderate knowledge	Interpreting and acting on water quality test results Good knowledge	Interpreting and acting on water quality test results Expert knowledge	Interpreting and acting on water quality test results N/A
Impact of adverse weather events (e.g. bad weather that could cause harm or damage) on water quality	Impact of adverse weather events (e.g. bad weather that could cause harm or damage) on water quality No knowledge	Impact of adverse weather events (e.g. bad weather that could cause harm or damage) on water quality Limited knowledge	Impact of adverse weather events (e.g. bad weather that could cause harm or damage) on water quality Moderate knowledge	Impact of adverse weather events (e.g. bad weather that could cause harm or damage) on water quality Good knowledge	Impact of adverse weather events (e.g. bad weather that could cause harm or damage) on water quality Expert knowledge	Impact of adverse weather events (e.g. bad weather that could cause harm or damage) on water quality N/A
Exclusion periods between application of untreated manure and harvest	Exclusion periods between application of untreated manure and harvest No knowledge	Exclusion periods between application of untreated manure and harvest Limited knowledge	Exclusion periods between application of untreated manure and harvest Moderate knowledge	Exclusion periods between application of untreated manure and harvest Good knowledge	Exclusion periods between application of untreated manure and harvest Expert knowledge	Exclusion periods between application of untreated manure and harvest N/A
Responding to a recall	Responding to a recall No knowledge	Responding to a recall Limited knowledge	Responding to a recall Moderate knowledge	Responding to a recall Good knowledge	Responding to a recall Expert knowledge	Responding to a recall N/A
Temperature management	Temperature management No knowledge	Temperature management Limited knowledge	Temperature management Moderate knowledge	Temperature management Good knowledge	Temperature management Expert knowledge	Temperature management N/A
Standards for health and hygiene for staff	Standards for health and hygiene for staff No knowledge	Standards for health and hygiene for staff Limited knowledge	Standards for health and hygiene for staff Moderate knowledge	Standards for health and hygiene for staff Good knowledge	Standards for health and hygiene for staff Expert knowledge	Standards for health and hygiene for staff N/A
Maintaining facilities and equipment	Maintaining facilities and equipment No knowledge	Maintaining facilities and equipment Limited knowledge	Maintaining facilities and equipment Moderate knowledge	Maintaining facilities and equipment Good knowledge	Maintaining facilities and equipment Expert knowledge	Maintaining facilities and equipment N/A
Implementing food safety training	Implementing food safety training No knowledge	Implementing food safety training Limited knowledge	Implementing food safety training Moderate knowledge	Implementing food safety training Good knowledge	Implementing food safety training Expert knowledge	Implementing food safety training N/A
Types of food allergens	Types of food allergens No knowledge	Types of food allergens Limited knowledge	Types of food allergens Moderate knowledge	Types of food allergens Good knowledge	Types of food allergens Expert knowledge	Types of food allergens N/A
Traceability	Traceability No knowledge	Traceability Limited knowledge	Traceability Moderate knowledge	Traceability Good knowledge	Traceability Expert knowledge	Traceability N/A
Maximum residue limits for pesticides	Maximum residue limits for pesticides No knowledge	Maximum residue limits for pesticides Limited knowledge	Maximum residue limits for pesticides Moderate knowledge	Maximum residue limits for pesticides Good knowledge	Maximum residue limits for pesticides Expert knowledge	Maximum residue limits for pesticides N/A
Impact of climate change and food safety	Impact of climate change and food safety No knowledge	Impact of climate change and food safety Limited knowledge	Impact of climate change and food safety Moderate knowledge	Impact of climate change and food safety Good knowledge	Impact of climate change and food safety Expert knowledge	Impact of climate change and food safety N/A
Preventing and detecting foreign object contamination	Preventing and detecting foreign object contamination No knowledge	Preventing and detecting foreign object contamination Limited knowledge	Preventing and detecting foreign object contamination Moderate knowledge	Preventing and detecting foreign object contamination Good knowledge	Preventing and detecting foreign object contamination Expert knowledge	Preventing and detecting foreign object contamination N/A

Question Title

* 7. How would you describe your business's response to a food safety-related problem?

Unstructured and unplanned, we just hope for the best

Unprepared and uncoordinated, responsibility is handed out as problems come up

Structured problem solving, but problems are only tackled one at a time or over analysed

Problem solving is accepted as part of continual process improvement, staff are encouraged to look for food safety problems and management are involved

Not applicable

Question Title

* 8. Who do you think is responsible for food safety in the business you work for?

The Owner/Manager

The Quality Manager/Food Safety Supervisor

Staff who have contact with the food products

All Staff within the business

Not applicable

Question Title

* 9. For your business, everyone understands that staff at all levels are accountable for the food safety performance expectations of their job?

Strongly agree

Agree

Neither agree nor disagree

Disagree

Not applicable

Question Title

* 10. Which materials or activities do you or your business currently use to provide guidance on fresh produce safety knowledge? Select all that apply.

Reference or Technical materials

Professional training

Webinars

Industry conferences or workshops

Internal training programmes

Research articles or journals

Government guidelines or regulations

Peak Industry Bodies guidance

Food safety standards

Certification Bodies information

Newsletters

Social media

Not applicable

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 11. How do you think existing reference materials could be improved to enhance food safety knowledge? Select all that apply.

Simplified language, diagrams or illustrations

Developed into interactive online modules

Translated into multiple languages to reach a broader audience

Transformed into engaging videos

Adapted for different learning styles (e.g. Auditory, reading and writing, hands-on or 'doing')

Expanded with case studies or real-world examples for practical application

Integrated into on-site training sessions or demonstrations

I don't know

Question Title

* 12. What kind of training on food safety is available for staff at your business?

No food safety training is offered

Induction training for new staff and extra training if needed

Induction training, on-the-job mentoring plus regular refresher training or extra courses

Not applicable

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 13. Do the staff in your business put their knowledge and training into practice, showing an awareness of food safety in their daily jobs?

Not always, they are often busy or no-one is watching

I assume they do

Their supervisors and peers make sure they do

Everyone has food safety at the top of their priority

Not applicable

Question Title

* 14. What communication channels do you find most effective for finding out information about the fresh produce industry?

	Ineffective	Somewhat effective	Moderately effective	Very effective	Extremely effective	N/A
Industry specific websites (including forums)	Industry specific websites (including forums) Ineffective	Industry specific websites (including forums) Somewhat effective	Industry specific websites (including forums) Moderately effective	Industry specific websites (including forums) Very effective	Industry specific websites (including forums) Extremely effective	Industry specific websites (including forums) N/A
Government websites	Government websites Ineffective	Government websites Somewhat effective	Government websites Moderately effective	Government websites Very effective	Government websites Extremely effective	Government websites N/A
Social media	Social media Ineffective	Social media Somewhat effective	Social media Moderately effective	Social media Very effective	Social media Extremely effective	Social media N/A
Webinars	Webinars Ineffective	Webinars Somewhat effective	Webinars Moderately effective	Webinars Very effective	Webinars Extremely effective	Webinars N/A
Email newsletters or updates from industry organisations	Email newsletters or updates from industry organisations Ineffective	Email newsletters or updates from industry organisations Somewhat effective	Email newsletters or updates from industry organisations Moderately effective	Email newsletters or updates from industry organisations Very effective	Email newsletters or updates from industry organisations Extremely effective	Email newsletters or updates from industry organisations N/A
Direct communication with suppliers or industry contacts	Direct communication with suppliers or industry contacts Ineffective	Direct communication with suppliers or industry contacts Somewhat effective	Direct communication with suppliers or industry contacts Moderately effective	Direct communication with suppliers or industry contacts Very effective	Direct communication with suppliers or industry contacts Extremely effective	Direct communication with suppliers or industry contacts N/A

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 15. Would you use a FPSC-ANZ helpdesk for fresh produce safety advice, and if yes, would you prefer it to be confidential?

Yes

Yes, but confidential

Question Title

* 16. What challenges, if any, does your business face in implementing food safety practices within your operation? Select all that apply.

Lack of resources (financial or people)

Lack of awareness

Limited access to training or information

Resistance to change among staff

No challenges

Not applicable

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 17. How familiar are you with the upcoming regulations in Australia regarding food safety standards for the primary production and processing of melons, berries, and leafy vegetables?

Extremely familiar

Somewhat familiar

Not familiar

Not applicable

Question Title

* 18. Is your business certified to a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) scheme? e.g. BRCGS, SQF, Freshcare (Where applicable)

Yes

I don't know

Not applicable

Question Title

* 19. Would you be interested in participating in collaborative research projects aimed at addressing food safety challenges in the fresh produce industry?

Definitely interested

Possibly interested

Not sure

Unlikely

Not interested

Not applicable

Question Title

* 20. Would your organisation or business be interested in participating if food safety outreach activities were offered?

Definitely interested

Possibly interested

Not sure

Unlikely

Not interested

Not applicable

Question Title

* 21. What methods have been successful for you or your business in educating people about food safety?

	Unsuccessful	Somewhat successful	Moderately successful	Very successful	Extremely successful	I don't know
Technical resources	Technical resources Unsuccessful	Technical resources Somewhat successful	Technical resources Moderately successful	Technical resources Very successful	Technical resources Extremely successful	Technical resources I don't know
In-person training	In-person training Unsuccessful	In-person training Somewhat successful	In-person training Moderately successful	In-person training Very successful	In-person training Extremely successful	In-person training I don't know
Workshops	Workshops Unsuccessful	Workshops Somewhat successful	Workshops Moderately successful	Workshops Very successful	Workshops Extremely successful	Workshops I don't know
Conferences	Conferences Unsuccessful	Conferences Somewhat successful	Conferences Moderately successful	Conferences Very successful	Conferences Extremely successful	Conferences I don't know
Online training modules	Online training modules Unsuccessful	Online training modules Somewhat successful	Online training modules Moderately successful	Online training modules Very successful	Online training modules Extremely successful	Online training modules I don't know
Coaching or mentoring	Coaching or mentoring Unsuccessful	Coaching or mentoring Somewhat successful	Coaching or mentoring Moderately successful	Coaching or mentoring Very successful	Coaching or mentoring Extremely successful	Coaching or mentoring I don't know

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 22. What types of strategies do you believe are necessary to attract Industry to engage with food safety initiatives? Select all that apply.

Providing incentives or rewards for participation

Offering free training or educational resources

Offering free guidance materials

Hosting industry events or conferences

Collaborating with industry stakeholders

Providing ongoing support and guidance for implementation

I don't know

Question Title

* 23. How likely is it that food safety outreach efforts will keep the Industry interested and engaged?

Very likely

Somewhat likely

Neutral

Not very likely

Not likely at all

I don't know

Question Title

* 24. In your opinion for English Second Language (ESL), what is the best way to engage with ESL fresh produce growers?

Translated materials

Multilingual training sessions

Presented in simpler language

Community leader/trainer

I don't know

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 25. Which of the following food safety topics do you consider most important to the fresh produce industry sector?

	Not important	Somewhat important	Moderately important	Very important	Extremely important	I don't know
Proper handling and storage practices	Proper handling and storage practices Not important	Proper handling and storage practices Somewhat important	Proper handling and storage practices Moderately important	Proper handling and storage practices Very important	Proper handling and storage practices Extremely important	Proper handling and storage practices I don't know
Pest control and animal management	Pest control and animal management Not important	Pest control and animal management Somewhat important	Pest control and animal management Moderately important	Pest control and animal management Very important	Pest control and animal management Extremely important	Pest control and animal management I don't know
Water quality and irrigation practices	Water quality and irrigation practices Not important	Water quality and irrigation practices Somewhat important	Water quality and irrigation practices Moderately important	Water quality and irrigation practices Very important	Water quality and irrigation practices Extremely important	Water quality and irrigation practices I don't know
Soil health and contamination prevention	Soil health and contamination prevention Not important	Soil health and contamination prevention Somewhat important	Soil health and contamination prevention Moderately important	Soil health and contamination prevention Very important	Soil health and contamination prevention Extremely important	Soil health and contamination prevention I don't know
Traceability and recall procedures	Traceability and recall procedures Not important	Traceability and recall procedures Somewhat important	Traceability and recall procedures Moderately important	Traceability and recall procedures Very important	Traceability and recall procedures Extremely important	Traceability and recall procedures I don't know
Good agricultural practices	Good agricultural practices Not important	Good agricultural practices Somewhat important	Good agricultural practices Moderately important	Good agricultural practices Very important	Good agricultural practices Extremely important	Good agricultural practices I don't know
Employee hygiene and training	Employee hygiene and training Not important	Employee hygiene and training Somewhat important	Employee hygiene and training Moderately important	Employee hygiene and training Very important	Employee hygiene and training Extremely important	Employee hygiene and training I don't know
Microbiological contamination	Microbiological contamination Not important	Microbiological contamination Somewhat important	Microbiological contamination Moderately important	Microbiological contamination Very important	Microbiological contamination Extremely important	Microbiological contamination I don't know
Compliance and certifications	Compliance and certifications Not important	Compliance and certifications Somewhat important	Compliance and certifications Moderately important	Compliance and certifications Very important	Compliance and certifications Extremely important	Compliance and certifications I don't know

Other (please specify)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Horticulture Food Safety Initiative is funded through the Hort Frontiers strategic partnership initiative developed by Hort Innovation, with co-investment from FPSC-ANZ; University of Sydney; NSW Department of Primary Industries; Agriculture Victoria; South Australia Health; Coles; Zespri International; New Zealand Food Safety Science & Research Centre (NZFSSRC); Vegetable Research and Innovation Board; Hort NZ and in-kind contributions from University of Sydney; Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ); Centre for Produce Safety (USA); NZFSSRC; Agriculture Victoria; NZ Food Safety (Ministry for Primary Industries); Zespri International; NZ Vegetable Industry Research Board; AUSVEG; and Berries Australia.

**TERMS & CONDITIONS OF PRIZE ENTRY
FPSC-ANZ staff (including contractors), FPSC-ANZ Board Members, HFSI Project Reference Group: We greatly appreciate your contributions to this research survey as part of our Fresh Produce Safety Community, but please note you are not eligible for the Prize draw. Participants who are prohibited from entering the draw by their employer’s policies are also not eligible for the prize. The prize draw will take place on the 31st of May 2024. The prize consists of a $250 gift card, redeemable in either New Zealand dollars (NZD) or Australian dollars (AUD), depending on the winner’s location. The winner will be notified via email within 7 days of the draw date. If the winner cannot be contacted or does not claim the prize within 14 days of notification, we reserve the right to withdraw the prize and draw a new winner. To enter, CLICK HERE.

Please also remember to click on the SUBMIT button to finalise your response.