Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has received ministerial approval for four changes to the Food Standards Code. It has also released targeted guidance for the seafood and cell-cultured food sectors in the latest update of the Compendium of Microbiological Criteria for Food.

On July 25, 2025, Australian Food Ministers endorsed the following FSANZ Board decisions, clearing the way for their formal adoption into the Food Standards Code:

• Mandatory energy labeling on alcoholic beverages (P1059) requires alcoholic beverage manufacturers to clearly display energy (kilojoule) content labels on each drink
• Changes to carbohydrate and sugar claims on alcoholic beverages (P1049) clarify that nutrition content claims about sugar can be made on alcoholic beverages (but claims about individual sugars, such as fructose, or other components of carbohydrate are prohibited)
• New definitions for genetically modified foods (P1055) will ensure food regulation keeps pace with technology, is science-based, and continues to focus on safety—details about the new definitions can be read here
• A change to allow food to be served in Australian aircraft cabins when pet cats and dogs are present under controlled conditions (A1314) will support more flexible travel options for pet owners, without compromising food safety.

Additionally, FSANZ has also updated the Compendium of Microbiological Criteria for Food to include new chapters providing targeted guidance for the seafood sector and on emerging cell-cultured foods. The compendium is a practical reference for food businesses and regulators, containing nationally consistent microbiological criteria for ready-to-eat (RTE) foods and specific commodities, along with advice on environmental monitoring.

The new seafood chapter provides best practices for managing key microorganisms, microbiological criteria, and process hygiene for RTE products, shellfish, and other seafood.

The new cell-cultured food chapter—developed in consultation with stakeholders through the now-approved application for cell-cultured quail meat—sets out agreed microbiological criteria to support safe production.