THE Productivity Commission has hit out at inconsistent food safety rules across Australian states and a lack of national food safety standards.
In a report released last week, the Commission found "significant differences" among the core state and territory consumer food safety regulators in charges, risk classifications, the rate and duration of audits and inspections, appeal mechanisms and transparency.
The report criticised the slow progress in developing national production and processing standards and found major inconsistencies in the interpretation of existing standards.
The most significant discrepancy, however, was "in requirements to employ a food safety supervisor and to prepare a food safety plan".
It also found there was far less uniformity in regulation at the primary production and processing end of the food chain.
But while the report condemned the lack of national food safety standards in the poultry and red meat sectors especially, it acknowledged all major risks were controlled in both production chains.
The lack of national consistency, however, made business harder for large companies and producers who spanned different states, the report said.
Meat and Livestock Australia's manager of market access, science and technology, Ian Jenson, said MLA supported increasing efficiencies of the regulatory system governing the red meat industry.
"In principle, we support a move to uniform national regulations and have worked closely with the Commonwealth to develop common standards (for the red meat industry)," Mr Jenson said.
Mr Jenson said the different rules currently in place in each state had "minimal impact" on meat producers and processors who generally operated under one jurisdiction, but that MLA hoped all entities would operate under the same rules in the future.
A move towards more uniform standards and increased efficiencies may see some charges reduced, he said.
