Small scale melon growers

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New laws for food businesses that grow and/or do primary processing of melons will apply in NSW from 12 February 2026.

The laws are outlined in Standard 4.2.9 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, which sets legal standards for food in Australia, and the NSW Food Regulation 2025.  

The information on this page applies to growers with less than 2 hectares of melons under cultivation in NSW. For growers with more than 2 hectares, see Melon growers and processors.

What businesses are included

The standard applies to melon businesses that:  

  • grow and/or harvest fresh melons, such as watermelon, rockmelon, honeydew melon, and speciality melons (for example, piel de sapo)  
  • wash, trim, sort and sanitise melons.  

The standard does not apply to:  

  • manufacturing of harvested melons, such as cooking, freezing, drying, preserving, blending, juicing or adding other foods to these products  
  • handling melons on a retail premises
  • selling melon plants to or from a nursery  
  • growing melons for personal consumption.  

Notification

From 12 February 2026, all businesses growing less than 2 hectares of melons for sale will need to notify their business details to the Food Authority. Notification is free. These businesses will not need a Food Authority licence.

The Food Authority is updating to its online notification form and hopes to have these available to growers in December 2025.  

Food safety program

No documented food safety program or food safety management statement is required for growers with less than 2 hectares of melons under cultivation in NSW.

However, growers do need to meet the food safety requirements outlined below.

Farmers market and farm gate sales

Growers who sell melons directly to consumers, for example at the farm gate or at farmers markets, will need to notify their local council of their business details – as well as the Food Authority.

This is because local councils have oversight of retail food businesses in NSW - the Food Authority has jurisdiction of growing and processing practices and wholesale sales.

If you sell the produce in a different council area – for example at a farmers market in another region – you need to notify the home council where you grow the produce and you may need to arrange a temporary permit for the market where you're selling.

Get in touch with your local council for more information.

Growing sites

Small scale melon growers must do what they reasonably can to make sure their growing site/s do not make produce unacceptable to eat.  

This means you need to identify and assess food safety risks associated with the growing site, including any animal and other operations nearby. For example, dairy, beef, poultry or pig production can be sources of microbial contamination which can be spread through weather events such as dust storms, rainfall or flooding.  

Where you identify any risks of contamination, you must take action to eliminate or manage the source.

Reasonable measures, such as windbreaks, drainage and runoff curtailing, as well as crop choice, crop management and timing, should be undertaken to prevent contamination of growing sites and produce.    

For more guidance on growing sites, see:  

Growing melons: Input management

Small scale melon growers must do what they can to ensure inputs do not make produce unacceptable to eat. This means the soil, soil amendments, fertiliser, seeds, seedlings and water used do not contaminate produce with harmful microorganisms, chemicals or physical hazards.  

For more guidance, see:  

Growing produce: Water use

Surface water from rivers, streams and dams used for irrigation and for applying fertilisers, pesticides and other agricultural chemicals should not contain levels of microorganisms that would make the produce unsafe to eat.  

This agricultural water should not contain E. coli greater than 100 cfu/100ml.  

Water quality can change quickly. Growers should:

  • regularly assess the risks of non-potable water sources to ensure water is safe for its intended use
  • prevent water contamination (for example, fence around dams to keep animals away)  
  • assess the potential for cross-contamination from rainfall and flooding, or through spills, leaks and leaching
  • record which water sources are used for irrigation of which site.

Post-harvest water used to cool, wash or sanitise produce, or to clean surfaces that come into contact with produce, must be clean and safe (town water or similar quality) so it will not contaminate produce (see Washing and sanitising produce below).  

Water testing

Growers should regularly test non-potable water sources used on produce and:  

  • apply appropriate treatments if required (for example, chlorine, UV, filtration) and monitor levels of chemicals used in the water  
  • increase testing if sources could be impacted by animals, weather (dust storms, heavy rain, drought) or other events  
  • keep appropriate testing records.

The best time to test water is before the beginning of the season, or in summer, with another water test if your water source may be contaminated, for example by flooding.

For more guidance on water, see Fresh Produce Safety Centre's:  

Washing and sanitising produce

Under the national standard, melon growers need to take all reasonable measures to ensure visible material (such as dirt) on harvested melons is removed.  

While there is no specific requirement in the standard to wash produce, washing produce with potable water is the most effective way to remove any visible material.  

Sanitising is an additional process that is optional and must only be done after washing. Sanitising reduces microorganisms on the surface of produce to a safe level, usually with a chemical (such as food grade bleach).

Any washing or sanitising of leafy vegetables must not make them unsafe to eat.

  • Agricultural water, such as river water, may be used for pre-washing if it is immediately followed (that is, while the produce is still wet) with a final wash with potable water (containing E.coli <1 cfu/100ml).  
  • Use only drinking-quality water (containing E. coli <1 cfu/100ml) for final washes or sanitising. Town water is suitable.  
  • Where town water is not used for final washes, a water treatment program may be needed to ensure microbiological safety, for example with chlorine, UV, and/or filtration.

For more guidance on best practice for washing and sanitising produce, see:  

Post harvest temperature control

Small scale melon growers must keep harvested produce at a temperature that ensures it is safe to eat. This means once melons have been picked, their temperature should be managed carefully to ensure they don’t get too warm and reduce shelf life.    

For more information, see Temperature control.  

Traceability

Traceability is the ability to track produce through all stages of its production, processing and distribution.  Small scale melon growers must keep records of:  

  • who they sell produce to  
  • who they receive produce from.  

This requirement only applies to wholesale transactions (selling business to business) - it does not apply to retail sales directly to consumers.    

For more guidance on traceability, see:  

Weather events

Small scale melon growers must ensure that produce affected by weather is not unacceptable or unsafe to eat.  

Severe weather events, especially floods, dust storms and droughts, increase the risk of produce being contaminated with harmful pathogens. Produce that has been in contact with floodwater should not be sold for human consumption.  

To meet this requirement, growers need to understand the food safety risks of these events and what to do with produce after them to prevent unsafe food entering the supply chain.  

For more guidance, see:  

Animals and pests

Melon growers must do all they reasonably can to minimise the presence of animals, vermin and pests in growing sites, the premises and around equipment.  

This means considering how animals, vermin and pests could get in or on produce, and then taking action to minimise their presence or prevent their access.

This includes preventing access from livestock and pets onto growing sites through fencing and ensuring there is appropriate separation between growing sites and paddocks used for livestock.  

For more guidance, see:  

Premises and equipment

Melon growers need to make sure the structures, equipment and vehicles used for growing, harvesting and processing produce do not make the food unsafe to eat.  

Poorly made and maintained farm buildings, facilities and equipment can increase the chances of product contamination and encourage vermin. They must be suitable for food production, and be kept clean, sanitised and in good repair.  

For more guidance on best practice for premises and equipment, see:  

Skills and knowledge

Workers need to understand food safety hazards, including sources of contamination, and that they are responsible for producing safe food.    

There are no formal qualifications required, and the level of training should be appropriate to the level of risk of the duties performed.    

For example, a person who trims and washes produce may have different skills and knowledge to a person who applies fertiliser, but they both need to know their responsibilities and do their part to keep produce safe.  

For more guidance, see:

Hygiene and handling

Workers and visitors can contaminate produce with harmful microorganisms, chemicals, or foreign matter from their hands, body, clothes or equipment. To reduce this risk, anyone who visits or works onsite must understand and follow good personal health and hygiene practices.  

For workers, this includes:  

  • wearing clean clothing at the start of each day  
  • not handling food if they know, or suspect, they have an illness for example, vomiting or diarrhoea  
  • covering open wounds with a waterproof bandage  
  • washing their hands whenever it is likely their hands could contaminate food for example, after visiting the toilet, after meal breaks  
  • not smoking, spitting, chewing gum, eating, sneezing or coughing near produce at any time.  

Managing visitors

  • Provide site inductions or materials on health, hygiene and food safety to visitors before they visit.  
  • Provide written instructions, signs and posters to remind people what they should do.  
  • Ask visitors to complete declarations they are not sick with intestinal or respiratory illness.  

For more guidance, see:  

Inspections, audits

The Food Authority will not undertake regular compliance inspections of businesses growing less than 2ha of melons. However, businesses may still be visited if:

  • there is a request for training
  • assistance is required in complying with the new standards
  • there is potential for unsafe food being sold.      

Any visits to farms and facilities will focus on providing advice on how to comply with the new laws and educate businesses on the importance of maintaining food safety standards.    

More information

 

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