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New national standards for producers and processors of berries, leafy vegetables and melons will apply in NSW from 12 February 2026. The standards aim to strengthen food safety and traceability throughout the supply chain.
What are the new requirements?
For details about the new standards, see:
Changes to the NSW Food Regulation 2025
Licensing and notification requirements will apply for berry, leafy vegetable and melon businesses from 12 February 2026 under the NSW Food Regulation 2025. Berry, leafy vegetable melon growers with less than 2 cultivated hectares of produce will not require a licence but they will still need to notify their details to the Food Authority and comply with the national standards.
Cultivated hectares refer to the land used to grow berries, leafy vegetables, or melons, not the grower’s total land. For example:
- If a grower has 4 hectares of blueberries, they will need to apply for a licence with the Food Authority
- If a grower has 40 hectares of land but only 1 hectare is used to grow blueberries, they will need to notify their details to the Food Authority
- If a grower has 3 hectares of mixed vegetable production but only 1 hectare is used to grow leafy vegetables (and the rest is used for other crops like tomatoes and cucumbers), they only have 1 cultivated hectare and will need to notify their details to the Food Authority.
Businesses do not need to do anything yet. The Food Authority is continuing to work on the administrative arrangements associated with the new scheme. A transition period will apply to allow businesses to adjust to the new requirements and to build awareness. Our focus will initially be to help businesses comply with the new laws and learn the importance of food safety practices.
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