Food Ministers' Meeting

The joint food regulation system is overseen by the Food Ministers' Meeting. The Food Ministers' Meeting is responsible for developing domestic food regulation policy in the form of policy guidelines. The Food Ministers' Meeting also promotes a consistent approach to the implementation and enforcement of domestic food standards. The Food Ministers' Meeting signs off on all food standards and can request a draft standard be developed, reviewed, amended or rejected. The Food Ministers' Meeting was previously the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation (2015-21), Legislative and Governance Forum on Food Regulation (2011-15) and the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council (2000-2011). In 2013 COAG agreed the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation (now the Food Ministers' Meeting) would operate outside of COAG. As a result of the Review of COAG Councils and Ministerial Forums (Conran Review) in 2020, the Food Ministers' Meeting has been established and will report to the First Secretaries Group on the implementation of a 12 month work plan. The Ministerial Councils Review in 2022 reversed the Conran decision and Food Ministers' Meeting returns to being an ongoing meeting with no reporting line to National Cabinet and no sunsetting timeframes for projects.