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Smallgoods technical guideline

Learn about the requirements for processing, handling and labelling smallgoods.

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About smallgoods

Smallgoods are meat products that undergo processes such as cooking, curing, fermenting or drying to preserve raw meat and keep it safe for consumption.

Products may be ready‑to‑eat or require further cooking. Depending on their composition and processing, they may be stored at ambient temperature, refrigerated (below 5°C) or frozen.

Smallgoods production in Australia includes both small‑scale artisan practices to large‑scale manufacturing. Regardless of size or style, all businesses must meet the same food safety requirements.

Licensing

  • You must hold a Safe Food Victoria licence to manufacture smallgoods, unless they are only consumed at the place of production (for example, a restaurant).
  • You must apply to Safe Food Victoria for approval before you start manufacturing.
  • You must notify Safe Food Victoria if you start, or stop, manufacturing smallgoods.

Key requirements

Guidance for cooked smallgoods

This guideline helps food businesses understand key aspects of smallgoods production and the regulatory requirements. It does not cover uncooked comminuted fermented meat (UCFM) smallgoods and does not replace the Standards referenced. For UCFM requirements contact Safe Food Victoria prior to starting production.

Managing food safety risks

Smallgoods can pose significant food safety risks, including serious illness, if processes are not properly designed and controlled.

In Victoria, you must meet requirements set out in:

If a standard specifies a time or temperature requirement, you may use an alternative process if you can demonstrate it achieves an equivalent outcome and obtain prior approval from Safe Food Victoria.

The Australian Meat Industry Council Guidelines for the Safe Manufacture of Smallgoods (3rd edition) provide additional guidance on meeting requirements and validating alternative processes.

Facility requirements

  • Safe Food Victoria assesses your facility against construction requirements in AS 4696 before approving manufacturing.

Manufacturing processes

You must:

  • operate under an approved Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) based food safety program that identifies hazards and controls
  • keep raw products separate from ready‑to‑eat products
  • ensure cooked ready‑to‑eat smallgoods reach a core temperature of at least 65°C for 10 minutes, or an approved equivalent
  • meet cooling requirements in AS 4696:
    • uncured products: reduce from 52°C to 12°C within 6 hours, then to 5°C within 24 hours
    • cured products: reduce from 52°C to 12°C within 7.5 hours, then to 5°C within 24 hours
    • or use an approved equivalent process
  • store products at temperatures that maintain safety (ambient or ≤5°C, depending on characteristics such as pH and water activity)
  • ensure dried products (for example, jerky or biltong) achieve a water activity of ≤0.85. Some slow‑cured dried meats, such as prosciutto or bresaola, do not have specific physical criteria in the Food Standards Code or AS 4696.
  • store curing solutions at ≤5°C
  • use only additives permitted under Standard 1.3.1 of the Food Standards Code

Listeria management and microbiological testing

Your food safety program must include a Listeria management plan for each group of similar ready‑to‑eat meat products that are processed and packaged with a shelf life greater than five days.

Safe Food Victoria provides further guidance in the Listeria Management of Ready‑to‑eat Meat Products technical guideline.

You must also carry out microbiological testing to verify that your products are safe:

AMRG – Guidelines for the Management of Listeria (Standard 4.2.3)
PDF 163.96 KB
(opens in a new window)

Your testing program must form part of your food safety program and demonstrate that your processes consistently control microbiological hazards.

Record keeping

You must keep records to show you meet the requirements of AS 4696 (or an approved equivalent) for:

  • heat treatment
  • cooling stage one
  • cooling stage two

Safe Food Victoria may allow you to verify cooling processes annually instead of recording cooling stage 1 for every batch.

To do this, you must:

  • monitor at least five samples from a batch for each product type through cooking and both cooling stages
  • demonstrate through annual verification that the process consistently meets requirements

If the verification confirms compliance, you do not need to record cooling stage one for every batch.

Auditing

Safe Food Victoria audits smallgoods manufacturers and businesses that package or repackage smallgoods twice a year.
If you stop manufacturing smallgoods, you must continue to meet the audit frequency until your licence expires. At renewal, advise Safe Food Victoria if you plan to manufacture smallgoods.

Updated

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