Dairysafe’s 2026 audit program continues to deliver strong regulatory oversight across farms, processors and transport operators, with audit activity highlighting high levels of industry compliance while identifying opportunities for continuous improvement.
The results demonstrate the dairy sector’s ongoing commitment to food safety, quality assurance and regulatory excellence.
Farm audits deliver good results
The farm audit program is progressing well, with 69% of scheduled audits now completed. The remaining audits are planned for completion over the coming months, keeping the program firmly on track.
Audit outcomes have been encouraging, with 54 corrective action requests (CARs) raised across audited farms. Importantly, 53 of these were classified as minor, with only one major finding identified, reflecting a strong level of compliance across accredited dairy farms
The most common areas requiring attention included:
- Milk quality and cooling
- Calibration
- Paddock management
These findings provide valuable insight into recurring operational challenges and will help inform future education initiatives, resources and audit focus areas to support ongoing improvement across the farming sector.
Processor audits strengthening food safety outcomes
The processor audit program is also progressing well, with initial audits completed across all processor sites within scope and businesses now continuing through the second stage of the audit cycle.
Year-to-date audits have identified 83 corrective actions across processor operations. While most findings were minor in nature, 36% were classified as major, reinforcing the importance of robust verification and monitoring activities within processing environments.
The most common areas where corrective actions were identified were:
- HACCP plans
- Food safety programs
- Pasteurisation controls
- Maintenance programs
- Personnel hygiene practices
These outcomes reinforce the value of the audit program in strengthening food safety systems, promoting best practice and maintaining consumer confidence in the dairy industry.
To further support improvement across the sector, Dairysafe recently partnered to deliver its first Food Safety and HACCP Awareness training session. Interest from industry exceeded expectations, with the inaugural course fully subscribed. Building on this strong response, a second training session has been scheduled for 2 October 2026. Businesses interested in attending or learning more are encouraged to contact tina.hutchinson@dairy-safe.com.au to register their interest.
This will provide dairy businesses with additional opportunities to strengthen their understanding of food safety principles, HACCP requirements and regulatory expectations.
Strong compliance across transport operators
The transport operator audit program continues to track positively, with 71% of scheduled audits completed year-to-date. Audit outcomes indicate a high level of compliance across the sector, with only six minor corrective actions identified and no major non-conformances recorded.
Findings primarily related to opportunities for continuous improvement in food safety systems, staff training and operational controls. Overall, the results provide assurance that accredited transport operators are maintaining the systems and practices required.
Building capability and maintaining momentum
The audit team has successfully navigated some operational challenges throughout the year, including the departure of key high-risk auditor Charavy Chan. Despite this, the team has maintained audit delivery schedules and regulatory oversight across the sector.
To support continuity and future growth, Ryan successfully qualified as a high-risk auditor, and Kim Sparks joined Dairysafe in July, bringing extensive industry knowledge and experience to the team.
Dairysafe remains focused on supporting industry excellence through robust regulatory oversight, targeted education and ongoing collaboration with stakeholders, to strengthen food safety outcomes and build confidence throughout the dairy supply chain.