Food Standards Australia New Zealand

Dioxins in food

The term 'dioxins' is used to describe a group of environmentally persistent chemicals, which are not manufactured intentionally but are by-products of combustion. Dioxins accumulate in the body fat of animals and humans, giving rise to concerns for potential adverse human health and environmental effects.

National Dioxins Program

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has prepared a report Dioxins in Food: Dietary Exposure Assessment and Risk Characterisation , which examines the level of dioxins in food and the risks posed to Australians from consumption of foods containing dioxins.

The study found that the level of dioxins in food in Australia is very low. The overall conclusion of the report is that the public health and safety risk for all Australians from exposure to dioxins in foods is very low.

The FSANZ report is one of a number of studies commissioned as part of the National Dioxins Program (NDP) to gather information on sources of dioxin emissions, and the concentration of dioxins in the environment, food and humans. These information-gathering reports were then used as a basis for the preparation of environmental and human health risk assessments.

The NDP, an Australian Government initiative, implemented by the Department of Environment and Heritage , was designed to collect data, assess the impact of dioxins and then determine appropriate measures to reduce and where feasible, eliminate dioxins and dioxin-like substances. The NDP is being conducted in three stages:

1.   Gathering information about the current concentrations of dioxins in Australia;

2.   Determining the level of risk to human health and the environment posed by the current level of dioxins in Australia

3.   Developing measures to reduce, and where feasible, eliminate the release of dioxins in Australia.

Details of a further study of dioxins in human breast milk can be found at the Australian Government Department of Environment and Heritage website at:   http://www.deh.gov.au/industry/chemicals/dioxins/report-10/index.html

Dioxins in Sydney Harbour seafood

FSANZ has worked closely with the NSW Food Authority since late 2005 to assess the potential adverse health effects from residues of dioxins found in seafood caught in the Sydney Harbour area.

FSANZ has been a part of the Expert Panel that was established to provide information to the NSW Food Authority to assist in making risk management decisions and has conducted a risk assessment based on concentrations of dioxins in seafood from the Sydney Harbour. This assessment has been provided to the NSW Food Authority. FSANZ conducted an initial risk assessment early in 2006 (see Technical Report Series Number 43). More data on a broader range of seafoods were collected following that assessment, prompting , FSANZ to conduct a revised risk assessment based on the new data in the second half of 2006 (see Technical Report Series ).

The dietary exposure assessment showed that the public health and safety risk for the majority of the population from dioxin exposure following the consumption of seafood from Sydney Harbour is considered to be very low, given that the general population only eats Sydney Harbour seafood infrequently and in small amounts.However, there is potential for frequent eaters of Sydney Harbour seafood (for example, recreational fishers who eat their own catch) to exceed the reference health standard for dioxin if continued over a long period of time.

Based on the FSANZ risk assessment and advice from the Expert Panel, the NSW Food Authority has issued advice about eating seafood from Sydney Harbour, which can be found on their website along with further information at http://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/consumer/c-dioxins.htm .
 
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