Advisory Committee on Novel Foods
One of the main outcomes of the review of the Novel Foods Standard was the formation of the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods (the Committee) by the FSANZ Board.
The Committee provides recommendations in response to enquiries about whether particular foods meet the definitions of ‘non-traditional food’ in Standard 1.5.1 – Novel Foods (the Standard) and whether or not an assessment of public health and safety is required. The Committee gives its recommendation to the FSANZ General Manager Food Standards (Canberra) and this forms the basis of a response to the enquirer.
Previously, the internal FSANZ Novel Foods Reference Group provided a view as to whether a food may be non-traditional and/or novel, in accordance with the definitions in the Standard. The Novel Foods Reference Group was an informal group comprising FSANZ officers with expertise in risk assessment and risk management and its views have been published on our website.
The new Committee includes representatives from Australian State and Territory jurisdictions, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, the New Zealand Food Safety Authority and FSANZ, which chairs the Committee.
How does the Committee operate
The Terms of Reference for the Committee are available on the FSANZ website . The Committee meets via teleconference on a monthly basis or as required. It receives enquiries from industry, individuals or government agencies and recommends to the FSANZ General Manager, Food Standards (Canberra) whether it considers a particular food non-traditional in accordance with the definition in the Standard and, if so, whether or not an assessment of public health and safety is required.
Enquirers need to complete a questionnaire. As the Committee considers each enquiry it refers to a guidance tool that FSANZ has developed to accompany the questionnaire. There is more information on the questionnaire below.
After the Committee has given its recommendations to the General Manager, Food Standards (Canberra), the General Manager uses them as the basis for a response to the enquirer. FSANZ will also provide a copy of the recommendations to members of the Implementation Sub Committee of the Food Regulation Standing Committee and provide an opportunity to comment before the General Manager responds to the enquirer. The function of the Implementation Sub Committee is to ensure a consistent approach to implementation and enforcement of food regulations and standards in Australia and New Zealand.
Not all enquiries will necessarily produce a recommendation from the Committee. Even after considering an enquiry the Committee may require more information about it, particularly if there is not enough information available to provide a recommendation. It is therefore possible that some enquiries discussed by the Committee will not have a recommendation published on the FSANZ website.
Information for enquirers
If you would like to make an enquiry concerning a potential novel food, please click on the Novel Food Questionnaire link (to the right) and send your completed questionnaire to information@foodstandards.gov.au . You should also look at the guidance tool before completing the questionnaire.
Guidance Tool
As indicated above, the Committee uses a guidance tool to help it consider enquiries, though we developed the guidance tool to assist enquirers as well as the Committee. The guidance tool has four elements:
1. Introduction. This provides general information on the Novel Foods Standard, the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and how to use the guidance tool.
2. Information to be provided by enquirer. This refers to the information that an enquirer needs to provide and how the Committee will consider it when using the guidance tool.
3. Guidance tool Part 1. This helps the Committee when it is considering whether a food is non-traditional or not. It highlights what sort of information the enquirer should supply to the Committee so it can make a recommendation.
4. Guidance tool Part 2. This is only used if the Committee initially recommends that the food is non-traditional. It helps the Committee make a recommendation as to whether a non-traditional food should be further assessed for public health and safety considerations. This part also highlights that information provided by the enquirer which the Committee should consider when recommending whether there should be an assessment of public health and safety considerations.
Importantly, the enquirer does not have to seek a recommendation from the Committee. A potential applicant may directly submit an application seeking to amend Standard 1.5.1 to permit a novel food.