Food Standards News 48
December 2003
Full colour version pdf 126 kb
In this Issue...
Chief Executive Officer's Message
Balancing food and fitness for National Nutrition Week
Reviewing the fees for Applications
FSANZ Annual Report 2002 –2003
FSANZ staff provides microbiological risk assessment training in Viet Nam
Industry input sought for seafood standard
Visit by Senior Counsellor of WTO
FSANZ hosts chicken meat chief at seminar
National Heart Foundation visits FSANZ
Codex Australia seeks industry views on international food standards
From the New Zealand Office…Visit to New Zealand by the Hon Trish Worth.
Consumer research on nutrition content claims and labelling of food-type dietary supplements
Chief Scientist Dr Marion Healy discusses chemical contaminants in food.
Chief Executive Officer's Message
Another year has gone by and the challenges facing FSANZ are never ending. We have been alert and responsive to our changing environment dealing with issues to ensure that our food supply remains safe.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all members of the FSANZ staff and the FSANZ Board for their unrelenting efforts and high achievements during the year.
Thank you also to those stakeholders who have contributed ideas, evidence and analysis to support our work during this past twelve months.
I wish you and your families best wishes for a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Graham Peachey
Chief Executive Officer
Balancing food and fitness for National Nutrition Week
Parents have a crucial role in encouraging their children to exercise and eat healthy food, and help reduce the chances of them being overweight.
Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Trish Worth, recently launched National Nutrition Week at Parliament House in Canberra, saying parents can help their children by following simple guidelines on what to eat and how to keep fit.
The theme for this year’s National Nutrition Week is ‘Energy – Balancing Food and Fitness’.
Ms Worth said Nutrition Australia has provided a number of tips to help parents provide an environment which encourages better health and less overweight children. Things that can be done include:
- encouraging your children to be active - be a role model and join in;
- planning healthy evening meals that are easy to prepare and fit into your busy schedule;
- if you are buying fast food avoid the 'upsized' portions which have a high load of extra fat and energy;
- keeping soft drinks and confectionery items to 'occasional' foods and drink water to quench your thirst;
- looking for healthy foods that help you to feel full;
- reading food labels on packaged foods; and
- encouraging your children to develop their cooking skills (turn a blind eye to the mess!).
“It is the balance between the energy we take in through food and drink and the energy we use through our daily activity that determines our body fat levels,” Ms Worth said.
“Increasing physical activity and reducing serving sizes of meals are key areas that will help to address the current obesity problem in Australia. Australian Government guidelines recommend that we eat at least five serves of vegetables and two pieces of fruit and undertake at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day.
“Once we start to follow this simple practical advice we will start to feel better and have better energy levels.”
Ms Worth said chronic diseases now contribute to 42% of the burden of disease in Australia with 3.3 million Australians being obese and a further 5.6 million being overweight.
“We need to seriously think about our eating patterns activity levels,” Ms Worth said.
“The Australian Government is committed to the prevention of chronic diseases. Developing healthy lifestyles is a key to achieving this.
“Among other things, the Australian Government is working closely with State and Territory governments through the National Obesity Taskforce to develop a national approach to address the problem of obesity in the Australian population. This includes drawing on Australia’s public health strategyEat Well Australia.
“However, governments can only do so much, as at some stage we all have to take responsibility for healthy eating both for ourselves and for our families.
“Like investing for financial security, we also need to look at investing in our health so that we can aim to live long and active lives.
Ms Worth said Nutrition Australia has been promoting healthy eating for several decades, providing advice that is simple to understand, has been consistent over the years, and reflects the Australian Government’s dietary guidelines.
For more information on how to balance food and physical activity or to download the Nutrition Week Kit go to www.nutritionaustralia.org .
| | Hon Trish Worth (left), Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ms Nola Caffin (right), National Chair of Nutrition Australia at the launch of National Nutrition Week. |
Reviewing the fees for Applications
FSANZ is in the process of reviewing the fees it charges for the assessment of applications to develop, vary or review food standards. Fees are only charged where approval of the application would give the applicant an “exclusive commercial, capturable benefit”, or where an applicant chooses to pay.
A detailed review has been undertaken using data collected over the past two years to determine the accuracy and appropriateness of the existing fee structure. FSANZ and the way it conducts assessments has changed over the past two years. The organisation has taken on new functions such as the development of primary production and processing standards and introduced improvements to the efficiency of its assessment processes and systems. The public now have a much better opportunity to provide input into the development of standards and reports are more understandable as they are written in plain English.
The key recommendations of the draft report are that the fee structure be revised to include six categories rather than five, with a restructuring of fees within categories so that fees are reduced in some categories and increased in others. The overall impact, on fee paying applicants, will be minimal.
The review’s findings are being circulated to interested stakeholders seeking their comments. Anyone interested in reading the review report and providing comments can access it on the FSANZ website http:// www.foodstandards.gov.au or www.foodstandards.govt.nz > standardsdevelopment>documents for public comment or can write, email or phone the Information Officer at FSANZ on 02 6271 2241 (Australia) or 04 473 9942 (New Zealand) for a copy.
Comments need to be received by 19 December 2003 .
Once comments have been received and considered amendments to the FSANZ Regulations will be finalised. If is expected that the amended Regulations, and new fee structure, if approved by Parliament, will come into force early in 2004 .
Securing ties with China
Recently, the Hon. Rob Knowles, Chairman FSANZ Board and Ms Merrilyn O’Sullivan , FSANZ, were invited by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) to meet with senior officials responsible for food regulation in China.
The visit enabled FSANZ to learn of the major issues confronting China in food safety and food standards.
Meetings were held with senior officials from MOST, the World Bank, the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, (China CDC), the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) and the Chinese Food and Drug Administration (SFDA).
There was also opportunity to meet with the Australian Ambassador to China, His Excellency Dr Alan Thomas and senior Embassy officials who expressed strong support for FSANZ collaborative activities with China.
This also provided an opportunity to discuss the proposed training program to be delivered by FSANZ in China in 2004.
Further discussions finalised details for the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and FSANZ.
This signing of the Memorandum of Understanding occurred during the visit of President Hu to Canberra on 24 October 2003.
FSANZ Annual Report 2002 –2003
The first Annual Report for Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is now available. This Report highlights some of the challenges and achievements faced by FSANZ in its first year of operation under the new regulatory system.
Some of the challenges saw a shift to a whole of food chain approach to food regulation in Australia, new decision making powers and membership of the FSANZ Board, a new emphasis on whole of government approaches to policy development and the implementation of food standards, and a change in composition of the ministerial council over-sighting the food regulatory arrangements in Australia and New Zealand.
Expectations that our food supply remains safe, the continuing interest in the food we eat and making informed choices to suit lifestyle are all issues that FSANZ has identified in response to consumers’ needs.
A limited number of hard copies are available from the Information Officer on 02 6271 2241 or email info@foodstandards.gov.au or info@foodstandards.govt.nz or visit the FSANZ website www.foodstandards.gov.au .
FSANZ staff provides microbiological risk assessment training in Viet Nam
Recently, FSANZ staff travelled to Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, to present a second risk assessment training course to participants from Asian and Pacific nations. The program was the final phase of an APEC and AusAid funded program titled ‘Training in Risk Assessment in Support of Food Safety Measures’.
Participants were drawn from South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Viet Nam, and Chinese Taipei.
During the two week training program, participants were taken through the principal steps in microbiological risk assessment, and during workshop sessions they gained practical experience in completing hazard identification, hazard characterisation, exposure assessment and risk characterisation.
Positive feedback received from participants, demonstrated the value of such training programs and confirmed the role FSANZ can play in capacity building in the region.
In Viet Nam, support and coordination was provided by the Directorate for Standards and Quality (STAMEQ).
| | Participants and FSANZ staff who participated in the training course. |
Industry input sought for seafood standard
Development of the Primary Production and Processing Standard for seafood has now reached the point where FSANZ has assessed the public health risks of sectors and activities within the seafood industry and is proposing three management options.
These options will be refined in conjunction with the Seafood Standard Development Committee, comprising representatives from the industry, the Australian Consumers’ Association and State and Territory food regulators.
The current thinking identifies the need for good hygienic practice and good agricultural practice across the seafood industry as a whole, but recognises the need for special provisions to be put in place for high-risk sectors or activities, such as oysters. Such management strategies are already being practiced throughout industry and so implementation of the new standard should have a minor effect on compliance workload and pre-harvest and post-harvest activities.
The new seafood standard will be mandatory and national in scope. This means that seafood businesses can expect food regulators to enforce the standard in a nationally consistent manner. The standard will be consistent with internationally recognised benchmarks and will apply to imported seafood products as well as domestic production.
It should also bring into the food regulatory system those few seafood businesses that presently fail to abide by voluntary industry codes of practice.
The three management options being considered are:
Option 1: Status quo, which encompasses existing State and Territory regulations and industry adherence to voluntary codes of practice.
Option 2: A new Primary Production and Processing Standard for all seafood. This would extend the food hygiene provisions of the Food Standards Code (Chapter 3) to the primary production and processing end of the seafood chain and require the implementation of food safety plans for high-risk sectors or activities.
Option 3: A new PPP standard for high-risk sectors of the seafood industry only. This would not contain general hygiene provisions.
These management options will appear in a Draft Assessment Report to be considered by the FSANZ Board in May 2004 and made available for public discussion and comment.
FSANZ is actively working with State and Territory jurisdictions to ensure that seafood businesses are not only aware of the directions of the seafood standard, but also given every opportunity to engage meaningfully with the standard-setting process.
Individuals and organisations with an interest in the Primary Production and Processing Standard for seafood can contact FSANZ at any stage of the process at food.safety@foodstandards.gov.au .
Visit by Senior Counsellor of WTO
Gretchen H. Stanton, a Senior Counsellor and Secretary in the Agriculture and Commodities Division of the Secretariat of the World Trade Organization (WTO) recently was in Canberra speaking at the Quarantine and Market Access Conference 2003.
While in Canberra, FSANZ took the opportunity to meet with Dr Stanton and invited her to address staff as part of the FSANZ Seminar Series program.
Dr Stanton spoke about the SPS Agreement and the emerging issues and challenges that are arising from it. She said that the SPS Agreement is the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and sets out the basic rules for food safety and animal and plant health standards.
‘ It allows government the right to restrict international trade when it is necessary to protect human, animal and plant health’, she added.
All countries maintain measures to ensure that food is safe for consumers, and to prevent the spread of pests or diseases among animals and plants. These sanitary and phytosanitary measures can take many forms, such as requiring products to come from a disease-free area, inspection of products, specific treatment or processing of products, setting of allowable maximum levels of pesticide residues or permitted use of only certain additives in food. Sanitary (human and animal health) and phytosanitary (plant health) measures apply to domestically produced food or local animal and plant diseases, as well as to products coming from other countries.
| | FSANZ Chief Scientist Dr Marion Healy (left), pictured with Dr Gretchen Stanton, Senior Councillor and Secretary, SPS Committee Agriculture and Commodities Division , WTO. |
FSANZ hosts chicken meat chief at seminar
In October Dr Jeff Fairbrother, Executive Director of the Australian Chicken Meat Federation, addressed FSANZ staff and invited guests on the structure of the chicken meat industry and the steps taken by the industry to ensure the safety of chicken products.
Dr Fairbrother has been intimately connected with the chicken meat industry since the 1960s and is one of Australia’s foremost authorities on chicken meat production, processing and retail. He claimed that chicken meat has recently overtaken beef as Australia’s favourite meat – an achievement he believed was made possible by the industry’s attention to good hygienic practice, quality of product and skilful marketing.
Dr Fairbrother’s visit coincided with the commencement by FSANZ of the development of a Primary Production and Processing Standard for poultry meat. Nominations from qualified people to sit on the Poultry Meat Standard Development Committee closed at the end of the October and the FSANZ Board will appoint members to this SDC in December.
One of the first tasks of the Poultry Meat SDC will be to assist FSANZ to prepare an Issues Paper, which is likely to be made available for public comment in June/July 2004. At this stage, FSANZ hopes that all sectors of the poultry industry will make an input to the standard-setting process.
Individuals or organisations with views on food safety aspects of the poultry meat industry can register their views or seek information about the Primary Production and Processing Standard for poultry meat on food.safety@foodstandards.gov.au .
| | Dr Luba Tomaska, Program Manager, Food Safety(FSANZ), Dr Jeff Fairbrother, Executive Director, Australian Chicken Meat Federation, Ms Amanda Hill (FSANZ) and Dr Hong Jin (FSANZ). |
National Heart Foundation visits FSANZ
The FSANZ Seminar Series recently hosted a visit from Susan Anderson and Toni Fear of the National Heart Foundation to talk about the Foundation and some of their programs.
The Foundation aims to improve the heart health of Australians and to reduce disability and death from heart, stroke and blood vessel disease, through research, education and other programs. It is an independent Australia-wide, non-profit health organisation and is almost entirely funded by donations from the Australian public.
One of the most well known initiatives from the Heart Foundation is the ‘Pick the Tick’ program. It was established in 1989 to help people make healthy food choices quickly and easily. It also aims to encourage food manufacturers to develop or modify food products that support the Heart Foundation’s Guidelines for Tick Approval. These foods are relatively lower in saturated fat, sodium and added sugar, and higher in dietary fibre.
FSANZ research [1] has found that endorsements such as the ‘Tick’ are used regularly by more than one-third of respondents and considered to be amongst the clearest and trustworthy of label elements.
[1] Food Labelling Issues: Quantitative research with consumers (July 2003), Evaluation Report Series No. 4
| | (L to R) Susan Anderson and Toni Fear from the National Heart Foundation |
Codex Australia seeks industry views on international food standards
Of critical importance to exporters, Codex standards are developed to protect consumer health and ensure fair practices in world food trade. Their importance is such that they are increasingly being adopted as domestic standards by a number of countries and frequently being cited in world trade disputes.
The Codex standards development process is coordinated by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in Rome with Codex Australia responsible for distributing Codex-related documents, discussion papers and draft standards to interested members of the food industry for comment. From there, Codex Australia develops Australian positions on priority Codex standards in consultation with industry and key stakeholders and it then takes the responsibility for expressing these positions and views in Codex Alimentarius Commission forums.
Recognising the importance of Codex to Australian business in overseas markets, Australian food industry leaders and Government have agreed, as part of the National Food Industry Strategy, that they will work together to increase industry participation in Codex standards setting-processes. Driving this agreement is a goal to maximise Australian success in the food export market and minimise risk to the business of food producers and food exporters.
The first step in the process has been a survey of 91 food industry associations and producers across Australia to establish industry awareness and understanding of Codex processes. It found that knowledge of and participation in Codex processes varies widely between industry sectors with awareness levels across industry generally low and accessibility to information difficult.
It also found that the Australian food industry wants sub-industry specific information; a calendar of Codex events to enable forward-planning and involvement in Codex activities; an overview of the Codex process; and more information about how industry can provide input to the development of Australian positions on Codex standards.
In response to these needs, Codex Australia has released a new brochure to explain the process and highlight ways in which industry can contribute. It has also developed an online stakeholder registration facility which gives customised options that allow industry to nominate more than one area of interest for Codex information.
This registration facility is available on its newly-designed website which now offers access to reports and includes a new Codex meetings calendar, e-news bulletin and industry-specific web communities which streamline access to Codex information. The new brochure can also be downloaded from the site.
For more information, or to complete an online registration as a Codex stakeholder, please visit www.codexaustralia.gov.au
From the New Zealand Office…
Visit to New Zealand by the Hon Trish Worth.
The Hon Trish Worth will be visiting New Zealand in early December. Her trip is being undertaken for two main purposes. The first is to conclude the Treaty between Australia and New Zealand to establish the joint trans Tasman Therapeutic Agency. This proposal has been under discussion for a number of years and represents the second area of agreement between New Zealand and Australia to harmonise regulatory requirements.
The second reason for visiting New Zealand is to chair the next meeting of the ANZFRMC on 12 December. Associated with both meetings are a number of events including an opportunity for the Hon Trish Worth to meet some key New Zealand food stakeholders and to visit and meet staff at the Wellington Office of FSANZ.
Consumer research on nutrition content claims and labelling of food-type dietary supplements
Food labels must be easy to understand and use so that consumers can make informed choices about the foods they buy.
Qualitative consumer research was recently undertaken in Australia and New Zealand in order to gather information on:
- the most appropriate criteria and conditions for making specific nutrition content claims; and
- the possible labelling requirements for food type dietary supplements (FTDS).
FSANZ commissioned NF Donovan Research to conduct these studies as part of an ongoing series into food labelling issues.
Nutrition content claims
The report, ‘A qualitative consumer study related to nutrition content claims on food labels’ explored consumers’ familiarity, interpretation and use of eight nutrition content claims, whether other forms of nutrition information are used in conjunction with those claims and opinions regarding the usefulness of disclaimers and disqualifying criteria in assisting consumers’ trust and understanding of such claims. The sample did not include people who were unconcerned about health issues and who were under 25 years and over 64 years.
The study found that participants use nutrition content claims extensively, but with caution and that they need to verify the information with the Nutrition Information Panel (NIP). This is because they believe that claims are used in order to persuade consumers to buy a product, rather than to inform them about the product.
Comparative claims such as ‘reduced’ were regarded with scepticism as they were seen as being too generic to be useful. The research showed that the participants were confused in using the terms such as ‘low’, ‘lite’ and ‘diet’. ‘Free’ claims were viewed more favourably because they were seen as more definitive. All participants concluded that ‘free’ should mean ‘zero’ and that the term should not be based on nutritional insignificance. Participants were even more positive about ‘% fat free’ claims because they saw them as being more definitive than ‘free’. Very few looked beyond the percentage to think about the amount of fat they would be consuming from the product.
Only a few participants paid attention to cholesterol, carbohydrate or protein claims. ‘No added sugar’ was understood to mean that the product had only ‘natural’ sugar and verification with the NIP was not seen as necessary. Responses to the addition of a disclaimer, such as ‘contains natural sugar(s)’ were mixed. Those who responded positively viewed disclaimers as removing ambiguity because they clarify whether a product is ‘sugar free’. Many consumers viewed ‘lite’ claims negatively, but used them whilst being aware of their perceived limitations. The overwhelming majority wanted to see the claim improved through a clear statement of the nutritional or non-nutritional characteristic to which the ‘lite’ claim refers. ‘Diet’ was viewed as the least trustworthy and most ambiguous of all claims.
The concept of disqualifying criteria (e.g. requiring a food with a ‘high fibre’ claim to contain low amounts of fat) was not well supported.
Overall the study identified a need for consumer education about nutrition content claims. Consumers are confused and frustrated because there is no common consumer understanding on terms such as ‘high’, ‘low’, ’reduced’, ‘source of’, ‘lite’ etc. In some cases participants were critical of manufacturers and the use of nutrition content claims because there was no awareness of the criteria governing the use of such claims, as provided in the Food Standards Code and in Australia, in the Code of Practice on Nutrient Claims in Food Labels and in Advertisements.
Food type dietary supplements (FTDS)
The report, ‘A qualitative consumer study related to food-type dietary supplement labelling’ examined consumers’ awareness, familiarity, understanding and use of FTDS and related labelling elements such as the term ‘dietary supplement’, nutrition content claims and other nutritional and non nutritional information including ‘Percentage Daily Intake’ and trigger/advisory statements. The sample was skewed to include more people who are health conscious or who have special health needs compared to less health conscious people.
The research demonstrated that participants were unable to distinguish between ‘regular’ foods carrying nutrition content claims and FTDS labelled ‘dietary supplement’, because they are almost exclusively influenced by content claims and because manufacturers display the term ‘dietary supplement’ in a way which renders it difficult to discern.
Awareness and use of FTDS was low. There were very few concerns about over-consumption of supplements (in terms of vitamins, minerals, non-culinary herbs and botanicals) and therefore participants were very open to the concept of supplementation of foods in almost all processed food categories. They did, however, want labels that distinguish between foods that intrinsically contain particular nutrients and foods that contain extrinsic or ‘added’ nutrients. They also wanted claims to be quantified through the use of comparative percentages or exact amounts. Content claims such as ‘source’ and ‘good source’ were viewed as advertorial in nature and imprecise, which therefore meant they were treated with scepticism, even though they were considered to be truthful. There was no awareness that such terms are regulated.
The term ‘dietary supplement’ was described in both positive and negative terms because consumers were confused as to whether the intention was to caution consumers or to promote the product. The addition of a trigger statement directing consumers to the NIP was not well supported, nor was a cautionary statement about FTDS or a Percentage Daily Intake column in the NIP, because none of these were seen as being necessary.
The report highlighted the need to inform and educate consumers about labels relating to FTDS as consumers’ current understanding of supplementation and nutritional information is such that informed choices cannot be made. The addition of more information on labels to reflect supplementation will not be meaningful to consumers unless accompanied by education.
‘A qualitative consumer study related to nutrition content claims on food labels’ and ‘A qualitative consumer study related to food-type dietary supplement labelling’ are available on the FSANZ website at: www.foodstandards.gov.au or www.foodstandards.govt.nz
[1] Food Labelling Issues: Quantitative research with consumers (July 2003), Evaluation Report Series No. 4
Chief Scientist Dr Marion Healy discusses chemical contaminants in food
In recent months, reports about several potential chemical contaminants in food and their associated health impact have lead FSANZ to examine the scientific basis for these reports. We have also examined the likely presence of the contaminant in the food supply and assessed the health risk posed by each chemical and whether any regulatory action is required.
Semicarbazide:
The European Food Safety Agency advised of the detection of very low levels of semicarbazide in some foods packaged in glass jars with foamy plastic sealing gaskets. It is likely that the semicarbazide is formed from the related chemical azodicarbonamide, which is used in the production of foamed plastics and the manufacture of gaskets. Available toxicology information indicates semicarbazide is a potentially weak carcinogen in experimental animals. There are no data available regarding effects in humans.
FSANZ considers that this chemical poses a very low, if any, risk to human health. However, it is desirable to minimise the levels of contaminants, including semicarbazide, in the food supply and the food industry and manufacturers of sealants are being encouraged to develop alternative sealants.
Diethylhexyl adipate (DEHA):
Recent reports have suggested that DEHA can leach from plastic soft drink bottles into the liquids they hold, particularly after repeated use - these reports are incorrect since the majority of these bottles are made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and DEHA is not used in the manufacture of PET bottles. DEHA is a common plasticiser used in flexible vinyl polymers. Very low levels of DEHA can leach into some foods, particularly fatty foods such as cheese and meat, when plastic wrap is used to cover the foods. However, the levels found in these foods are far below the levels that could potentially cause harmful effects.
Mercury:
Some epidemiological studies have suggested an association between increased maternal dietary exposure to methylmercury and delayed neurodevelopment in children. The June 2003 meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives established a new stricter health standard for methylmercury leading the World Health Organisation to revise its recommendation for the amount of methylmercury that can be safety consumed.
FSANZ is currently reviewing its recommendation about the amount of mercury-containing foods, predominantly fish, that can be safely consumed. FSANZ has collated additional information from the past three years on the mercury levels in fish and re-examined the information on the toxicological health impacts of mercury to establish the appropriate health standard. Using dietary modelling, FSANZ is determining the safe amounts of various types of fish that can be consumed by different subgroups in the populations.
Nitrofurans:
Several countries, including Australia, have imposed import restrictions on foods containing residues resulting from the use of nitrofuran antibiotics; residues of nitrofuran are not permitted in food. FSANZ has assessed the risk associated with the trace levels found in foods imported into other countries. This assessment indicates that the health risk is very low.. However, FSANZ has advised the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service that imported products identified by other countries as containing residues, should be tested for nitrofurans.
FSANZ continues to monitor and respond to reports and evidence about potential hazards in food. Ongoing vigilance, evaluation of potential hazards and timely responses are necessary to ensure that our food supply stays safe and healthy. Further information on some of these issues is available from www.foodstandards.gov.au or www.foodstandards.govt.nz .
Full colour version pdf 126 kb

