In this edition

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CEO’s message

Food Safety Week 2006 targeted young people leaving home

Food Ministers’ October Meeting

LISS personnel share information

Two New Standards Introduced

FSANZ shares ideas at APEC food safety workshop in Viet Nam

Dietary Modelling Workshop

Risk communicators from Australia, New Zealand, UK and Ireland meet

FSANZ advises Hong Kong on Food Safety

FSANZ helps Europeans ensure novel foods are safe

FSANZ shares microbiological risk analysis work with the International Association of Food Protection

Janine Lewis leaves FSANZ temporarily for the WHO

Australian Government supports review of trans fats in food

CEO’s message

While the past year has been a successful one for FSANZ, the bulk of the food issues that we handled proved to be complex and time-consuming.  

Many of the projects were committed to the too-hard basket during the development of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code in 2000 – standards matters that were deferred pending Ministerial advice on the directions to be taken.  

The development of food standards to give effect to Ministerial policy and guidelines has   stretched the organisation and required a concerted effort by all involved.  Other standards work, such as that for country of origin labelling, provoked vigorous community debate and heightened community expectations.

Despite the magnitude of the work on hand, I am pleased with the results for the year.

We now have a country of origin food standard that addresses the labelling of fresh and packaged produce.   We have recently gazetted standards that give permission for the addition of vitamins and minerals to water-based drinks and plant sterols to a range of foods.   The primary production and processing standard for dairy is now law.   And, we are in the final stages of resolving issues to do with health claims and mandatory folic acid fortification.

At the same time, we have continued to progress routine applications to amend the Code for food additives, processing aids, genetically modified foods and maximum residue limits, as well as moving forward on food safety standards for catering and vulnerable populations.

It would be tempting to think that the workload will diminish once the major projects I have described are finalised.   Nothing could be further from the truth.

On the public health front, we need to continue assessing the need for regulatory measures to manage the presence of trans fats in the food supply.   We also need to assess every RDI in the Code to see if it should be replaced by a nutrient reference value – no small task.

We are about to commence work on primary production standards for the egg industry and for raw drinking milk and raw milk cheeses, and are already planning for the development of a standard for plant and plant products.

Other items on the horizon include packaging (migration of chemicals from packing to the food), nanotechnology and its implications for the food industry, our present zero-tolerance policy for agricultural and veterinary residues in food unless specific limits are approved, and the addition of substances to food other than vitamins and minerals.

This is a considerable body of work.  

In addition, the Ministerial Council has referred front-of-pack labelling to the Food Regulation Standing Committee for assessment.   Recommendations for FSANZ to develop a food standard for such labelling would, of course, add to our work plan.

However, I suspect that the diversity and importance of the work is what attracts so many staff members to FSANZ.   The pace may be hectic, but the satisfaction of producing a regulation that has a profound impact on the lives of so many people can be considerable.

As is usual at this time, I thank the staff and Board of FSANZ for their commitment during a difficult year.   I wish them and all our stakeholders a safe and enjoyable holiday season.

Graham Peachey

Food Safety Week 2006 targeted young people leaving home

The Food Safety Week message for 2006 was aimed at young people leaving home and provided food safety tips to keep them healthy.

Parliamentary Secretary for Health & Ageing, the Hon. Christopher Pyne, launched Food Safety Week quoting research by the Food Safety Information Council, which has put together some simple, practical tips for young people to use whether they are leaving home to go to university, to travel or to join the workforce.

‘Research consistently shows that young people, especially young men, have the worst knowledge of safe food handling,’ Mr Pyne said. ‘It’s great to leave home and have that independence but it’s no fun to be among the estimated 5.4 million cases of food poisoning each year.

  ‘Firstly, your fridge isn’t just for storing drinks in – it can stop food poisoning bacteria growing in your food. Check your fridge is running at 5°C or below and don’t let raw meat and chicken drip onto foods like salads and desserts that you won’t cook again.’

He said it is especially important to be careful with leftover foods.

‘Don’t leave the pizza on the benchtop overnight. Divide leftovers or takeway into small containers and refrigerate them once they have stopped steaming. Don’t forget to label them with the date. Throw leftovers out after two days.

‘Always store and cook food according to the instructions on the label of packaged food and discard after the use by date. Remember to cook chicken, minced meat like sausages and hamburgers all the way through to the centre until there is no pink left. Don’t put cooked meat or chicken back on the plate you used for the raw meat.’

While reminding young people to be careful with their food, Mr Pyne also reminded them how important hand washing and general cleanliness is.

‘The best source of bacteria is your hands – so always wash them with soap and running water and dry thoroughly on a clean towel before handling food. While you and your housemates may not enjoy housework, keep the kitchen clean and wash dishes and utensils in hot soapy water. The good news is that you don’t have to wipe up the dishes as leaving them to dry in the air is safest.

‘Finally, a message for parents. Make sure your children learn about food safety from an early age and you might want to give them a fridge thermometer, available from your local kitchen shop, when they do fly the nest.’ www.foodsafety.asn.au

Food Ministers’ October Meeting

Among a number of new policy issues, the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council is considering a front-of-pack nutrition labelling scheme, similar to one used in the United Kingdom.

At its October 2006 meeting, Ministerial Council members considered a proposal to examine a front of pack nutrition labelling scheme, like the UK one that provides consumers with at-a-glance information about the nutritional content of foods.

Council members agreed to ask the Food Regulation Standing Committee to explore and report to the Council at its next meeting whether a uniform front-of-pack food labelling system would be an effective health strategy, and to advise on the efficacy of a range of options for such a labelling system, which may include the traffic light labelling system, the behavioural labelling system and any other options.

The Ministerial Council meeting, chaired by the Hon. Christopher Pyne, Parliamentary Secretary to the Australian Government Minister for Health and Ageing, also agreed to a Policy Guideline on Regulation of Low Level Residues from Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals in Food.

This Policy Guideline will be forwarded to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to consider alternatives to the current “zero tolerance” approach to the regulation of residues of agricultural and veterinary chemicals in food.

Currently, where there is no Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) set in the Food Standards Code for residues of agricultural and veterinary chemicals, FSANZ enforces a zero tolerance approach. However, this means that foods containing low levels of residues of agricultural and veterinary chemicals with no set MRL cannot be sold, even if they pose no significant risk to public health. The Ministerial Council was concerned that the current requirements for mandatory enforcement cause substantial imposts on industry and enforcement agencies that far outweigh the risks posed.

In other developments the Ministerial Council has:

agreed to a new National Food Safety Audit Policy to promote uniformity and consistency for food safety auditors and auditing within Australia, and where possible, in New Zealand as well.  The Policy will be implemented over the next five years. The Food Regulation Standing Committee will now develop a plan to identify resource requirements, accountabilities and specific timeframes for the introduction of the Policy.

 reinforced its commitment to reduce the number of neural tube defects by requiring   mandatory fortification of food with folic acid as quickly as possible. In making its decision the Ministerial Council discussed FSANZ’s Final Assessment Report on the issue. Due to technical and compliance concerns about the proposed standard, the Ministerial Council asked FSANZ to review it and report back within six months.

received an update from FSANZ on its review of the level of trans fatty acids (TFAs) in Australian food.  FSANZ began this review following global concern about the potential health effects of TFAs, particularly those that are derived from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. The review was also considered necessary because there have been no recently published estimates of total TFA intake in either Australia or New Zealand. FSANZ expects to provide a final report on this matter to the Ministerial Council at its next meeting in May 2007.

LISS personnel share information

The Australian members of the Labelling and Information Standards Section (LISS) recently travelled to New Zealand to meet their counterparts in the FSANZ Wellington office.

“Windy” Wellington certainly lived up to its name with rain and gale force winds greeting the group when they disembarked in Wellington, following a diversion to Christchurch due to fog.  

LISS is the only trans-Tasman Section in FSANZ with the staff being equally divided between the Wellington and Canberra offices.

The visit program included a workshop on the strategic direction of the section and an opportunity for members of the section to meet New Zealand stakeholders.   A field trip to Palmerston North included visits to the Crop and Field Research Institute, Food Industry Science Centre, and the National Foods manufacturing site.

Graham Smellie, Site Manager at the Food Industry Science Centre, provided an insight into the centre’s role and structure.

At the CFR Institute, scientific team leaders discussed aspects of key research projects now under way.   The meeting was beneficial for both sides in providing an update on health claims and novel foods.

Dean Stockwell, General Manager for LISS, led a discussion on how FSANZ can work more closely with the CFR Institute in aligning the Code’s legal requirements of labelling with the institute’s research objectives.  

National Foods invited the group to tour its manufacturing plant at Palmerston North, where it produces yoghurts and dairy desserts for the New Zealand market.   The factory tour was followed by a roundtable discussion of current labelling issues with the National Foods management team.   The visit provided an opportunity for the FSANZ staff to see the factory in operation and a forum for the National Foods management team to ask questions about aspects of labelling regulations, including health claims, and discuss the information resources provided by FSANZ.

Two New Standards Introduced

FSANZ has created two new food standards, one governing foods enriched with plant sterols and the other governing formulated beverages. These standards are now law.

The new standards will allow Australians and New Zealanders access to a range of foods enriched with plant sterols, while manufacturers will be able to make formulated beverages in Australia, not just New Zealand.

The Hon. Christopher Pyne, Parliamentary Secretary to the Australian Government Minister for Health and Ageing, said the new standards are excellent examples of allowing the food industry to be innovative while also protecting public health and safety.

“Plant sterols can reduce cholesterol uptake when eaten in sufficient amounts,” Mr Pyne said.

Plant sterols have previously only been allowed in margarines. However, food regulator FSANZ has decided after an extensive safety assessment to allow plant sterols to be added to low fat milks, low fat yoghurts and breakfast cereals, bringing Australia and New Zealand into line with current practice in Europe and North America.

Mr Pyne said the regulator’s consumer research found that most consumers of plant sterol products are health-conscious adults who choose foods with a health benefit in mind and as part of a healthy lifestyle.

However, plant sterol products will have to carry advisory statements that they should be eaten as part of a healthy diet and that they are not suitable for children under five years, or for pregnant or lactating women. Statements will also tell consumers that eating more than the recommended dose of three grams of plant sterols a day will not provide additional benefits.

“FSANZ is working with the National Heart Foundation of Australia and the Dietitians Association of Australia to provide information about plant sterol foods to doctors, health professionals and consumers,” Mr Pyne added.

“I am also pleased to announce that water-based beverages with added vitamins and minerals (formulated beverages) can now be legally manufactured in Australia. These products have been on the shelves in Australia for many years as they have been manufactured in New Zealand as dietary supplements and legally imported to Australia.   Now they can be made in Australia. These products will have a maximum limit of 24% fruit ingredients and 7.5% sugar.”

FSANZ shares ideas at APEC food safety workshop in Viet Nam

Viet Nam faces enormous challenges in improving its food safety and regulatory system, delegates at an APEC Food Safety Forum in Ha Noi have learnt.   While the country is a successful exporter of many food products, particularly to high value European markets, significant challenges regarding the safety of domestic production and consumption still need to be overcome.

FSANZ representatives Sonia Bradley and Nicole Cosgrove said Vietnamese food regulators told more than 60 delegates from Viet Nam, Thailand, China, Thailand, the Philippines, Taiwan, the United States and Australia that they face significant challenges.  

Nguyen Hung Long, Deputy Director General of Viet Nam’s Food Safety and Hygiene Administration, said that Viet Nam must coordinate 14 different Ministries responsible for various aspects of the food regulatory system, find ways of better dealing with a large number of small scale producers, train more than the 40 food inspectors they have now and find effective ways for the public and private sectors to work together to improve the system.

In 2005, 320 people died from food contamination in Viet Nam, and there were 10 million cases of diahorrea among the country’s population of 84 million.   Some of the challenges in reducing these incidences are the lack of appropriately equipped labs and skilled technicians, and the inability to enforce penalties for food safety breaches, especially in rural areas.   The Viet Nam government is currently considering options to address these issues.

Sonia said Viet Nam’s food problems highlighted the country’s need for capacity building and training in all aspects of food safety.  

Nicole said the workshop provided a good opportunity for international delegates to also discuss broader issues, such as the APEC Food Safety Cooperation Initiative, an APEC initiative co-sponsored by Australia and China. Valuable ideas were exchanged with respect to capacity building priorities, including the need for information sharing and improved laboratory facilities, disease surveillance and inspection services.

Dietary Modelling Workshop

The inaugural Food Regulators’ Science Network Forum (SNF) Workshop on Dietary Modelling took place on 28th September 2006 in Canberra.

The SNF’s members are scientific representatives from all jurisdictions in the food regulatory system – that is, from all Australian states and territories, the Australian Government and the New Zealand Government. It is chaired by FSANZ’s Chief Scientist Dr Marion Healy. FSANZ provides logistical support for the SNF, which meets monthly by teleconference.

There were more than seventy people in attendance, including SNF members or their representatives, several FSANZ Fellows and Board members, select academics and members of government agencies and FSANZ staff.  

The workshop provided a great deal of valuable discussion on the science that underpins dietary exposure assessments, commonly referred to as ‘dietary modelling’ in Australia.

Day one comprised presentations from the keynote speaker Dr Mike DiNovi (Supervisory Chemist at the US Food and Drug Administration), Dr Ingrid Rutishauser (Coles & Rutishauser Consultants), Dr Ann Cowling (Statistical Consultant and FSANZ Fellow) and members of FSANZ staff, interspersed with panel discussions.

Topics covered by the workshop included dietary exposure assessments in the international arena; risk analysis, risk assessment and dietary modelling in the Australia/New Zealand context; data sources; modelling approaches and methodologies; and the interpretation and use of dietary exposure assessments.

A half-day demonstration of the DIAMOND dietary modelling computer program, together with some worked examples, was given to interested participants on the morning following the workshop.

The inaugural SNF Workshop proved to be an excellent foundation for an ongoing workshop series, providing a forum for jurisdictions to gather together to discuss a variety of scientific issues relevant to the food supply in Australia and New Zealand.

The Dietary Modelling Workshop also forms part of a review over the coming year of FSANZ dietary modelling. The review aims to assess dietary modelling procedures, reports, stakeholder information and understanding of dietary modelling and information technology aspects such as DIAMOND.

In addition to giving the keynote presentation at the Workshop, Dr DiNovi also spent some time at FSANZ in order to undertake an international peer review and benchmarking exercise on how FSANZ conducts dietary modelling.

Risk communicators from Australia, New Zealand, UK and Ireland meet

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority held a risk communication workshop on 3 November in Wellington to discuss recent developments in risk communication, food emergencies and public education from around the world.

It was chaired by Sandra Daly from the NZFSA and attended by Andrew McKenzie, NZFSA’s Chief Executive Officer, John O’Brien CEO of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Bill Reilly and Stephen Airey from the UK FSA, the Hon Rob Knowles the Chair of the FSANZ Board, Lydia Buchtmann FSANZ Communication Manager, George Davey NSWFA Director-General and Greg Irwin from the NSWFA

FSANZ advises Hong Kong on Food Safety

Dr Marion Healy, FSANZ’s Chief Scientist, attended the first meeting of Hong Kong’s Expert Committee on Food Safety as an international expert in an advisory role.

The committee, which advises the nation state on its food laws and other matters, discussed the importance of applying a risk analysis approach to regulatory decision making, agreed on the need for a review of current regulations and decided to set up a mechanism to find which regulations need updating as a priority.

Dr Healy was one of three international experts invited to join the expert committee. The others were Dr Kan Xuegui, from mainland China, and Dr Chua Sin-bin from Singapore.

Following the meeting, Hong Kong’s food regulators moved to increase legislative protection for consumers while also giving more certainty to manufacturers.

Hong Kong ’s Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Eddy Chan Yuk-tak, ordered a review of safety guidelines for food preservatives.

He also resolved to establish a strong post-market food surveillance program and set up administrative arrangements with countries exporting food to Hong Kong.

Dr Healy said Hong Kong’s existing legislation on preservatives is unclear about what food groups are covered. Lunar New Year dried lotus root and seeds and other fruits, for example, appear to be in a legislative limbo.

“When the original legislation came from the UK, it was not clear which Chinese fruits fitted in which category because it was drawn up decades ago,” Dr Healy said.

Overhauling Hong Kong’s food laws will be a rolling process, Dr Healy said, though she expects legislative amendments on preservatives within 12 months.

“If we are going to do a major reform of legislation where it has a significant impact on trade, and potentially on consumers, then you need to be careful, you need an adequate transition period,” she said.

On the moves to establish a strong food surveillance program, Dr Healy noted Hong Kong currently does 60,000 tests annually on food imports.

“There are questions about targeting,” she said. “But no country in the world can test every consignment of food that is coming in – nor is such testing appropriate or necessary.”

Dr Healy also visited Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety and presented a seminar to staff on Contemporary Approaches to Developing Food Standards to Protect Public Health and Safety, that explored the challenges and opportunities in moving from a prescriptive to an outcomes-based regulatory model.  

After the seminar she spoke in depth with Centre staff on matters of common interest, including how to apply the risk analysis model structurally and functionally, food surveillance programs and the evidence base underpinning risk assessments.

FSANZ helps Europeans ensure novel foods are safe

The European chapter of the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) invited FSANZ to a workshop in Barcelona on 15-17 November to discuss the Application of Post-Market Monitoring to Novel Foods.

Dr Peter Abbott represented FSANZ at the workshop, where international delegates examined the various approaches available for ensuring the safety of novel foods and ingredients, including genetically modified foods.  

Peter   said the workshop discussed post-market monitoring (PMM) as a means of managing risk to obtain information that can provide greater reassurance about the long-term safety of foods, as well as examining their impact on the food supply.  

The workshop looked at the various tools currently available for PMM of change to the food supply. Peter   considered these tools in the context of Australia and New Zealand and will report in detail in due course.

ILSI is a global network of scientists devoted to enhancing the scientific basis for public health decision-making. Its purpose in arranging the workshop at this time was because the European Commission is currently reviewing its 1997 regulations governing novel foods and novel food ingredients.

The EC has its own task force on the History of Safe Use and PMM looking at how to optimise the evaluation of novel foods, novel food ingredients and new processing techniques from scientific, safety and nutritional viewpoints.

The task force is now addressing two particularly controversial issues, namely the concept of “history of safe use” as used in novel food safety assessments, and the application of PMM to novel foods – the subject of the ILSI workshop.

The aim of the ILSI workshop and other working groups is to characterise these concepts by applying scientific criteria so regulators can make the best use of their respective functions as risk assessment or risk management tools.

Although the term PMM is referred to in European Union Novel Food Regulations, as well as in other national and international regulations, there are currently no consensus guidelines on how and when to implement PMM. 

The EU defines PMM as: “A means to confirm that the actual intakes are within the expected range of intake and that there are no unexpected effects when a large population, including diseased people and those of a diverse genetic make-up, are exposed for potentially long periods of time”.

As a guide to the ILSI workshop, the EU firmly believes PMM cannot replace appropriate pre-market risk assessment.

FSANZ shares microbiological risk analysis work with the International Association of Food Protection.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand presented the regulator’s latest work to the world’s pre-eminent international food microbiology organisation, the International Association of Food Protection, in Calgary, Canada, last August.

FSANZ Principal Microbiologist,Deon Mahoney told the association’s most senior scientists, known as the Professional Development Group, about FSANZ’s work in microbiological risk analysis.

Deon and Elizabeth Dean, FSANZ food safety specialist, were among 1700 delegates presenting more than 500 papers from around the world.

Deon   said the technical content of the conference covered issues as diverse as contemporary microbiological food safety issues, such as the safety of raw milk, Enterobacter sakazakii in infant formula and developments in food legislation.

Program highlights included a mix of scientific, technical, regulatory and educational themes with topics including:

• Making food safer – how outbreaks can influence change
• The Canadian approach to food safety
• Practical risk assessments in the food industry
• Foodborne viruses and foodborne viral infections 
• A new crack at egg safety

Deon presented papers on International Food Law – a Global Overview, and How Risk Managers Decide on Risk from Different National Perspectives.

In the first, he described Australia and New Zealand’s whole of food chain, bi-nationally focussed regulatory system and the role of FSANZ, highlighting the regulator’s current issues of health claims, fortification, country of origin labelling, and the significance of developing primary production and processing standards.

In the second, he spoke about using risk assessment outcomes in managing risks, stressing the importance of scientific evidence as the driver behind all FSANZ’s work. Risk-based approaches to food safety, based on the best available science, are now accepted globally as the best way of helping food safety risk managers meet their primary goals of protecting public health and ensuring access to adequate food supplies.

Janine Lewis leaves FSANZ temporarily for the WHO

FSANZ has lost its Principal Nutritionist, Janine Lewis, for six months while she flies the flag in Geneva with the World Health Organization.

Janine went to the WHO in late October as a technical officer to advise the organisation on how best to provide nutrition-related scientific information to the Codex Alimentarius Commission, particularly its two committees that consider nutrition and food labelling matters.   She also will assist WHO in providing advice on priority nutrition issues under discussion in these Codex committees.

A few years ago WHO set out its Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health.   Later, there was general agreement among Codex members that Codex has a role in the implementation of the Global Strategy. WHO expects to go back to Codex in 2007 with an action plan to develop or amend relevant Codex standards in support of the Global Strategy. Enter Janine.

WHO also expects her to represent it in some of the Codex meetings. This will not be a hard task as Janine has since 1998 made regular trips to Germany, which hosts Codex’s committee addressing issues relevant to nutrition and foods for special dietary cases, as leader of Australia’s delegation to that committee.

Although WHO chose her for her expertise developed during 15 years at FSANZ and its previous incarnations, Janine will not represent Australia in Geneva; instead she will be a WHO official. Indeed, so highly is her work regarded, WHO asked for her to work for it for two years, though FSANZ decided it could only spare her for the six months.

Janine trained as a dietitian and worked in hospitals and then as a specialist in food composition with the Department of Health before she transferred to FSANZ’s predecessor, the fledgling National Food Authority, in 1991. At the authority her work expanded to take on a wider role, including food regulation, until she became the Principal Nutritionist.

In Geneva Janine will spend her time without her husband and two sons, who remain behind in Australia, but she expects to be busy working and learning French.

“I just hope I can pass on my knowledge of nutrition in the Codex system so my colleagues at WHO can improve their own scientific and technical understanding,” Janine said. “That way I might leave something of benefit behind.”  

Australian Government supports review of trans fats in food

The Australian Government has decided to set up a National Collaboration on Trans Fats that will propose initiatives aimed at reducing the amount of trans fatty acids in food sold in Australia and find out how big a problem these acids represent.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Minister for Health and Ageing, the Hon. Christopher Pyne, said the National Heart Foundation of Australia, the Dietitians Association of Australia, the Australian Food and Grocery Council and Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) will lead the collaboration investigating ways industry can further reduce trans fat levels, gather information about industry initiatives and compile appropriate information sources for consumers.

“FSANZ is currently assessing trans fat intakes by Australians and New Zealanders,” Mr Pyne said. Based on this assessment, FSANZ will review the potential health risks associated with trans fats.

“While preliminary findings by FSANZ suggest that the current intake of trans fats does not require immediate government regulatory intervention, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the issue and the government welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with these organisations,” Mr Pyne added.

FSANZ has, through its dietary modelling work, found that Australians consume relatively low amounts of trans fats, compared with some other countries. One reason for this is the proactive approach taken by Australia’s food industry and other interested organisations over the past few years.

Mr Pyne congratulated the food industry, and particularly those companies manufacturing fast foods, for the work they have already done to reduce trans fatty acids in the food supply.

“The National Collaboration on Trans Fats provides an opportunity to promote current industry and public health initiatives in this area more widely. It will also raise consumer awareness of trans fats,” he said.

“Foods high in trans fats or saturated fats increase blood cholesterol levels, thereby increasing the risk of heart disease. I urge consumers, for the sake of their health, to limit their consumption of trans and saturated fats.”

Manufacturers must already list the presence of trans fatty acids in the nutrition information panel on food labels if they make claims such as ‘no cholesterol’ or ‘low in saturated fat’ on the food.

Now FSANZ is considering whether to allow a health claim that a food is ‘low in trans fatty acids and saturated fat which can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease’ when it introduces a new regulation on health claims, which is expected soon. This will help consumers make healthier choices and encourage the food industry to develop healthier products.