Health Ministers Decide Key Food Issues

The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Council (ANZFSC) met in Canberra today and made a number of important decisions about the safety of the food we eat.

ANZFSC consists of Health Ministers from the Commonwealth, each State and Territory and the New Zealand Associate Minister for Health. It is chaired by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator the Hon. Grant Tambling.

The following important decisions were made.

The reduction of foodborne illnesses

Each year in Australia there are an estimated 2.1 to 3.4 million cases of foodborne illness costing at least $4 billion and possibly as much as $7 billion. Eighty percent of these cases arise from deficiencies in food handling outside the home.

The majority of these foodborne illnesses are easily preventable and ANZFSC discussed the proposed new Food Safety Standards which will assist food handlers, through simple, sensible steps, to prevent foodborne illness.

The Ministers agreed to support the direction of the uniform Food Safety Standards subject to finalising the implementation strategy, completion of the regulatory impact statement and further work on costs and feasibility in the food service sector. There will also be further discussions with State and Territory Governments on the standards. The final decision on the standards will be made at a meeting of Council in July 1999. Special provision will be made to accommodate the needs of charitable and community organisations.

The labelling of genetically modified food where it is substantially equivalent

Health Ministers, by a majority vote, have asked ANZFA to require labelling of genetically modified food where it is substantially equivalent, by developing a draft amendment to the Food Standards Code which takes into account the need to:

(a) label if the manufacturer knows the food contains genetically

modified material; and

(b) if the manufacturer is uncertain about the food's contents, they must

indicate that the food may contain genetically modified material.

If the manufacturer knows the product to be free of genetically modified material there will be no requirement to label the product however it may be labelled as free of genetically modified material.

Health Ministers asked ANZFA to develop for their further consideration a definition of the term genetically modified food, recognising that there are many food ingredients such as sugars and oils which can be made from genetically modified plants but are not themselves genetically modified.

Early next year, Ministers will consider the draft amendment to the Food Standards Code proposed by ANZFA.

Simplifying food regulation

The Food Regulation Review handed down its report in August 1998. The report contained major recommendations about simplifying the food regulatory system for business while continuing to protect public health and safety.

Today ANZFSC discussed its response and agreed that this would be finalised for presentation to the Council of Australian Governments (COAG).

Cadmium in peanuts

Currently the maximum permitted level of cadmium in peanuts is set at 0.05mg/kg which is half the level of 0.1mg/kg considered safe by ANZFA. ANZFA had previously recommended to ANZFSC that this level be raised to 0.1mg/kg.

ANZFSC had asked for additional information from the Australian National Nutrition Survey about peanut consumption to ensure that there was no particular population group, such as children, that would be endangered by an increase. The survey has found that, in Australia, the intake from cadmium from the consumption of peanuts and peanut products is very small for all age groups, accounting for only 3% of total cadmium intake. It also revealed that the total cadmium intake of the population is very low, currently less than one tenth of the maximum safe level.

The Ministers also noted that some countries have not set any limits on cadmium levels and in virtually all other countries, the limits are higher than in Australia - in some cases very much higher.

The Ministers agreed in principle, by majority decision, to adopt the new level of 0.1mg/kg as recommended for both New Zealand and Australia subject to a report about health issues from the National Health and Medical Research Council. Subject to the report providing no conflicting advice, Ministers will make a decision to proceed with implementation.

Health claims on food - folate/NTD pilot

The Ministers also agreed to an additional list of foods for approval as part of a pilot which makes the link between the consumption of folate and the reduction of neural tube defects such as spina bifida.

The Review of the Treaty between Australia and New Zealand

A timetable was agreed to carry out a review of the Agreement between New Zealand and Australia establishing a system for the development of joint food standards. As required by the Treaty this review will be completed by July 1999. It is expected to identify ways of improving the processes for setting and administering harmonised food standards for the two countries.

Future meetings

The Ministers agreed to meet more frequently than twice a year in 1999 as there were an increasing number of issues to consider as the Review of Food Standards and the development of the new Food Safety Standards were approaching their completion and the Council would be giving further attention to the response to the Food Regulation Review, the adoption of uniform Food Acts and the review of the Treaty between Australia and New Zealand.