Wednesday 11 October 2000
ANZFA seeking public comment on first food irradiation application
The Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) is seeking public comment on an application from an Australian company, Steritech Pty Ltd, to irradiate herbs, spices, nuts, oilseeds and tea.
The Steritech application is the first ANZFA has received since the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Council (ANZFSC) (the Council of Australian and New Zealand Health Ministers) approved Standard A17, Irradiation of Food, for inclusion in the Australian Food Standards Code in August last year.
Standard A17 prohibits irradiation or re-irradiation of foods unless this is specifically approved by ANZFSC. Approval can only be given on a case-by-case basis, and applicants must demonstrate that irradiation is necessary for food safety or technological reasons.
Steritech is seeking approval to irradiate these foods to control:
- microbial contamination;
- pest infestation; and
- sprouting and/or germination of food or those weed seeds inadvertently present in food, which may pose an environmental threat.
In support of its application, Steritech claims irradiation of these foods would reduce the presence of chemical fumigant residues from chemicals such as ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, phosphine and methyl bromide which are used to kill the microbial contaminants and pests that commonly occur in these foods.
ANZFA has appointed a steering group comprising representatives from government (health and agriculture portfolios), industry and consumers from Australia and New Zealand, and an expert in food irradiation to examine the Steritech application, and the public responses received through the consultation process.
To assist the public consultation process, ANZFA has prepared an issues paper which has been published with a copy of the Steritech application on the web site, www.foodstandards.gov.au or www.foodstandards.govt.nz The deadline for submissions is 6 December 2000. The public will have another opportunity to comment on the application when the steering committee releases its report in February/March 2001.
After the second public consultation process, the ANZFA Board will finalise its recommendations to ANZFSC which will then make the final decision on the Steritech application.
An information pack is available from ANZFA. The application, issues paper and fact sheets are on the ANZFA web site: www.foodstandards.gov.au or www.foodstandards.govt.nz
Fact Sheets: