MEDIA ADVISORY

Australia New Zealand Food Standards Council Decisions

(Including Genetically Modified Foods)

The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Council (ANZFSC), meeting in Wellington today, made a number of important decisions concerning the labelling of genetically modified food and measures to ensure the safety of the food supply in Australia and New Zealand.

ANZFSC consists of the New Zealand and Australian Commonwealth, State and Territory Health Ministers.

Labelling Of Genetically Modified Foods

The Council agreed to a labelling regime for genetically modified foods as set out in the attached Resolution.

The approval of two genetically modified foods

ANZFSC has approved two genetically modified foods: Roundup Ready soy and Ingard cotton. This has followed extensive evaluation of safety information by the Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) and a peer review by independent external experts. These two foods will now be included in the Food Standard A18 Foods produced using gene technology. These foods are already in the food supply based on a 1999 interim approval and products containing them will need to be labelled under the new labelling requirements for genetically modified foods. A further five safety assessments for genetically modified foods have been completed by ANZFA and will go to ministers when public consultation has been completed. The remaining assessments for 11 genetically modified foods will be completed in 3 months.

Food safety standards (Australia only)

ANZFSC agreed to two standards that will, for the first time, provide uniform food safety standards throughout Australia in order to reduce the amount of foodborne illness. The standards: Food Safety Practices and General Requirements and Food Premises and Equipment will come into force six months after their gazettal. A third enabling standard, Interpretation and application, was also adopted. The final standard in the reform package, Food Safety Programs, will be considered next year after receiving the results of a Commonwealth research program about the incidence of foodborne illness and the most cost effective method of introducing food safety standards.

Draft Joint Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code

The Ministers also discussed progress with the proposed Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code which has recently been through a final round of public comment. If agreed to, the proposed code will strengthen the protection of public health and safety, provide more flexibility for industry and better information for consumers through nutrition and percentage labelling. It will go to ANZFSC later this year

For final decision and, if approved, will give Australia and New Zealand a joint Food Standards Code for the first time.

Folate/NTD pilot

The folate/neural tube defects health claim pilot was also discussed. Ministers noted progress by ANZFA in considering generic health claims and also noted that progress with the folate pilot had generally been positive. They agreed that the folate/NTD pilot should be extended by 18 months pending the final decision on health claims.

Reporting of the outcomes of ANZFSC meetings

The Ministers recognised that a large number of issues are considered at their meetings and that some decisions are made outside formal meeting sessions, and that it is important that the public receive quick and comprehensive information. They therefore agreed to a brief outcomes report being published on the Australia New Zealand Food Authority website within seven days after the meeting.

www.foodstandards.gov.au or www.foodstandards.govt.nz

Australia New Zealand Food Standards Council Resolution On The Labelling Of Genetically Modified Foods

(Attachment)

That the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Council:

1) Note the policy advice and recommended draft amendments to Standard A18 developed by the Intergovernmental Taskforce on genetically modified food labelling in light of the cost analysis and stakeholder comments.

2) Note stakeholder comments on the draft amendments to the Standard and draft protocol for compliance.

3) Note the consultant's report on the compliance costs and benefits for industry, consumers and governments from the implementation of the draft standard Al8.

4) Agree to a revised draft standard which:

Requires labelling of food and food ingredients where novel DNA and/or protein is present in the final food;
Requires labelling of food and food ingredients where the food has altered characteristics;
Exempts from these requirements:
highly refined food where the effect of the refining process is to remove novel DNA and/or protein;
processing aids and food additives except those where novel DNA
and/or protein is present in the final food;
flavours which are present in a concentration less than or equal to 0. 1% in the final food; and
food prepared at the point of sale.
The Standard allows an ingredient to contain up to l% of unintended presence of genetically modified product.

5) Endorse the principle of due diligence and verifiable documentation (such as an audit trail) or testing for compliance purposes.

6) Note that the protocol for compliance will elaborate on those processes used to produce highly refined food. This will mean that manufacturers will not have to test individual batches of foods produced using such recognised processes.

7) Note that Council will keep under review international developments in genetically modified food labelling.

8) Agree that the revised standard takes effect 12 months from gazettal.

9) Agree that the Standard be reviewed by ANZFA and a report prepared for the Council on its implementation 3 years from the date of gazetta.