Senator Grant Tambling

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Aged Care

Tuesday, 9 May 2000

Greater Food Safety Protection

The Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) will receive an additional $26.1 million funding over four years in the 2000-2001 budget to enable the authority to continue effectively managing current and emerging regulatory issues.

Senator the Hon Grant Tambling welcomed the additional funding, saying 'ANZFA has a number of major issues to be progressed and it is important the authority is appropriately resourced to continue to play a lead role in protecting public health and safety.'

Major issues to be progressed by ANZFA include:

• the safety assessment of foods produced using gene technology;
  
  
• dealing with an emerging range of 'novel foods' requiring individual pre-market scientific assessment to ensure consumer safety, and;
  
  
• the development of uniform national food safety standards.

'ANZFA plays an important key role coordinating the development of national food standards for the Commonwealth, New Zealand and the eight states and territories,' Senator Tambling said.

'With the development of biotechnology and new food technologies it is important for the consuming public to have confidence in our food supply - from paddock to plate.'