Food Authority refutes claims of reliance on U.S. Approvals for GM foods

The Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) today refuted a claim made by a visiting American lawyer, Stephen Druker, that genetically modified foods are allowed into supermarkets here once they have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

ANZFA's Managing Director, Ian Lindenmayer, said that by law, all GM food commodities must be subjected to a mandatory pre-market safety assessment by ANZFA prior to being sold in Australia and New Zealand..

'ANZFA's safety assessment process for GM foods is based on accepted international principles which we rigorously apply to each GM commodity,' Mr Lindenmayer said.

'Companies wishing to have their GM food assessed must provide a comprehensive package of scientific data - including the raw data from every experiment ( according to a schedule specified by ANZFA. There must also be independent confirmation of the integrity of that data.

'We do not accept this information uncritically. It is painstakingly analysed by ANZFA's own scientists and an external panel of experts and supplemented with information gleaned from the world's scientific literature, including assessments undertaken by other government regulatory agencies.

'To date, ANZFA has received twenty applications for safety assessment of GM foods, two of which have been withdrawn by the companies. Assessments have been completed on the majority of the remaining eighteen. The foods are corn, canola, sugar beet, cotton, potato and soy.

'ANZFA has found no evidence that any of these foods are any less safe than their conventionally produced counterparts and that they have all the nutritional benefits'.

Mr Lindenmayer said Mr Druker may have been confused by interim arrangements put in place when the GM food regulations came into force in 1999.

GM foods already in the marketplace at that time were allowed to remain on sale temporarily, subject to their meeting three conditions: companies filed applications with ANZFA by 30 April 1999 for safety assessment; the foods had already been approved by one or more overseas food regulators; and the Ministerial Council had no concerns over their safety.

'The ANZFA safety assessment process is independent and equal to the best in the world. Australians and New Zealanders can have every confidence in the safety of the food supply,' Mr Lindenmayer said.