Public comment sought on Mandatory Folic acid fortification and minor change to Country of origin labelling

Tuesday 4 July 2006

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for public comment on a proposal for mandatory fortification of food with folic acid, a minor amendment to Country of Origin labelling and minor corrections to the Food Standards Code.

Mandatory folic acid fortification (P295 – Draft Assessment)

Each year, 300 to 350 pregnancies in Australia are affected by neural tube defects such as spina bifida. In New Zealand there are approximately 70 to 75 cases per year. Women can reduce the risk of having a baby with a neural tube defect by consuming 400 micrograms of folic acid a day before and during the first three months of pregnancy. However, there is evidence that pregnant women are not getting sufficient folic acid from food, either from food that has been fortified voluntarily by food companies or from naturally occurring folate. Although many women planning pregnancies take folic acid supplements, nearly half of all pregnancies are unplanned.

The Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council asked FSANZ to consider developing a food standard for the mandatory fortification of food with folic acid.  A draft standard recommending that folic acid be added to flour used for bread making is now available for public comment. Bread making flour has been recommended as bread is a common food that is consumed regularly by most women of child bearing age. Overseas projects where folic acid has been added to flour have proven successful in reducing the rate of neural tube defects. The proposed standard balances the need for women of child bearing age to get sufficient folic acid, while ensuring that some segments of the population, such as small children, do not get too much.

Country of Origin labelling – Print size for unpackaged food in display cabinets (Application A579 Draft Assessment – Australia only)

Food Liaison Pty Ltd has applied to FSANZ to make a minor amendment to the Country of Origin food labelling requirements to slightly reduce the print size for unpackaged food in assisted service refrigerated display cabinet. The new Country of Origin labelling standard was agreed to in October 2005 and came into force in Australia for unpackaged fruit, vegetables, nuts and seafood on 8 June 2006. The applicant points out difficulties with the minimum 9 mm type size labelling for unpackaged products sold in enclosed glass display cabinets and has asked for it to be reduced to 3 mm. This is because consumers are finding it difficult to see the product behind the labels and that some retailers’ labelling equipment cannot produce the 9 mm size type.

FSANZ is recommending that unpackaged products sold in assisted service refrigerated display cabinets , such as in delicatessens, butchers or fish shops, be labelled with a minimum 5mm font size. Unpackaged fruit vegetables and nuts, as sold in bins in the supermarket or fruit shop, will still have to have a minimum 9 mm type size. FSANZ commissioned research on the labelling size and has found that the majority of consumers  preferred a 5 mm font size (63%), followed by 9 mm (47%) and 3 mm (36%). The majority of respondents also found the 5 mm (97%) as legible as the 9 mm font (97%).

Minor amendments to the Food Standards Code (Proposal P302– Draft Assessment)

From time to time, FSANZ makes minor amendments to the Food Standards Code to correct errors of minor significance or complexity including typographical errors, inconsistencies, misspellings, grammatical errors, omissions, deletions and minor labelling amendments.

Submissions:  FSANZ welcomes public comment from industry, public health professionals, government agencies and consumers.   Details can be found on www.foodstandards.gov.au .  

Submissions close by 6pm on  31 July 2006 .

Media Contact: Lydia Buchtmann, FSANZ 02 6271 2620 or 0401 714 265