Benchmark research on the impact of labelling and compositional standards in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code on Food Industry, Enforcement Agencies and Health Professionals

Roy Morgan Research was commissioned to conduct surveys on stakeholder use of theAustralia New Zealand Food Standards Code across both Australia and New Zealand on behalf of Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). FSANZ ensures safe food by developing effective food standards for Australia and New Zealand. One of the organisation’s key roles is to develop and maintain the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code with advice from other government agencies and input from stakeholders, having regard to the food regulatory policies endorsed by the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council. In December 2002, the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the new Code) came into full effect after a two year transition period replacing the former Australian Food Standards Code and the New Zealand Food Regulations 1984 (collectively termed the old Code in this report).

The study aimed to evaluate how appropriate the labelling and compositional standards in the new Code were with respect to the needs of stakeholders that were identified in the review of the old regulations in respect to a food regulation system. For the three key stakeholder groups: food industry, enforcement officers and health professional, the study investigated:

• awareness of the changes from the old Code to the new Code;
• the main advantages and disadvantages of these changes;
•  the ease of understanding the new Code;
• the ease of understanding compared to the old Code;
• the sources of information on food standards issues used and their usefulness; and
• their involvement with developing food standards.

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Full report  [ pdf format   kb ]

INDEX

1. Executive Summary  [ pdf ]

2. Introduction  [ pdf ]

2.1 Background
2.2 Research Objectives

3. Methodology     [ pdf  ]

3.1 CATI Survey 
3.2 Online Surveys 
3.3 Sample
3.4 Response Rate
3.5 Weighting
3.6 Analysis

4. Summary of Findings    [ pdf ]

4.1 Food Industry
4.2 Enforcement Officers
4.3 Health Professionals

5. Detailed Findings - the Food industry survey   [ pdf ]

5.1 Awareness and Knowledge of the Code
5.2 Ease of Understanding the Code
5.3 Sources of Information on the Code
5.4 Key Impacts of the Code
5.5 Impact of the Code on Product Innovation
5.6 Impact of the Code on Trading
5.7 Ease of Making an Amendment or a Submission

6. Detailed Findings - the Enforcement officers survey   [ pdf ]

6.1 Awareness and Knowledge of the Code
6.2 Ease of Understanding the Code
6.3 Sources of Information on the Code
6.4 Assessing Compliance
6.5 Ease of Assessing Compliance
6.6 Changes to the Number of Breaches
6.7 Ease of Making an Amendment or a Submission

7. Detailed Findings - the health professionals survey  [ pdf ]

7.1 Awareness and Knowledge of the Code
7.2 Ease of Understanding the Code
7.3 Sources of Information on the Code
7.4 Impact on Work
7.5 Involvement with a Submission

APPENDIX 1      [ pdf ]
APPENDIX 2      [ pdf ]
APPENDIX 3      [ pdf ]
APPENDIX 4      [ pdf ]
APPENDIX 5      [ pdf ]
APPENDIX 7     [ pdf ]
APPENDIX 8     [ pdf ]
APPENDIX 9     [ pdf ]