Food Standards Australia New Zealand

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A SHORT HISTORY OF FSANZ

1991     

• Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) came into being under the title of the National Food Authority (NFA) on 27 June 1991, when Parliament assented to the National Food Authority Act 1991 and an NFA office was established in Canberra. The authority went through several guises before becoming FSANZ in 2002.
  
  
• Responsible to the then Minister for Human Services and Health, the role of the NFA was to prepare and recommend standards to the National Foods Standards Council (NFSC), which consisted of the Commonwealth, State and Territory Health Ministers. The NFA Act provided a focus for cooperation between governments, industry and the community to help industry provide a safe and wholesome food supply. In particular, the aim was to provide uniformity and consolidation of food standards recommended by the NFA and approved by the NFSC, and to encourage the freedom of movement of goods and services around the nation.
  
  
• The NFA’s role was envisaged as providing a federal coordinating body for a variety of food standards and regulations at Commonwealth, State and Territory levels with a view to setting consistent domestic and international trade objectives. The NFA had a reforming agenda and sought to consolidate the responsibility for domestic food standards development by reducing the number of decision-making layers, creating uniformity between jurisdictions, establishing objectives for food standards, promoting coordination between domestic and international food standards, ensuring all its business was open and accountable, and retaining the involvement of States and Territories in standards development and administration.  
  
  
• Under the NFA Act, the NFA was also responsible for developing food inspection policies for imported food. The NFA Advisory Committee was the principal source of advice from States and Territories on broader food policy issues.
  
  
• The second Food Regulation Agreement (FRA) reached on 30 July 1991provided for the recognition of the NFA and obliged the States and Territories to adopt food standards after majority decisions by the NFSC.  
  
  
• Food standards were automatically adopted by reference, through respective jurisdictional Food Acts, when gazetted by the Commonwealth.
  
  
• There were lengthy discussions about what the authority should call itself, such as whether it should be an acronym or a new corporate name, and then what its corporate look should be. Some proposed names at the time were AUSFOOD, REGFOOD, FOODSAFE – a staff competition was even suggested as a possibility. However, in the end, the acronym NFA won the day, probably because that’s what people were already calling it.  

1992         

• When deciding on a logo, many combinations of shapes and letter styles were put forward. Eventually, the look of the current logo and related colours won the day – a tiny circle within an open circle surmounted by six half lines, the lowest being curved. Although rumour has it that this symbol has some arcane meaning, such as the lines representing the five food groups, this is not the case. More mundanely, circles with lines within were popular corporate logos at this time and other companies had similar looks. (The colour scheme was updated in 2000).  
  
  
• The national  Food and Nutrition Policy was launched in 1992, and the Mutual Recognition Act 1992, a catalyst for the current movement towards uniformity of food regulations in Australia, was passed
  

1993     

• The NFA’s Policy Review proposed a review of existing food standards. Regular reviews of the effectiveness of its work have become a significant part of the agency’s role.
  

1994         

• The NFA proposed national food safety programs based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP).
  
  
• A comprehensive review of the Australian Food Standards Code began in 1994–95. This was a major task and dominated much of the work of the authority for the next six years. The review brought about major changes to the Food Standards Code, altering its focus so the code no longer looked at individual foods but covered a whole range of foods. This opened up opportunities for industry to be innovative, while at the same time ensuring improvements in food safety and more detailed food labelling information for consumers about the food they were buying.  
  

1995     

• Two World Trade Organization Agreements arising from the 1994 General Agreement on Tariffs and the Trade Uruguay Round entered into force, namely, the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Agreement and the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade. These two Agreements strengthened the importance of Codex Alimentarius food standards. In turn, Australia examined its food standards to ensure they were in harmony with Codex standards. Australia adopted the Codex Statements of Principle. The Statements stipulated science-based decision making as well as food labelling to protect health and trade concerns.
  
  
• The Australian National Audit Office conducted an audit that included the NFA. Its recommendations included engaging the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS), the States and Territories and local governments to develop an integrated national food safety strategy.
  
  
• The  Agreement between Australia and New Zealand establishing a System for the Development of Joint Food Standards (the Treaty) was signed on 5 December to establish a joint Australian New Zealand Food Standards Code and the formation of the first truly bi-national government agency between Australia and New Zealand.  
  

1996     

• The Treaty came into force to help harmonise food standards, reduce compliance costs and remove regulatory barriers to trade in food between Australia and New Zealand.
  
  
• Following the passing of appropriate legislative changes in 1995, a new agency was officially created on 5 July 1996, known as the Australia New Zealand Food Authority or ANZFA. An office was established in Wellington, New Zealand on 21 July 1996.  
  
  
• The Council of Australian Governments signed the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement on 14 June and the Prime Minister of New Zealand followed suit on 9 July. The agreement was built on previous agreements aimed at integrating the Australian and New Zealand economies. 
  
   
• ANZFA released proposed national food hygiene standards.
  
  
• The Small Business Deregulation Task Force report Time for Business proposed a comprehensive review of food regulation
  

1997     

• In March, the Prime Minister announced a Food Regulation Review Committee following the recommendations of the Small Business Deregulation Taskforce, which had observed that the food industry was being hampered by the costs and complexity of existing food regulations. Widespread community consultation took place, with focus groups set up to assist the Review Secretariat. 
  

1998     

• The Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition scheme began operating on 1 May, following the gazettal of theTrans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997  (the TTMR Act). The purpose of the TTMRA was to give effect to two mutual recognition principles relating to the sale of goods and the registration of occupations. For ANZFA, the provision relating to the sale of goods was significant. Under the TTMRA, goods that could legally be sold in Australia could also be sold in New Zealand, and vice versa, though with some exceptions.
  
  
• Food: a growth industry, the report of the Food Regulation Review Committee, chaired by Dr Bill Blair, was released. The review sought ways to reduce the regulatory burden of Australia’s food regulation regime while maintaining public health and safety imperatives.  
  
  
• The National Office of Food Safety was created in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry - Australia, from existing functions within the Department.
  
  
• The National review of food and nutrition activities in local government was released.
  

1999     

• ANZFA released the Exposure Draft of a Food  (name of jurisdiction) Bill 1999 along with explanatory paper:  The development of uniform food acts for Australia and New Zealand.
  

2000   

• On 28 July, the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Council (ANZFSC) approved three out of the four proposed food safety standards for Australia which were to be enforceable from February 2001, subject to the State and Territory legislation.  
  
  
• The draft Model Food Bill (now Model Food Provisions Annex A and Model Food Provisions–Annex B) was released in October. The plan was that when the States and Territories passed their own Model Food Bill legislation, Annex A would be uniformly applied while Annex B would vary between jurisdictions. The Annexes were included in the FRA and provided a legislative basis for a ‘substantially equivalent’ nationally uniform food safety regime.
  
  
• On 3 November, COAG reached a new FRA in partial response to the Blair Review.  The 1999 ANZFA Amendment Act, along with the 2001 Bill (see below) were also, in part, responses to the Blair Review. The agreement provided for ANZFA to be superseded by FSANZ. FSANZ would have increased responsibilities in the development of food regulatory measures. Other jurisdictional portfolios, such as trade or agriculture, would be represented on a new Ministerial Council to supplement Health Ministers and provide a broader approach. This prompted some observations that jurisdictional Health Ministers’ opinions might no longer be reflected in the one vote each jurisdiction was permitted to cast in the Ministerial Council. However, the major change in the establishment was that the Ministerial Council would set policy and FSANZ would develop and adopt standards
  
  
• The Ministerial Council adopted the new joint  Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code  on 24 November, the culmination of a six-year review of existing food standards. This was the first time Australia and New Zealand had a joint food Code. The new Code, gazetted on 20 December, was phased in over a two-year period.
  
  
• The Gene Technology Act 2000 was passed in December. The object of the Act was to manage gene technology risks to the health and safety of people and the environment.
  
  
• Under amendments to the ANZFA Act, on 23 December 2000, ANZFA, rather than the Health Ministers, was given authority to deal with less significant applications and proposals for draft food standards and variations in certain limited circumstances. (ANZFA did not make use of these powers at the time). Other changes included clarification of the role and objectives of ANZFA and the ability of ANZFA to charge for some services. 
  
  
• ANZFA established a new reference group, the Kahui Kounga Kai (now known as the Nga Kaitohutohu Kounga Kai), comprising three Maori experts drawn from consumer, public health and nutrition interests to support the authority’s standards development activities. The name of the group means ‘people able to guide others in food and nutrition from a Maori world view’. The reference group provides advice to FSANZ on Tikanga Maori (customary practices) and community processes in:
  
  
  
  • identifying food standards issues of significance to Maori
  • evaluating strategies used to involve Maori in food standards issues
  • developing strategies for effective communication with Maori
  • undertaking relevant consultation activities.
    

2001     

• The appointment of ten ANZFA Scientific Fellows to augment ANZFA activities was announced in February. 
  
  
• On 13 March, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry announced the National Food Industry Strategy, a food action agenda, which would provide a strategic approach for food industry development.  
  
  
• In June, amendments to the ANZFA Act Amendment Bill legislated for Board members to be primarily drawn from public health, consumer and science backgrounds. The amendments ensured that the Ministerial Council could continue to amend food standards. Additionally, it was agreed that the Prime Minister would write to all State and Territory Premiers to propose changes to COAG’s intergovernmental food agreement so that the lead jurisdictional ministers would be Health Ministers on the Ministerial Council.
  

2002        

• As a result of the recommendations of the Blair Review, and the passing of the Amendment Bill, significant changes were made to the authority. FSANZ, as we now know it, was established on 1 July 2002. A new FRA was hammered out between the Commonwealth and States and Territories, and changes were made to the Treaty between Australia and New Zealand.
  
  
• The Ministerial Council also gave FSANZ the responsibility for food safety at the primary production end of the food supply chain. A ‘paddock to plate’ approach was intended to complete the links through to manufacturing and retail. FSANZ works in partnership with other agencies of Australian governments, industry stakeholders and consumer groups in the development of primary production and processing standards. Standards Development Committees, established for each food sector, provide vital advice to FSANZ.

2003        

• The TTMRA was reviewed by the Productivity Commission in 2003, with a final report delivered to COAG and the New Zealand Government in 2004. Following the Productivity Commission’s review, FSANZ, AQIS and the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) worked to further harmonise Australian and New Zealand imported food systems.  
  

2005 

• The Board endorsed the establishment of the Consumer Liaison Committee (CLC) as a result of recommendations from Board members and senior management within FSANZ. The CLC is a valuable means of promoting consumer input into FSANZ consultation and standards setting processes.  
  

2006     

• The CLC was established and the first members were inducted. The CLC comprises one representative from each of the peak consumer organisations in Australia and New Zealand, one each from the National Council of Women in both Australia and New Zealand, two representatives of the Indigenous Australian community, one representative of the Maori community in New Zealand, and ‘grassroots’ consumers from across Australia and New Zealand.
  
  

2007     

• The Ministerial Council endorsed the National Food Incident Response Protocol.  The purpose of the Protocol is to provide clear guidance to the Implementation Sub-Committee member agencies for responding to a range of food incidents in a timely, appropriate, consistent and coordinated manner.
  
  
• Wide-ranging amendments to the FSANZ Act took effect on 1 July. These included changes to the processes for assessing applications and proposals which affected all applications received and proposals prepared by FSANZ from 1 October 2007.
  

2008     

• The Australia-Pacific Economic Corporation ( APEC) Food Safety Cooperation Forum Partnership Training Institute Network was established. The primary purpose of this Network was to enlist leadership from the private sector and academia in the work of the Forum and to create a network of food safety institutes and trainers in the APEC region. FSANZ played a significant role in establishing the Network and managing the process of consultation and approval with APEC economies and relevant APEC committees. FSANZ continues to do so.
  
  
• Following stakeholder consultation and review, a revised Food Industry Recall Protocol was released in September. The publication provides a comprehensive guide to industry on carrying out food recalls and sets out the steps to be taken when food products have to be removed at the trade or consumer level for public health and safety reasons. It also includes details on how to write a food recall plan.
  

2009     

• Mandatory fortification regulation required Australian millers to add folic acid (a form of the B vitamin folate) to wheat flour for bread-making purposes from September. This measure was intended to help reduce the number of neural tube defects (NTDs, which are severe birth defects such as spina bifida) in the Australian population by increasing folic acid intakes in women who may become pregnant.
  
  
• FSANZ also developed a mandatory iodine fortification regulation to help address the re-emergence of iodine deficiency across most of the population. This regulation requires the replacement of non-iodised salt with iodised salt in all bread, except organic bread. Iodine fortification of most bread in Australia and New Zealand began in October.
  
  

2010

• Proposed amendments to FSANZ were introduced into the Parliament in 2010 to implement a reform agreed to by the Council of Australian Governments on 3 July 2008.  Specifically, this reform was to address the delay and uncertainty for users of agricultural and veterinary chemicals, who are typically primary producers, which results from overlapping regulatory responsibilities (between FSANZ and the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority) for setting maximum residue limits of chemicals allowed to be present in food. Before the Bill could be debated and passed by both Houses, the 2010 Election was called.  However, a Senate Inquiry into the Bill was completed before the Election was called. 
  
  
• Amendments to the Treaty were signed, the main effect being that potential review requests of FSANZ decisions by the Ministerial Council were reduced from two to one.

Heads of the Authority

The first Chair of the NFA was also the full-time manager/CEO. This remained the case until 1998 when the positions were split and a full-time CEO was appointed and the Chair became a part-time position.

Chairs were:

• Gae Pincus                                                     August 1991 to March 1995
• Peter Pflaum (Acting chairperson)                   April 1992 to August 1992
• Terry Slater (Acting chairperson)                     October 1994 to January 1996
• Winsome McCaughey                                     November 1995 to April 1998
• The Hon Michael MacKellar                           May 1998 to June 2002
• The Hon Rob Knowles                                   July 2003 to June 2008
• Philippa Smith AM                                         July 2008 to present.

CEOs:

• Mr Ian Lindenmayer                                          April 1998 to February 2003
• Mr Graham Peachey                                          February 2003 to April 2007
• Mr Steve McCutcheon                                      October 2007 to present.