Food Standards News 26
March 2001
From the Managing Director's desk
BSE
The import suspension of European beef products and their voluntary withdrawal from shelves has meant that many of us had a busy start to 2001.
I would like to thank our industry stakeholders, the retail and import sectors, and the Commonwealth, New Zealand, State and Territory enforcement agencies for the work they put into this process. It was a complex issue to handle at a difficult time of year, and I am delighted at the cooperation shown by all groups in protecting consumer safety and helping to maintain public confidence in a safe food supply.
Food safety
The first three of the food safety standards: Interpretation and Application; Food Safety Practices and General Requirements; and Food Premises and Equipment, become enforceable in Australian States and Territories from February 2001. A special lift out is enclosed in this edition of ANZFA News which will give you an update on progress within each jurisdiction.
Information on the new joint Code
A special unit has been established within ANZFA to handle telephone and email inquiries about the new Code. These are expected to come mainly from the food industry and enforcement agencies. Answers to frequently asked questions and user guidelines will be published on our website, and we are also developing an easy navigation guide to the joint Code. Work is well advanced on the development of a number of guidelines to help business to understand and meet their new or changed obligations. I hope these services will assist you with the change to the new Code.
Finally we have begun the year with a new design for ANZFA News which incorporates many of your suggested changes from last year' s readership survey. I trust you will find this new format more useful.
A happy New Year to everyone
IAN LINDENMAYER
MANAGING DIRECTOR
ANZFA takes action against BSE
In response to an increasing number of cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) being reported in Europe, ANZFA has taken steps to safeguard the Australian food supply by recommending suspension of the import of beef and beef products from designated European countries from 8 January 2001. Similar action was taken simultaneously by the New Zealand Government.
BSE is commonly known as ' mad cow disease' because it attacks the brains of cattle, altering behaviour and causing them to stagger. BSE is now believed to be linked to a new human disease - variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) - which also destroys the human brain and leads to death. There is no known treatment for vCJD.
ANZFA requested that the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) implement the suspension as an interim measure under emergency health provisions of the Imported Foods Control Act 1992, to protect the public against the risks associated with the BSE infective agent. The thirty countries affected by the suspension either have a history of BSE or there is a significant risk that BSE is prevalent in their beef herds.
In addition, ANZFA requested that retailers undertake a voluntary withdrawal from sale of beef products from these countries. ANZFA also recommended that consumers check the labels on any imported foods they have, and discard corned beef, luncheon meat, frankfurters and other products which contain beef with a European country of origin.
These measures have been taken as part of a whole of government approach to the BSE issue which may have implications for other imported bovine products other than food. ANZFA held discussions with Senior Food Officers in the States and Territories and representatives of major retail organisations prior to and during the roll-out of the measures.
The import suspension is an interim measure only, which is designed to address an immediate although very low-level risk.
ANZFA is now considering an amendment to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code to require bovine-derived meat and food ingredients to be derived from animals that are free from BSE. This is likely to be implemented for imported products through the introduction of detailed certification arrangements.
ANZFA has also commenced the preparation of a formal comprehensive risk assessment of human exposure to the BSE agent through the food supply. This risk assessment will include an assessment of whether there is a risk to public health from the consumption of other food products not currently covered by the import restrictions.
ANZFA' s Managing Director, Ian Lindenmayer, has written to Professor Graeme Ryan, Chairman of an expert advisory group established by the National Health and Medical Research Council, requesting urgent input to ANZFA' s risk assessment on:
- whether BSE has been transmitted to sheep and goats and if so, whether foods derived from them pose a risk to human health; and
- on the basis of current evidence, whether foods derived from cattle, other than those for which measures were recently announced - for example, milk and milk products, collagen, gelatine and tallow sourced from BSE-risk countries - pose a threat to human health.
In his letter to Professor Ryan, Mr Lindenmayer stressed the ' & great importance of effective regulatory measures to the protection of the health of our population and to domestic and international confidence in our food supply' .
' At the same time, we must be fully compliant with our international obligations not to impose regulatory restrictions on international trade which are not fully justified on the basis of robust scientific risk assessment, other than as short-term emergency measures,' he said.
To cater for the expected flood of inquiries from consumers, retailers and importers, the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care has set up a telephone hotline on1800 200 701 (Australia). ANZFA has prepared a fact sheet titled ' BSE and imported beef products' which can be accessed on the ANZFA website at www.anzfa.gov.au or www.anzfa.govt.nz .
A list of recently imported beef products which fall within the scope of the import suspension can also be found on the ANZFA website.
Industry inquiries : Mr Steve Crossley (02 6271 2624),
Dr Scott Crerar (02 6271 2235) or Dr Amanda Hill (02 6271 2632).
Countries affected by the import suspension
Albania | Austria | Belgium | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Bulgaria | Croatia | Czech Republic | Denmark |
Finland | France | Germany | Greece |
Hungary | Ireland | Italy | Liechtenstein |
Luxembourg | Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia | The Netherlands | Norway |
Poland | Portugal | Romania | Slovak Republic |
Slovenia | Spain | Sweden | Switzerland |
United Kingdom | Federal Republic of Yugoslavia |
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UK GM regulator visits ANZFA
Professor Alan Gray, chairman of the UK' s Advisory Committee for Releases to the Environment, briefed members of ANZFA' s GM team and other senior staff last month on the British regulatory framework for genetically modified foods.
This committee is the UK equivalent of the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) in Australia and is the statutory advisory body in the UK for all GMO releases - both research and marketing. It has close links with ANZFA' s counterpart in the UK, the Food Standards Agency.
Mercury in fish: a warning for pregnant women
The Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANFZA) has warned pregnant women to limit their consumption of certain varieties of fish that are high in mercury.
However, women who are not pregnant have no need to limit their fish intake, and everyone should be aware of the value of fish in their diet.
ANZFA is recommending that pregnant women limit their consumption of shark / flake, ray, swordfish, barramundi, gemfish, orange roughy, ling, southern bluefin tuna and fish caught in geothermal lakes and rivers, to four serves ( of 150g) per week. These fish tend to accumulate higher levels of mercury because they are larger, they live longer and they are at the top of the food chain. The consumption of other fish, including canned tuna, is encouraged.
ANZFA' s Chief Scientist, Dr Marion Healy, said ' ANZFA has consulted widely with the fishing industry and health professionals and will continue to work with these groups to ensure that pregnant women, and women considering having a baby, are aware of this advice.
' ANZFA developed the advisory statement for Australian and New Zealand women based on the latest research which indicates that the foetus is more sensitive to mercury than the rest of the population,' Dr Healy said.
There are numerous benefits from eating fish. Fish is an excellent source of protein, it is low in saturated fat and it is high in unsaturated fat and omega 3 oils.
Current food regulations prescribe the maximum level of mercury that can be present in fish that is sold. These limits ensure that the general population, including babies and children, is not exposed to any significant health risks through the presence of mercury in fish.
Mercury does occur naturally in the environment and we are exposed to it at very low levels through air, water and the food supply. Fish is the principal source of exposure to mercury. Mercury levels vary in different fish species because each has different habitats and feeding patterns. Larger fish tend to accumulate higher levels of mercury because they live longer and they are at the top of the food chain. Freshwater fish in geothermal lakes and rivers in New Zealand may also accumulate higher levels of mercury.
Further information is available from the ANZFA web site www.anzfa.gov.au or www.anzfa.govt.nz
ANZFA takes new measures to simplify joint Code compliance
In late 2002 the new joint Food Standards Code will become the sole Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. With the clock now ticking on the two year transition period, ANZFA has established two new services to help industry make a smooth change to the new Code.
The first point of contact for food businesses with general questions about the Code and Code compliance will be ANZFA' s new Food Standards Code Information Unit. And for those manufacturers seeking nutrient composition data for the new nutrition information panels (NIPs) required by the Code, ANZFA, together with New Zealand agencies, is developing new nutrient composition data files for Australia and New Zealand which will make it easier for industry to compile the necessary information.
The new food standards hotline
The Food Standards Code Information Unit will use a telephone hotline and an email service to provide direct advice on Code interpretation and compliance. It will also distribute printed information resources; run a seminar program; and provide those State and Territory health departments and other agencies responsible for administering and enforcing the joint Code, with an education and information package to assist with the transition to the new joint Code.
Manager of ANZFA' s Food Standards Code Information Unit, Dr Dennis Bittisnich, said he believes most concerns will lie in the interpretation of the Code' s requirements.
' The Information Unit' s objective is to give industry and State and Territory enforcement agencies, information and interpretative material which will make compliance easier for businesses and enforcement action consistent across the jurisdictions.'
ANZFA' s new Code information services will include:
A telephone hotline and email information service - for the cost of a local call, or by sending an email, people from Australia and New Zealand can connect with ANZFA' s help desk in Canberra to have their questions about the joint Code answered.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) files and user guidelines published on the ANZFA website and in print.
Customised nutrient composition data files for Australia and New Zealand to assist manufacturers compile the nutrition information required for the nutrition information panels.
An easy navigation guide to the Code, incorporating links to user guidelines and FAQs, published on the ANZFA website or available for purchase on CD-ROM.
Small business seminars outlining the changes brought about by the Code.
A training package which can be presented and distributed to business and health officers in all jurisdictions.
Assistance with nutrition information panels
Standard 1.2.8 - Nutrition Information Requirements - of the joint Code will require almost all foods to carry a nutrition information panel (NIP). The panels will display information about: energy (kilojoules), total fat, saturated fat, protein, carbohydrate, sugars and sodium.
To assist food manufacturers, particularly small business, to compile the information for these panels, the new food composition data files will provide information on the seven nutrients in a wide range of raw and cooked foods, food ingredients (including some not generally available at the retail level), and commonly used food additives that contain sodium.
Those manufacturers who voluntarily declare other nutrients should be able to obtain content data from ANZFA' s other food composition publications.
ANZFA' s principal nutritionist, Janine Lewis, said the data files would also come with comprehensive instructions for calculating the nutrient composition of recipes and a data file of indicative weight changes for a large range of cooked foods.
' We understand that compiling this information could be a difficult task for some smaller businesses, so we have introduced these new data files to simplify the process for business in both countries.'
The data files will be available in hard copy and electronic (CD Rom/diskette) formats.
Your input is required
ANZFA has produced a brief issues paper seeking comment on how the data files can best meet food manufacturers' needs. We have already received some useful input, but we are still interested in receiving comments especially about the structure and format of the electronic files, missing foods/ingredients, and the type of supplementary information that should be provided.
Comments are requested by 28 February 2001. A copy of the paper can be obtained by contacting Luisa Trevisan on 61 2 6271 2277 or luisa.trevisan@anzfa.gov.au
Consumer representative re-appointed to ANZFA Board
Chairman of the Board of the Australia New Zealand Food Authority, the Hon. Michael MacKellar, recently announced that Dr Heather Yeatman has been re-appointed to the Board of the Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA).
Mr MacKellar said: ' Dr Yeatman' s close links with consumer and community groups in Australia and New Zealand improve ANZFA' s capacity to communicate and consult with the community and help to ensure that consumer interests are taken seriously.
' Using her expertise in the fields of nutrition and public health, she has made a very important contribution to the development of standards to protect the health and safety of the population in general, and to assist consumers to make healthy and informed food choices.'
Dr Yeatman is particularly interested in the development of locally based food and nutrition policies. She has worked with local government to encourage links between local food production, affordable healthy foods and community health, and has been involved with Healthy Cities Illawarra for over a decade.
Dr Yeatman is a Senior Lecturer at the Graduate School of Public Health, University of Wollongong. She is also a member of the Commonwealth Government's Complementary Medicines Evaluation Committee and the New South Wales Government' s SAFEFood Advisory Committee.
For more information on the make up and functions of the ANZFA Board check www.anzfa.gov.au/whatisanzfa/directorbiographies.asp
ANZFA Chief Scientist Marion Healy discusses TSEs
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are a group of diseases which cause neurological degeneration in humans and other mammals.
Several TSEs are found in humans, the most common of these being the classical form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), which causes memory loss, progressive dementia, loss of coordination and ultimately death. It usually affects people in the 50-70 year age group, and it occurs with an annual incidence of approximately one case per million worldwide. CJD is a rapidly progressive and invariably fatal disease.
While scientists have known about classical Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and ' Scrapie' , a form of TSE found in sheep and goats (which is not transferable to humans) for some time, there is some uncertainty about many aspects of TSEs and how they cause disease.
The most widely accepted theory is that abnormal proteins termed prions, which are normally associated with membranes in the brain, accumulate in the brain. It appears they can convert normal protein into a modified form, resulting in neural degeneration. This causative agent challenges the conventional view of replication of infective agents, which is dependent on the presence of nucleic acids.
Two new TSEs have been described in humans and cattle. In 1996, United Kingdom scientists described a variant human form of CJD that they called variant CJD (vCJD). It differs from the classical form of CJD in that it generally affects patients in the 16-53 year age group; it is characterised by neuro-psychiatric and behavioural disorders; and abnormal sensory perceptions. The course of the illness is longer than classical CJD and usually lasts at least six months.
The recently described TSE found in cattle, termed bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), was first diagnosed in the United Kingdom in 1986. Symptoms include behavioural changes, coordination difficulties, decreased weight and loss of milk production.
Scientific evidence accumulated over the past decade suggests that BSE and vCJD are caused by the same agent and that it is the transfer of the BSE agent from cattle to humans which resulted in vCJD. The evidence includes: epidemiological information on the outbreaks of BSE and vCJD in the United Kingdom; similarity of pathology and clinical symptoms in various animals inoculated with the BSE and vCJD agents; and identical features of the prions responsible for vCJD and BSE.
Scientists believe that the BSE agent has been transferred to humans primarily through food. Testing of cattle has revealed that brain and spinal cord tissues are implicated in the transfer of the disease which means that meat and meat products containing such neural tissue pose the highest risk to human health.
Initially, the BSE epidemic was thought to be confined to the United Kingdom. However, surveillance in other European countries has revealed that the epidemic has become more widespread, although the incidence in these other countries at this stage is at a much lower rate than seen in the United Kingdom. Australia and New Zealand have restricted the importation of beef products that may expose the communities to the BSE/vCJD agent.
Australia and New Zealand also have surveillance systems designed to detect BSE and vCJD. All evidence accumulated to date suggests that Australia and New Zealand are free of these diseases.
For further information see the ANZFA website www.anzfa.gov.au or www.anzfa.govt.nz.
ANZFA scientist working with the WHO
ANZFA' s new Food Safety Program Manager, Dr Luba Tomaska, will be undertaking a short term appointment with the World Health Organization' s (WHO) Food Safety Programme in Geneva.
Dr Tomaska will be working as part of an international team developing the WHO' s 15 year food safety policy plan. She starts the secondment in February and will return to Canberra in July of this year.
On her return to Canberra, Dr Tomaska will take up a new appointment as the head of the Food Safety Program, replacing the former program manager, Mr Richard Souness.