Food Standards Australia New Zealand

Food Standards News 53 - April 2005

Full colour version  [ pdf 422kb  ]

In this issue...

A fish called......

FSANZ Updates

Update on Fortification

New FSANZ Fellow - Prof John Carey

FSANZ Board meet NSWFA

Food Safety Week 2004 a hit – just wait for 2005

New Technical Reports available

Health, Nutrition and related Claims Update

Meet our new Labelling and Information Standards Manager

Balancing the scales    

Reminder make submissions on time

Kahui Kounga Kai meet with FSANZ

Primary Production and Processing Standards for Poultry Meat

Joint Communique: Food Ministers agree to a range of policy initiatives

Progress on Dairy Primary Production and Processing (PPP) Standard

Seafood Primary Production Standards nears completion

For your diary..

 

A fish called …?

A set of illustrated posters of Australian fish recently launched will help Australian consumers and retailers recognise what they are ordering when they buy seafood.

The posters were launched at Parliament House by the Australian Fisheries Minister, Senator Ian Macdonald, and the Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing, Christopher Pyne.

Senator Macdonald said the Australian seafood industry had an excellent reputation here and overseas, and it was vital to preserve that reputation through accurate and consistent naming of seafood.

In 2003-04, Australia’s fisheries produced 267,000 tonnes of seafood worth $2.2 billion.

“We all enjoy Australian seafood, but there has been a tradition of different seafood names in each State or Territory that often confuses suppliers, retailers and consumer,” Senator Macdonald said.

“I congratulate Seafood Services Australia, which has developed these three beautifully illustrated posters of commonly sold temperate and tropical fish and crustacea. Consumers and retailers will now know exactly what to order when buying seafood.”

‘We should all be eating more seafood for optimal health,” Mr Pyne said.

“The National Health and Medical Research Council dietary guidelines recommend that we should all be eating two to three seafood meals a week. Yet the National Nutrition Survey shows that, on average, people who eat seafood eat only one meal of it a week.

“Fish is an excellent source of protein for all people. It is low in saturated fats, high in the ‘good’ unsaturated fat and omega three oils, and is an excellent source of iodine.”

Senator Macdonald and Mr Pyne urged any one selling fish to buy a set of posters and display them to consumers.

The posters are available from Seafood Services Australia.

 

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Photo: Pictured (left to right) Senator Ian Macdonald,   Australian Fisheries Minister, Ted Loveday, CEO Seafood Services Australia, Christopher Pyne, Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing, and Roy Palmer, Seafood Services Australia.

 

FSANZ Updates

Food Standards Australia New Zealand invites public comment on the following Draft Assessment Reports.    FSANZ invites written submissions for the purpose of making a Final Assessment by  6pm (Canberra time) 4 May 2005:

  • Application A499 – To permit the Sale of Roquefort Cheese:   to amend Standard 2.5.4 in the Code to permit the sale of Roquefort cheese made from raw (that is, not pasteurised or thermised) sheep’s milk.

  • Application A543 – Food from Insect-protected, Glufosinate Ammonium-tolerant Corn Line 59122-7:   to permit the use of food from corn genetically modified   to provide resistance to insects and glufosinate ammonium.

  • Application A544 – Ice Structuring Protein as a Processing Aid for Ice Cream & Edible Ices:   to permit the use of an ice-structuring protein preparation for the manufacture of ice cream and edible ices.

  • Application A547 –Maximum Residue Limits (September, October, November, December 2004).*#

  • Proposal P292 - Country of Origin Labelling of Food:   to review the current provisions regarding mandatory country of origin labelling contained in Standard 1.1A.3 in the context of policy guidelines developed by the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council.

Update on fortification

The fortification of food with vitamins and minerals is a major area of work that FSANZ is currently undertaking.  To assist people locate information on FSANZ’s fortification-related activities, a fortification ‘button’ has been added to the side menu bar of the FSANZ web site.  This can be assessed at the following link http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/ .  The site provides details on all fortification-related Applications and Proposals currently under consideration and some background information on fortification.

In May 2004, the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council (Ministerial Council) adopted a Policy Guideline on Fortification of Food with Vitamins and Minerals (Policy Guideline).  In response to the Policy Guideline, FSANZ is developing a Fortification Implementation Framework (the Framework).  The main purpose of the Framework is to detail, in the light of the Policy Guideline, FSANZ’s revised approach to regulatory decision making on both the mandatory and voluntary addition of vitamins and minerals to food.  As such, its primary function is as an internal working document to guide and assist consistency of decision-making.

A draft of the Framework was circulated for public consultation and FSANZ received 34 submissions.  As a result of submitters’ comments, FSANZ is also developing a ‘Guide to Applicants’ as a companion document to the Framework.  The Guide will be publicly available on the FSANZ website and will assist applicants when submitting fortification-related applications.

The Ministerial Council requested FSANZ, as a matter of priority, commence work on the separate consideration of mandatory fortification of food with folic acid, and with iodine. In response, FSANZ raised two proposals; Proposal P295 - Consideration of Mandatory Fortification with Folic Acid and Proposal P230 - Consideration of Mandatory Fortification with Iodine.  

FSANZ sought public comment on the Initial Assessment Report for Proposal P295 -  Consideration of Mandatory Fortification with Folic Acid and received 71 submissions.  Issues raised in the submissions include the efficacy of mandatory fortification as the best means to decrease occurrence of neural tube defects and the safety and long-term effects of increased folate intake in respect of the masking of vitamin B12 deficiency, increased incidence of twinning and the increased risk of maternal breast cancer.  The impact of mandatory fortification on consumer choice was raised as an issue, as was the impact on industry and the cost of food for consumers.  

FSANZ is continuing to progress its scientific assessment of the risks and benefits of an increase in folic acid intake, irrespective of the source of that intake (i.e. fortification, or supplements), to all population groups, both target and non-target.  

The Initial Assessment Report for Proposal P230 was also released for public comment.

FSANZ is also currently progressing the following fortification-related Applications.   These are:

  •  Application A470 – Formulated Beverages.  This Application seeks to amend the Food Standards Code to permit the addition of vitamins and minerals to water based beverages. FSANZ is currently progressing this Application to Draft Assessment;

  • Application A500 - Addition of Calcium to Cereal-based Beveragesseeks to permit the addition of calcium to cereal-based beverages such as rice or oat beverages.  FSANZ is currently progressing the Draft Assessment with a particular focus on substitution and nutritional equivalence issues.  

In support of its fortification work, FSANZ has established a Fortification Standards Development Advisory Committee (SDAC) to advise on fortification matters.  The SDAC comprises a ‘core’ group of 25 individuals representing the views of their stakeholder groups.  The SDAC members have a broad interest in, and knowledge of, fortification-related issues, such as public health nutrition, food manufacturing, enforcement, food policy, health promotion and consumer education.  In addition to the SDAC, FSANZ is also convening Scientific Advisory Groups to provide scientific input into fortification-related work activities.



New FSANZ Fellow  - Professor John Carey

Professor Carey has recently been appointed as a FSANZ Fellow, adding to the wealth of expertise that currently examine emerging issues impacting on food.   

Professor Carey   is the Director of the Institute for Sustainability and Innovation at Victoria University and was previously Director of the Integrated Food Research Program at Victoria University.   He is an Honorary Principal Fellow in the Faculty of Land and Food Resources at the University of Melbourne.  His main research interests are in the social sciences related to sustainable food production, human and social behaviour related to natural resources use in food production, and consumer perceptions of food.   He is co-author of the book Greening a Brown Land:  The Australian Search for Sustainable Land Use.

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Photo: Professor John Carey (centre) pictured with Melanie Fisher, General  Manager, FSANZ (right) and John Davies,  FSANZ (left).


FSANZ Board meet with NSWFA

Members of the FSANZ Board met the New South Wales Food Authority Executive in early December to discuss a raft of issues aimed at increasing cooperation.

Director-General George Davey stressed the importance of closer collaboration on food issues and standards. FSANZ chairman, Rob Knowles, noted such meetings will foster excellent relationships between our organisations, and increase sharing of research and risk assessment data.

The FSANZ Board and Authority Executive will meet again shortly as part of moves to further boost cooperation on food issues.

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Back row (Left -Right):  Samara Kitchener, NSWFA; Graham Peachey, CEO FSANZ; Peter Milne, FSANZ Board; Chris Hudson, FSANZ Board; Terry Outtrim , NSWFA; Owen Symmans, FSANZ Board; John Craven, FSANZ Board; Ken Buckle, FSANZ Board; Craig Sahlin, NSWFA; Sian Malyn , NSWFA; Stefan Fabiansson , NSWFA.

Front row (Left -Right):  Laurence Eyres, FSANZ Board; Heather Yeatman, FSANZ Board; George Davey, Director General NSWFA; Hon Rob Knowles, Chair FSANZ Board; Elaine Attwood, FSANZ Board; Hikihiki Pihema, FSANZ Board.

 

Food Safety Week 2004 a hit – just wait for 2005

Tips for food safety when catering for the very young and the elderly proved to be a big media hit during Food Safety Week 2004.

Press, television and radio brought the food safety tips to over 16 million Australians – without a cent being spent on paid advertising. This remarkable level of free publicity shows that people really are interested in food safety.

As well as the mass media spreading the word, Aged care facilities across Australia brought the food safety tips to around 112,000 families and friends of their residents.

When planning its 2004 education campaign, the Food Safety Information Council, which organises Food Safety Week in November each year, was asked if it could produce a publication to help aged care facilities get food safety information to relatives and friends who brought in food to their residents. The Council was told that the safety of such food was a serious concern for staff of the facilities.

The Council sent questionnaires to over 100 aged care facilities to assess what specific issues were worrying staff. The responses showed that the issues were mainly about the temperature the food was kept at during storage, transportation and reheating. Answers to the last question, would a pamphlet for handing out to relatives be useful? were along the lines of ‘can we have it today please?’

These were serious concerns as elderly people are vulnerable to food poisoning because their immune systems are not as strong as they used to be. Also the elderly tend to produce less acid, which is one of the body’s defences against bacteria which can cause food poisoning. If elderly people do get food poisoning, their bodies find it harder to recover and the results can be very serious – even fatal in some cases.

The pamphlet that the Council produced to address these issues was sent to all aged care facilities as a resource they could distribute to the families and friends of their residents.

Within days of the pamphlets being sent out requests for extra copies came flooding in accompanied by comments such as ‘Thank you for these fabulous brochures’ ‘Thank you for the brilliant flyer’ ‘flyers on food safety tips excellent’. The 100,000 copies printed by the Council disappeared within days. The Council quickly ordered a reprint. They had obviously hit on a real area of need.

Coming up in 2005

The theme for Food Safety week 2005 is ‘Food on the Move’. During the week, the Council will be giving out tips on keeping food safe when it’s travelling eg –

  • from the supermarket to the home
  • from the home to the campsite or BBQ
  • from the take-away store or restaurant
  • taking food on holiday
  • lunchboxes (for adults and children)

Once again retirees will be one of the particular groups targeted during Food Safety Week – but a very different kind of retirees. In 2004, the frail aged residents of aged care facilities were the main concern. In 2005, the healthier, more active retirees will come into the spotlight.

In recent years, a growing number of retired people, known as the grey nomads, have been spending part of the year travelling around Australia in caravans, campers etc. – their food travels with them, and tips to ensure that the food remains safe while travelling will be among those put out on Food Safety Week.

There will be lots of great sponsorship opportunities for products which enhance the safety of food on the move.

You can get more information about the Food Safety Information Council or on Food Safety Week, visit our website, www.foodsafety.asn.au

If you’d like to discuss sponsorship opportunities, or want to participate in Food Safety Week in any way, contact the Council’s Executive Officer, Tania Bradley (02) 62544896 or e-mail to info@foodsafety.asn.au  



New Technical Reports available

FSANZ has recently expanded its Technical Report Series to include eight new reports.

The new reports include:

28. Cyanogenic Glycosides in Cassava and Bamboo Shoots: A Human Health Risk Assessment 

29. D-Tagatose: A Human Health Risk Assessment 

30. Kava: A Human Health Risk Assessment 

31. Nitrofurans in Prawns: A Toxicological Review and Risk Assessment 

32. Food derived from Insect-Protected and Glufosinate-Ammonium tolerant Corn Line 1507: A Safety Assessment 

33. Food derived from Glufosinate Ammonium Tolerant Soybean Lines A2704 -12 and A5547-127: A Safety

34. Food derived from Insect-Protected Mon863 Corn: A Safety Assessment 

35. Association between Johne’s Disease and Crohn’s Disease : A Microbiological Review 

Each Technical Report is available free to download from our website, http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/mediareleasespublications/technicalreportserie1338.cfm   or limited hard copies are available by contacting the Information Officer on ph 02 6271 2241 or by email info@foodstandards.gov.au



Health, Nutrition and other Related Claims Update

The framework for Health, Nutrition and related Claims provides scope for pre-approved high level claims to be included in the new standard at gazettal.   A number of diet-disease relationships that may form the basis of pre-approved high level claims are currently undergoing review by external experts.

Relevant diet-disease relationships were initially identified through a consultative process which drew on targeted workshops held mid-2004, public consultation on the P293 Initial Assessment Report, and feedback from the Health Claims Standards Development Advisory Committee (SDAC).   All of the final relationships put forward for review reference information contained in the respective Australian and New Zealand Dietary Guidelines reports.

The final list of six diet-disease relationships was agreed by the FSANZ Board 9th December 2004.  One of these diet-disease relationships was subsequently divided into two separate and more manageable reviews (2 and 3 in the table below), giving seven reviews in total.

The external reviews are expected to be completed by the end of April 2005, and will then be considered by the Scientific Advisory Group for the Development of the Substantiation Framework for Nutrition, Health and Related Claims .  The outcomes of this process will determine those diet-disease relationships suitable to serve as the basis for pre-approved high level claims.

 DIET - DISEASE RELATIONSHIPS UNDER REVIEW

1. Sodium (with or without potassium) AND hypertension

2. Fruit & vegetables AND coronary heart disease

3. Wholegrains AND coronary heart disease

4. Saturated fat and/or trans fat AND elevated serum cholesterol or heart disease

5. Calcium (with or without Vitamin D) AND osteoporosis

6. Folate AND neural tube defects

7. Omega-3 fatty acids AND coronary heart disease

 

Meet our new Labelling & Information Standards Manager

Dr Leigh Henderson is FSANZ’s new Labelling and Information Standards Manager, based in Wellington, New Zealand.  She is a toxicologist and has a PhD in veterinary genetics from Massey University.  She completed a 3 year post-doctoral fellowship at Sussex University in the United Kingdom and now has returned to take on this position.  

While in the UK,  Dr Henderson lead a research group involved in transplacental carcinogenesis and genetic toxicology at Sussex University, before moving into industry at a large UK contract research laboratory. This was followed by a 13 year spell at Unilever, one of the largest global food companies, where she gained extensive experience in evaluating the toxicological safety of foods, including genetically modified foods.  During this time she also became familiar with food regulations.

For the past two and a half years she has been an independent consultant with a range of multinational clients in the food, chemical and consumer goods industry.  

Dr Henderson has been a programme advisor to the UK Food Standards Agency on research relating to diet and colon health and was a UK nominated expert to the OECD on genetic toxicology.  She presently advises the UK Health and Safety Executive in the area of genetic toxicology and is on the UK Veterinary Products Committee, the statutory committee which advises the UK government on the licensing of veterinary medicines, and its working group on the safety of hormones in food producing animals.

photograph          Welcome to FSANZ Dr Leigh Henderson

Balancing the Scales

The International Association of Fish Inspectors (IAFI) 6th World Congress on seafood safety, quality and trade –will be coming to our shores in September 2005

This event will be co-hosted by Seafood Services Australia and the New Zealand Seafood Industry Council and will take place from 14 to 16 September 2005 at Star City, Sydney, NSW.

The biennial World Congress promotes the advancement, improvement and education of the global seafood community regarding seafood which is safe, of acceptable quality, and readily available for trade.

The theme for the Congress is 'Balancing the Scales'. It will focus on a number of key challenges involved in balancing the need for safe food with the need to facilitate trade. Many excellent speakers will contribute diverse views on important international issues to stimulate debate. In addition to this, technical workshops will focus on important food safety issues.

The Congress will take place from 14 to 16 September 2005 at Star City, Sydney, NSW and has been timed to flow on from the Australian Seafood Industry Council (ASIC) biennial ' Seafood Directions Conference ' at the same venue from 12-14 September 2005.

Jayne Gallagher, IAFI Board member representing the South Pacific Region, stated that 'We are particularly keen to have maximum participation by people from developing and emerging economies so we have developed sponsorship packages for delegates from these areas.

Seafood is the most traded commodity in the world and it is paramount to the welfare of many countries' added Ms. Gallagher.

For further details on the 6th World Congress and Seafood Directions Conference contact Seafood Services Australia on 07 3633 6777 or visit their website www.seafoodservices.com.au .  



Reminder to make submissions on time

The FSANZ standards setting process is an open one and usually involves at least 2 rounds of public comment.  We appreciate the time stakeholders spend in making submissions to us, in fact we couldn’t develop or amend standards without this important input.  We have an increasing workload of applications and proposals and strict deadlines for completing this work. To help us keep on time we remind anyone submitting to us to make sure that we receive your submission by the due date.  We usually allow a six week period for public consultation and for major issues, such as the recent health claims one, we allowed 10 weeks. We also often extend submission times if there is a major public holiday period such as Christmas and the New Year.

Please remember that we will no longer be accepting late submissions as part of the normal standard setting process. Submissions received after the due date will not be considered, unless agreement for an extension has been given prior to this closing date.  Agreement to an extension of time will only be given if extraordinary circumstances warrant an extension to the submission period, for example recent storms knocked out the phone line of a submitter and they were unable to email or phone us.  Any agreed extension will be notified on the FSANZ Website and will apply to all submitters.

While FSANZ accepts submissions in hard copy to our offices, it is more convenient and quicker to receive submissions electronically through the FSANZ website using the Standards Development tab and then through

Documents for Public Comment.  Questions relating to making submissions or the application process can be directed to the Standards Management Officer at the above address or by emailing slo@foodstandards.gov.au.

If a submission is received after the due date there is a possibility that a relevant new issue, not raised by other submitters, may be mentioned in the assessment report even though the submission is not formally recorded.


Kahui Kounga Kai meet with FSANZ

Kahui Kounga Kai (Maori reference group) and FSANZ held the first of three hui (meetings) at Apumoana Marae, Rotorua in February.

The morning session of the hui centred around the recent work of the Kahui and discussion of the FSANZ process, while the afternoon session focused on communicating to Maori.  Discussion looked at various ways to raise awareness to Maori of the importance of food standards, the importance of Maori involvement in the food standards setting process, widening Maori networks and utilising a variety of media to reach Maori.

Subsequent hui will be held in Gisborne and Wellington over the next two months.

The outcomes from discussions at all the hui will be moulded into a communications strategy to be undertaken by Kahui in association with FSANZ over the next financial year.

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Photo:  Kahui Kounga Kai (Maori reference group) and  FSANZ staff at the first of three hui (meetings) at Apumoana Marae, Rotorua


Primary Production and Processing Standard for Poultry Meat (P282)

The Standard Development Committee (SDC) for poultry meat met for the fourth time in Sydney on 3 March 2005 to progress development of  possible risk management options for the poultry meat supply chain. The SDC includes representatives from the poultry meat industry, government and a representative from the Australian Consumers Association.  The SDC’s role is to provide advice to FSANZ on the development of a poultry meat standard.  

At this meeting we farewelled one of the SDC members, Dr Jeff Fairbrother, who is retiring from his role as Executive Director of the Australian Poultry Industries Association and Australian Chicken Meat Federation.  Dr Fairbrother has offered to retain an involvement in the development of the poultry meat standard in his role of Board Chairman of the Poultry Cooperative Research Centre.  Dr Andreas Dubs, the Executive Director of the Australian Chicken Meat Federation,  replaces Dr Fairbrother on the SDC.

The Initial Assessment Report was released for public comment in May 2004. FSANZ has received many offers of support from both industry and government and has been supplied with scientific data and technical information relating to the poultry meat industry that is not available publicly. This information has been incorporated into the risk assessment process and the scientific outcomes were discussed at the SDC meeting in November 2004.   FSANZ is now working with industry and the jurisdictions to prepare a draft standard.