Monitoring and evaluating hazards
National food surveillance
FSANZ works in collaboration with the Australian jurisdictions and New Zealand in relation to food surveillance. A central element of the surveillance and monitoring program continues to be the Coordinated Food Survey Plan, which commenced in 2004 under the Implementation Sub Committee (ISC). The purpose of the plan is to enhance surveillance by implementing agreed national survey priorities in a prospective and coordinated manner.
The Food Surveillance Network, chaired by FSANZ, continued to provide a valuable and effective technical forum for our food regulatory partners to undertake the detailed planning and implementation of surveillance activities. Outcomes of surveys are initially shared through this forum. We publish the outcomes of national and some jurisdictional surveillance activities in our newsletter Food Surveillance News.
FSANZ is coordinating a national survey of the microbiological quality of raw and ready-to-eat produce under the Coordinated Food Survey Plan. The survey analyses several horticulture commodities normally eaten raw for key food-borne pathogens. The information will be used in the development of the primary production and processing standard for plants and plant products. State jurisdictions have started s ampling and analysing for some commodities.
Australian Total Diet Study (ATDS)
The Australian Total Diet Study examines levels of chemicals in food and estimates exposure of the population to those chemicals through the food supply. It is an Australia-wide survey.
The 22nd ATDS investigated levels of the trace elements iodine, molybdenum, chromium, selenium and nickel in food. While the analysis of food samples was completed in 2005, we did not finalise our dietary modelling activities until January 2007. The study report, currently being reviewed by internal and external peers, should be published later in 2007.
We have commenced extensive planning and stakeholder consultation for the 23rd ATDS. The main focus of this study will be residues of agricultural and veterinary medicines and potentially some other chemicals of interest.
Ethyl carbamate in foods and beverages
In 2006-07, we undertook an analytical survey of levels of ethyl carbamate, also known as urethane, in a range of foods and beverages. This chemical is a naturally occurring chemical produced during the processing of fermented foods and alcoholic beverages such as whisky, fruit brandies, beer, wine, bread, soy sauce and yoghurt.
The survey was prompted by international activities which have seen reduction programs put in place by wine industries over the past several years. Ethyl cabamate was reviewed by the FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives in 2005 and a relatively low margin of exposure estimated. We contracted a independent laboratory to complete the sampling and analysis by the end of June and, following receipt of the results, we will prepare a dietary exposure estimate and a risk assessment.
Added colours in food
We have carried out a survey of approximately 400 food samples for synthetic colours and two natural food colours, cochineal/carmine and annatto. This survey will allow us to refine dietary intake estimates of added colours in foods which were previously based on the maximum permitted levels. Dietary modelling is underway, which will be critical in determining the overall dietary intakes of added colours for populations of consumers.
A component of the survey of added colours was to investigate illegal dyes, including Sudan I-IV and para red, in foods. We analysed approximately 60 samples of foods that may possibly contain illegal dyes, based on detections overseas. One illegal dye was detected in an imported rogan josh sauce. This matter was referred to the ‘home State’, South Australia, and the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service. The product was subsequently withdrawn by the importer and a holding order was placed on future consignments.
Strengthening our evidence base
Biological evidence base
Food composition
During 2006-07 we published an extensive reference database on the composition of Australian foods called NUTTAB 2006. For the first time, the data are available for no charge and can be easily accessed by a web-based program that makes data searches quick and easy. NUTTAB 2006 is a valuable resource for public health professionals, academia, industry and consumers. The information will also help inform standards development work related to nutrient fortification and nutrition, health and related claims. NUTTAB 2006 incorporates a wider range of foods and nutrients than in previous publications, as well as updated nutrient values that reflect the composition of foods currently available in Australia.
Also during the year, we completed our first pilot Key Foods Program. This program was developed to assist FSANZ determine analytical priorities and to provide up-to-date nutrient data for foods that Australian children commonly eat. The nutrient data form the basis of a survey database that will be used to estimate nutrient intakes as part of the National Children’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey.
Dietary intake assessments
In September 2006, we initiated a review of all of FSANZ’s principles and procedures for dietary exposure (intake) assessments of food chemicals and the supporting information technology systems, with the aim of ensuring that we are producing robust assessments.
As a part of this review, we asked an international expert in the area of dietary exposure assessments from the United States Food and Drug Administration to undertake a review of all aspects of our dietary exposure assessment procedures, the use of our specialised computer program (DIAMOND), the data and methodologies used, and outcomes and reporting. The reviewer’s conclusions were, overall, very positive in terms of our dietary modelling capability and expertise of staff and included recommendations for enhancing our dietary exposure assessment capabilities.
The work associated with the review will continue into 2007-08, including further discussions with an external advisory group. The main outcome will be the development of a forward plan for developing and enhancing our dietary exposure assessment work and DIAMOND, and the production of documents for our staff and stakeholders on our dietary exposure assessment principles and procedures.
National Nutrition Survey data
FSANZ currently uses food consumption data from the 1995 Australian National Nutrition Survey and the 1997 New Zealand National Nutrition Survey for dietary exposure assessments.
We have recently obtained data from the 2002 New Zealand Children’s Nutrition Survey. This survey fills a gap, as we previously had no food consumption data for New Zealand children that we could use in dietary exposure assessments. The Children’s Survey data are currently being reconfigured to make them compatible with our dietary exposure assessment computer program DIAMOND. The process of loading the data into DIAMOND and testing that it is working effectively will extend into next year. Once the data has been loaded into DIAMOND, it will then be used for our dietary exposure assessments.
In addition, we have been contracted to produce one of the key elements of the National Children’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (known as Kids Eat Kids Play ) – the nutrient database used to estimate nutrient intakes. Working closely with the other survey partners, we aim to produce a comprehensive database to meet the needs of the survey, which concludes in early 2007-08. The results of this survey will ultimately enhance our dietary modelling capacity.
We have also undertaken significant research to find other sources of more recent food consumption data. For example, FSANZ now subscribes to the Roy Morgan Research Single Source and Young Australian Survey, using this information to supplement the National Nutrition Survey data in our risk assessments. While it is difficult to directly compare the data from different sources given the different survey methodologies used, we have been able to establish that the patterns of food consumption identified in the 1995 survey have been relevant for the risk assessments in question.
Accessing external expertise
FSANZ maintains a broad range of in-house scientific skills covering the disciplines of toxicology, nutrition, food technology, microbiology, molecular genetics, dietary exposure assessments and public health nutrition. We also employ senior advisors to provide high-level advice in the medical, science and public health nutrition areas.
Nevertheless, we draw on additional expertise within the government sector in Australia and New Zealand, and from industry and academia where appropriate. We also maintain contacts with leaders in the field of food regulation wherever they can be identified in the world.
FSANZ Fellows
The FSANZ Fellows program is a network of eminent scientists and professionals from Australia and New Zealand in fields related to food regulation. Fellows provide great value to the agency by donating their own specialised knowledge in a wide range of scientific and professional fields including nutrition, economics, project management, social sciences, food science and data evaluation. The Fellows program ensures that we have access to high-quality independent advice to assist in making food regulatory decisions.
Our twelve FSANZ Fellows are listed in Table 6, along with their field of expertise and primary organisation.
In 2006-07, FSANZ Fellows participated in the scientific advisory group for health claims, provided expert opinion on the steviol glycosides Application, took part in the Science Network Forum’s workshops on dietary modelling and nutrient risk analysis, and briefed the FSANZ Board and relevant staff members on current research.
Scientific expert committees
This year, FSANZ established two scientific expert committees to assist in our work. The first of these was assembled to provide scientific advice to FSANZ regarding the development of proposed mandatory fortification with iodine. This group includes members with expertise in endocrinology, nutrition, food and nutrition monitoring, epidemiology and human health risk assessment. The advisory group has provided input on health benefits and risks associated with fortification, target population groups and the optimum level of iodine concentration.
We set up the second expert committee to provide expertise on the interpretation and evaluation of scientific evidence relevant to FSANZ’s consideration of mandatory fortification with folic acid. It has initially focussed on the health benefits and risks associated with increased levels of folic acid intake, estimating current intake and possible methods of implementation and monitoring. Expert members include epidemiologists, nutritionists and a geriatrician.
FSANZ also chairs and participates in the work of a newly formed International Food Chemical Safety Liaison Group that exchanges information on food surveillance and explores opportunities for international collaboration on emerging food chemical safety issues. The group, which met four times in 2006-07, consists of experts in the regulation and surveillance of food chemical safety from Health Canada, the United Kingdom Food Standards Agency, the European Food Safety Authority, the United States Food and Drug Administration and FSANZ. Other agencies may become involved with the group in future.
Social and consumer research
FSANZ is increasingly using social and consumer research in carrying out our functions. Social and consumer research make three main contributions to food regulation:
Input to standards development
Typically, social and consumer studies are required for Applications or Proposals to help us understand possible consumer responses to current or proposed risk management measures. During the year, such studies contributed to a number of projects to provide answers about likely behavioural impacts of changes sought to the Code.
This work included the first review of the formulated beverages Application, where we commissioned a survey to understand the consumption patterns of these products. It also included the health claims project, where we undertook a series of small studies to test the effectiveness of disclosure statements on products with high levels of sugar, but no added sugar; and whether percentage daily intake (%DI) information could assist consumers in making food choices.
Other projects concerned phytosterol-enriched foods and country of origin labelling on unpackaged food in display cabinets, the latter testing the shopper’s preferred font size and willingness to pay for country of origin information on food in delicatessen-type displays.
Understanding consumers and stakeholders
We also carry out research that, while not directly feeding into a particular assessment, informs our general understanding of consumers and other stakeholders. One of the key achievements in the past year has been the establishment of a Consumer Attitudes Survey. Fieldwork was completed in April. This survey will provide a benchmark against which future changes in consumer attitudes to food safety and regulation issues can be monitored. In developing the survey, we drew on overseas studies to provide an international benchmark.
We will report on the results of the survey in next year’s annual report. However, preliminary evaluations of consumer confidence in the food supply, for Australia and New Zealand, show a high concern in the community for healthy eating and a low concern for the safety of food available in Australia and New Zealand, relative to other concerns (Table 7).
Based on 1,202 respondents in Australia and 800 in New Zealand (TNS Social Research, July 2007).
Enhancing our evidence base
FSANZ has been active in establishing links with other agencies using social and consumer research in their activities. Through links with our counterparts in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and New Zealand, we have gained access to data, surveys and approaches ensuring that we use the best available social science in our activities.
Social and consumer research continues to be a key topic of discussion at the Quadrilateral meetings on food safety involving the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. FSANZ is the current chair of the Quads Social Research Coordination Group.
Evaluating food regulatory measures
The FSANZ Evaluation Strategy 2004-08 identifies the way in which we evaluate the effectiveness and appropriateness of key food regulatory measures. Through the strategy, we aim to build up an evidence base for future decision making in relation to the development of food standards. The strategy allows us to identify and assess the impact of key changes to food regulations on our stakeholders, including our regulatory partners, the food industry, health professionals and consumers.
During the year, we commenced the 2007 National Food Handling Survey, with the full support and participation of all Australian jurisdictions. This survey is a follow-up study of the 2001 national survey of food business knowledge, attitudes and practices related to food handling. Outcomes from the 2007 survey, when compared with the 2001 benchmark study, will allow us to measure any changes in food handling knowledge and practices and provide an indication of the effectiveness of national food safety standards introduced in 2001.
We completed a telephone survey of 2,300 food businesses to assess food handling knowledge and fieldwork for 1,120 on-site observational surveys of actual food handling practices in food businesses. This project will provide a quantitative measure of the effectiveness of key food standards within five years of implementation, in this instance the food safety standards.
Our ongoing food-label monitoring survey is almost half way through its second phase. Both p hase 1 (2002-03) and phase 2 (2005-06) involved collecting a convenience sample of packaged food labels from major food categories in two consecutive years. We then assessed the approximately 1200 labels collected each year for consistency with a range of key labelling requirements such as date marking, ingredient declarations, storage instructions, nutrition, health and related claims, and nutrition information panels.
A comparison of results from 2003 and 2005 for nutrition, health and related claims indicated that no particular areas of concern have emerged since 2003. The outcomes of this analysis have proved useful in providing evidence in support of the development of a standard for nutrition, health and related claims. We are continuing to analyse the labels collected in 2005 and 2006 and we will issue reports of the assessment of these labels in late-2007.
We also worked with other regulatory agencies to develop suitable programs for m onitoring mandatory and voluntary fortification requirements of the Code. This is essential to evaluate the success of key fortification standards in improving nutritional intake and status for the target groups and to ensure the protection of public health and safety for the whole population. We especially want to investigate the cumulative impact of individual fortification permissions (voluntary or mandatory) on the food supply and the health of the population as a whole and sub-groups of the population, including target populations.
Fostering international networks
Codex Alimentarius Commission
Codex Alimentarius is a collection of international standards, recommended codes of practice and guidelines related to food or the operation and management of food production processes. The Codex Alimentarius Commission, based in Rome, has a mandate to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the international food trade.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission governs three different subsidiary bodies, namely the General Subject Committees (also known as horizontal committees), Commodity Committees (also known as vertical committees) and Regional Coordinating Committees. Ad hoc Intergovernmental Task Forces are convened for a set period to deal with a particular issue or set of issues.
Due to the complexity and nature of the work handled by all of these committees and task forces, it may take many years of work before a standard or guideline proceeds to the Commission for adoption.
Australia provides experts from numerous government agencies to attend Codex committee meetings and working groups. We play a pivotal role in helping to ensure that international standards are based on sound scientific principles. Our Chief Executive Officer represented FSANZ as part of the Australian delegation at the Codex Alimentarius Commission meeting in Geneva in July 2006.
An outcome from the last meeting of the Commission was an agreement to establish two CodexAd HocIntergovernmental Task Forces: one on Antimicrobial Resistance, the other on the Handling and Processing of Quick Frozen Foods. FSANZ will be actively involved with both of these.
We led the Australian delegation to the 39th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA) meeting held in Beijing. This Committee is responsible for establishing and endorsing permitted maximum use levels for food additives. We also provided the leader for the Australian delegation to the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Purposes which met in Thailand. The meeting agreed that the establishment and application of nutritional risk analysis principles should be forwarded to the Commission as a new work proposal.
In December, we led the Australian delegation to the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) in Houston, Texas. This delegation ensures that Australia’s views are understood and that decisions of the Committee align wherever possible with Australia’s domestic regulatory arrangements. The meeting successfully progressed three documents to be considered for adoption by the Commission.
FSANZ led the Australian delegation to the meeting of the Codex Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology. The Task Force, which has a time frame of four years (until 2009), is responsible for developing standards, guidelines or recommendations for foods derived from modern biotechnology.
Our staff formed part of the Australian delegation at the 15th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection Certification Systems (CCFICS). Australia is the Host Government for CCFICS. This Committee develops principles and guidelines for food import and export certification systems with a view to harmonising methods and procedures which protect the health of consumers, ensure fair trading practices and facilitate international trade in foodstuffs.
We provided members of delegations to, or contributed to the work of, many other committees, including t he Codex Committee on General Principles (CCGP), the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCCF), t he Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL) and t he Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR).
World Health Organization (WHO)/Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
We continued to support the WHO through the work of the FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). This year, we provided scientific data as well as arranging for two of our experienced staff to attend a JECFA meeting. JECFA establishes safe levels of intake for food additives and contaminants and develops specifications for food additives.
JECFA also provides advice to CCFA and CCCF, particularly in relation to risk associated with particular levels of intake. Participation in the work of JECFA enables FSANZ to be part of the process of establishing internationally accepted safe levels for additives and contaminants and to liaise with experts from other countries on a range of food safety issues.
We also actively contributed to the coordination and preparation of an Australian response to a request from the FAO/WHO Joint Expert Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) for country information on fresh produce safety.
OECD Task Force for the Safety of Novel Foods and Feeds
We have been actively participating in the work of this OECD Task Force since its inception in 1998 and a FSANZ expert has been chairing the Task Force since 2002. The Task Force met on one occasion during the year.
The primary objective of the Task Force is to promote international harmonisation in the safety assessment and regulation of novel foods and feeds (especially the products of modern biotechnology, such as GM foods). This is being achieved through the development of science-based consensus documents and through outreach activities with non-OECD member countries. Consensus documents, which are developed on a crop-by-crop basis, are currently being developed on tomato, sweet potato, cassava and papaya. The Task Force is also in the process of updating earlier consensus documents on canola and soybean.
International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI)
ILSI is a global network of scientists aiming to enhance the scientific basis for public health decision-making. We are collaborating with ILSI on food allergy matters in an environment that brings together scientists and clinical practitioners, industry, regulators and consumers. Early in the year, we provided feedback to the ILSI food allergy task force on their proposed criteria for identifying allergens critical for public health.
We held a joint one-day workshop in Melbourne in November to discuss recent developments in the science and regulation of food allergens. As new foods enter the food supply, we need to reconsider and improve our criteria for defining allergenic foods of concern. Workshop participants also discussed criteria to determine the safety of ingredients derived from allergenic foods.
FSANZ also participated in an international workshop supported by the European chapter of ILSI to consider a number of approaches to assessing risks associated with food allergens. Discussions focused on the scientific assessment of the risks resulting from unintended exposure to food allergens. In this particular area, a consensus emerged that a quantitative risk assessment model has the potential to provide the most comprehensive information to support risk management decisions.
Quadrilateral Food Safety Meeting
The 16th Session of the Food Safety Quadrilaterals (QUADs), hosted by New Zealand, was held in New Zealand in March 2007. This annual meeting was attended by delegations from New Zealand, Canada, United States and Australia. Along with providing an occasion for information exchanges on key food regulatory issues, these meetings present us with an opportunity to inform our QUADs partners of the work that we are progressing and to promote our approach to food safety issues.
Major topics of relevance to FSANZ at the meeting were implementation of the meat hygiene code, dairy product safety, equivalence of food systems, produce safety and food supply, nutrition and labelling (including allergenicity, trans fatty acids, nutritional risk analysis, dietary fibre, evidence-based food regulation and the global strategy on diet, physical activity and health).