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PROPOSAL P241 - REVISED MRL SCHEDULE TO CORRECT SOME ANOMALIES IN THE FOOD STANDARDS CODE

8 May 2002

FINAL ASSESSMENT REPORT

Full Report [ pdf 510kb ]

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

On 24 November 2000, the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Council (ANZFSC) adopted the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (published as Volume2of the Food Standards Code). Subsequently all applications and proposals to amend Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) are also incorporated into Volumes 1 and 2 of the Food Standards Code (Standard A14 and Standard 1.4.2 respectively). Consequently, all references throughout this document to the Food Standards Code are references to both Volumes 1 and 2 of the Food Standards Code.
The agreement between the Commonwealth of Australia and the Government of New Zealand to establish a system for the development of joint food standards (the Treaty) excluded MRLs for agricultural and veterinary chemicals in food. Australia and New Zealand separately develop MRLs for agricultural and veterinary chemicals in food.
This Proposal (P241) is a specific proposal to amend Standard A14 in Volume 1 and Standard 1.4.2 in Volume 2 of the Food Standards Code (i.e. the standards for MRLs) to create a single set of MRLs, correct a number of errors in Standard 1.4.2 and update the reference to the drinking water guidelines.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing has undertaken an appropriate toxicological assessment of the chemicals and where appropriate has set an acceptable daily intake(ADI) or acute reference dose (ARfD).
ANZFA is satisfied from the accompanying dietary modelling which it has performed that the changes to the Food Standards Code for the chemicals in this application do not represent an unacceptable risk to public health and safety.
None of ANZFA' s section 10 objectives are compromised by the proposed changes.
The Regulation Impact Assessment supports the requested MRLs.
The proposed changes would minimise the potential costs to primary producers and rural and regional communities in terms of legally being able to sell legally treated food.
The proposed changes would increase the accuracy of the standards for MRLs.

Full Report [ pdf 510kb ]