Search
Search results 121-130 of 397
Call for comment on plant sterols in plant-based milk alternatives
Call for comment on plant sterols in plant-based milk alternatives Date: 1/07/2022 Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for comment on an application to allow phytosterols, phytostanols or their esters (plant sterols) to be added as a novel food to plant-based milk alternatives. FSANZ CEO Dr Sandra Cuthbert said FSANZ's safety assessment found no health and safety concerns for consumers in Australia and New Zealand. “Plant sterols have a long history of safe use and have been permitted to be added to certain foods for more than 20 years,” Dr Cuthbert said. For more information and to access assessment documents, visit the FSANZ call for comment page. Submissions close 6pm (Canberra time) on 12 August 2022. What happens to my feedback? We will publish all submissions to…
Published 4 July 2022
Call for comment on new enzymes for the production of an intense sweetener
Call for comment on new enzymes for the production of an intense sweetener Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for comment on an application to amend the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code) to permit three new enzymes for the production of an intense sweetener. The application is seeking approval of three enzymes from a genetically modified (GM) strain of Escherichia coli (E. coli) as processing aids for producing the steviol glycoside rebaudioside M (an intense sweetener) for use in foods. Our safety assessment found no potential public health or safety concerns with the use of the three enzymes derived from the GM strain of E. coli, which has a long history of safe use as an enzyme production organism. To have your say on this application, visit the …
Published 10 April 2025
Herbicides in GM foods
Herbicides in GM foods (August 2019) Farmers use herbicides to reduce weeds in their crops. Herbicides, together with herbicide tolerant crops, allow farmers to selectively destroy weeds without damaging the main crop. Genes for herbicide tolerance can be introduced into crops using either conventional plant breeding or gene technology. Conventionally bred herbicide-tolerant crops are grown in both Australia and New Zealand, and genetically modified (GM) herbicide-tolerant crops are also grown in Australia. No GM crops are currently grown commercially in New Zealand. Examples of conventional (non-GM) herbicide tolerant crops include triazine-tolerant and imidazolinone-tolerant canola and imidazolinone-tolerant wheat. Herbicide-tolerant GM cotton and canola, licensed for growing in Australia…
Published 16 March 2021
Canned foods: purchasing and storing
Canned foods: purchasing and storing The airtight sealing of foods in containers in association with heat and/or chemical treatments is a very effective method of preserving food. Foods such as fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, or a combination of these foods (e.g. meat and vegetable condensed soup, sauces and fruit salad) can be stored safely in airtight sealed containers. How are canned foods made commercially? Canned foods are washed, prepared and filled into metal containers along with a canning fluid (e.g. water, salted water or fruit juice). The food is heat treated to produce a commercially sterile shelf-stable product with an air-tight (vacuum) seal. Heat treatment kills organisms that may spoil the food or cause food-borne illnesses. Contents remain commercially sterile until…
Published 2 October 2025
Allergen labelling for food businesses
Allergen labelling for food businesses A food allergy occurs when a person's immune system reacts to certain food and ingredients and can cause allergic reactions including anaphylaxis. Other immune reactions can also occur in response to food, such as in Coeliac disease. Substances such as sulphites can also cause adverse health reactions for some people with asthma. This is why the Food Standards Code requires certain food and substances to be declared when they are present in a food as ingredients including food additives or processing aids. Download our allergen labelling poster…
Published 30 September 2025
2024-25 Annual Report released
2024-25 Annual Report released Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has released its 2024–25 Annual Report. The report showcases our work in ensuring a safe and trusted food supply in Australia and New Zealand. FSANZ CEO Dr Sandra Cuthbert said the year was defined by significant regulatory and scientific progress driven by collaboration with stakeholders and Food Regulation System partners. ‘We finalised 20 applications and 7 proposals that advanced food standards and helped maintain trust in the safety of our food supply,’ Dr Cuthbert said. ‘Our work covered new and emerging areas of food regulation, including the first cell-cultured food approved for sale in Australia and New Zealand and updated definitions for genetically modified…
Published 5 November 2025
Labelling poster - how to read food labels
Labelling poster - how to read food labels Most packaged foods are required to have a label with important information to help you make informed choices about what you and your family eats. The information required varies depending on the food. Remember certain information about foods that are unlabelled (e.g. fresh fruit and vegetables, or food that is purchased from where it is made such as cafes, bakeries or takeaway shops) may still need to be provided. This information is usually either displayed with the food or provided if you ask for it, for example, if the food contains certain allergens or directions for using or storing the food safely. FSANZ is responsible for developing and maintaining the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, which includes standards for food labelling…
Published 13 May 2020
Call for comment on new processing aid
Call for comment on new processing aid Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for comment on an application to allow an already approved enzyme processing aid to be produced from a new genetically modified (GM) source. FSANZ CEO Mark Booth said the enzyme (subtilisin) is derived from a GM strain of Bacillus licheniformis. 'This microorganism has a long history of safe use and is already approved as a source microorganism in the Food Standards Code. “If approved, the enzyme would be used as a processing aid in the production of potable alcohol. “We have undertaken a safety assessment and found that there are no health and safety concerns,' Mr Booth said. To have your say, see our call for comment page. Submissions closes at 6pm (Canberra time) 27 January 2021. What happens with my feedback? Submissions will be published to our website…
Published 3 December 2020
Findings released from national survey of AMR
Findings released from national survey of AMR Australia’s largest survey of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in raw retail meat has found bacteria in raw beef, pork and chicken continue to show low levels of resistance to antibiotics that are critical for treating people. More than 4,000 meat samples were collected from retailers in every state and territory, providing a national snapshot of resistance patterns in bacteria. Around two thirds of bacterial isolates showed no resistance to any of the antibiotics tested. Multidrug resistance was uncommon and, where detected, was largely linked to antibiotics considered of low importance to human medicine. Resistance to antibiotics highly important for human health remained low overall. Overall, the findings confirm that when Australian meat is produced…
Published 4 March 2026
Call for comment on use of a nutritive substance in infant formula
Call for comment on use of a nutritive substance in infant formula Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for comment on an application to permit the use of a nutritive substance in infant formula products. The substance, 3-fucosyllactose (3-FL), is a type of human-identical milk oligosaccharide (HiMO) made using a genetically modified source organism. The application seeks approval to use the synthesised 3-FL in infant formula products. FSANZ has found it is chemically, structurally and functionally the same as the naturally occurring 3-FL found in human milk. 3-FL offers potential health benefits for infants including increasing beneficial gut bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium, and anti-pathogenic effects. Our safety assessment found no public health or safety concerns with the proposed use. While breastfeeding is…
Published 11 June 2025