US attache outlines Australia's GM labeling rules
Date: 30-Aug-01
Country: USA
Report Highlights: Australia's new labeling requirements for genetically modified (GM) food come into effect on December 7, 2001. U.S. manufacturers currently exporting, or wishing to export, their products to Australia should make themselves familiar with these requirements as any products containing GM ingredients will require approval and labeling as genetically modified'.
Background On July 28, 2000, Health Ministers of the Australian States and Territories, the Australian Commonwealth and New Zealand agreed in principle to new labeling requirements for genetically modified (GM) food under Standard A18 - Food Produced Using Gene Technology - in the Australian Food Standards Code. This standard also appears as Standard 1.5.2 in the joint Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. The Ministerial Council formally approved the revised standard on November 24, 2000. It was gazetted on December 7, 2000, and comes into effect on 7 December 2001.
The standard requires that: - all foods produced using gene technology be assessed and approved before sale and use; and - all genetically modified food and ingredients, as defined in the standard, be labeled where they: - contain novel DNA and/or novel protein in the final food, or - have altered characteristics.
To do this, food businesses such as manufacturers, packers, importers and, where appropriate, retailers should take all reasonable steps to: - find out if their food or ingredients are produced using gene technology - this includes additives and processing aids; - find out if the food or ingredient produced using gene technology is approved - this includes additives and processing aids; and - determine what the labeling requirements are for the GM food or ingredient.
It is the responsibility of the food business applying the food label (regarding labeling food, e.g. a food importer) or selling the food, to meet the requirements of the standard and ensure the accuracy of the label. U.S. manufacturers wishing to export their products to Australia should make themselves familiar with these requirements as Australian importers will require them to supply information regarding the use of GM food or ingredients in their products.
How the GM labeling requirements work The standard requires that, where a GM food or ingredient is present: - for packaged foods the words genetically modified' be used in conjunction with the name of the food, or in association with the specific ingredient within the ingredient list; and - for unpackaged foods for retail sale (such as unpackaged fruit and vegetables, or unpackaged processed or semi-processed foods) the words genetically modified' be displayed in association with the food, or in association with the particular ingredient within that food.
The standard does not require GM foods prepared for immediate consumption, such as restaurant and take-away food, and catered meals to be GM labeled. However, the information should be available should consumers request the information from these businesses. To assist companies to interpret this Standard, the Australia New Zealand Food Authority has developed a User Guide which is available on the ANZFA web site. The user guide, unlike the standard itself, is not legally binding.
If in any doubt about interpreting the standards, you should seek independent legal advice. How is the user guide organized? The user guide contains the following sections: - "How the GM labeling requirements work" sets out a decision tree with a number of questions used to determine whether a food or ingredient requires GM labeling. It also explains the exemptions from GM labeling incorporated into Standard A18/1.5.2.
- "Documentation" explains how businesses can demonstrate having taken all reasonable steps in complying with food standards using a paper or audit trail similar to a quality assurance system. - "Testing for the presence of novel DNA and/or novel protein" details how testin