The Australian Government has launched a new website portal that provides links to best practice information on managing food allergies. The launch coincides with Food Allergy Awareness Week, which runs globally from 12-18 May 2013. The portal is a result of collaboration between Government, industry and consumer representatives and Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). Shayne Neummann, Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing launched the new website portal, saying that it would provide... ...Read more »

Organisations in the probiotic and fermented milk sector are hopeful that the word probiotic will be accepted as a ‘generic descriptor’ after a meeting about nourishment and health claims being held by the European Commission today. The main agenda item at the meeting will discuss the rules around generic descriptors on food labels. For the term probiotic, discussion is likely to centre around whether the term probiotic ‘could indicate an outcome on health’. The terms ‘prebiotic’ and... ...Read more »

All players in the Australian food industry are being invited to send representatives to a seminar in Melbourne on the latest trends and issues on new global Standards. The seminar has been organised by DQS Certification AUSNZ, which has sponsored the visit to Melbourne by two international experts who will be the keynote speakers addressing the Standards and third party certifications. Admission to the seminar is free. The seminar will take place on Tuesday 19 March 2013 at 3.00pm at the RACV Club,... ...Read more »

The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) has released its fourth annual economic snapshot State of the Industry 2012, which underlines the economic challenges facing the Australian food and grocery manufacturing sector. The AFGC’s State of the Industry 2012 based on the most recent ABS data found that the total industry output contracted by 4.5 per cent in 2010-11 while total industry employment declined by 2.2 per cent or almost 7,000 people in the 2011-12 financial year. The report showed... ...Read more »

The New Zealand government has ruled against mandatory fortification of bread with folic acid. This position is a divergence from that of Australia which has required mandatory fortification since August 2009. New Zealand’s Food Safety Minister Kate Wilkinson said that a thorough eight-week public consultation process had been held by the Ministry for Primary Industries  and resulted in 134 submissions, of which 88 supported voluntary instead of mandatory fortification. “In making my decision... ...Read more »

New concerns are being expressed about the proposed introduction of a Health Claims standard into the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. Having undertaken at least 5 draft versions of the proposed Health Claims Standard (apart from the existing Transitional Standard in the Code) since 2002, the government agency Food Standard Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) believes that it is near to finalising a new Standard that will balance all stakeholder interests. At the recent FoodLegal-sponsored Symposium... ...Read more »

At a special teleconference hook-up last Friday (20 July 2012), Australian and New Zealand ministers responsible for the regulation of food met to consider the treatment of General Level Health Claims in the draft Standard for Nutrition, Health and Related Claims. The ministers discussed options for a new regulatory system for General Level Health Claims.  This included pre-approved food-health relationships, as well as the option of self-substantiation of new claims which comply with detailed criteria... ...Read more »

Marketing healthier foods or better brands or using innovative food ingredients or processes, can involve a regulatory minefield. There are real risks in the making of Health Claim hazards. On 21 August 2012, Australia’s top food regulators, top  food-law legal experts and food policy-makers will be speaking on the regulatory issues of Health Claims -  at FoodLegal’s half-day Symposium, ‘Health Claim Hazards: Navigating the regulatory minefield’. Speakers include Food Standards Australia... ...Read more »

Australian supermarket Coles has announced that 100 per cent of its private label (home brand) products are being re-labelled to make life easier for customers with food allergies. The supermarket’s new labelling consists of: Bolding allergens in the ingredients listed on its private label products. An allergen summary statement on every private label product (i.e. ‘contains nuts’). A precautionary statement if needed (i.e. ‘..may be present’) on the private label products. Coles... ...Read more »

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has approved a proposal to extend country of origin labelling to unpackaged beef, sheep and chicken meat. The Australian Government had asked FSANZ to address an inconsistency in country of origin labelling requirements for unpackaged meat after a change in rules for beef imports was made in 2010. Food regulation ministers also asked FSANZ to continue this work in response to one of the recommendations of an independent review of food labelling headed... ...Read more »