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Report of the Review of Labelling of GM Foods - The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Council
May 28, 2004

Australian and New Zealand GM food labelling standard one of the most comprehensive in the world

A review of labelling of genetically modified (GM) food, conducted by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), has found that Australia and New Zealand have one of the most comprehensive labelling regimes for GM food in the world.

The final report of the Review of Labelling of Genetically Modified Food ,commissioned by the Australian and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council, is now publicly available.

Three years ago Australian and New Zealand ministers responsible for food agreed to mandatory labelling for GM foods. These requirements came into force in both countries in December 2001. They require any food, food ingredient or processing aid produced using gene technology and containing novel DNA and/or novel protein or having altered characteristics to be labelled as ‘genetically modified’.

As Australia and New Zealand were among the first countries in the world to introduce GM labelling, in August 2003, Ministers requested that FSANZ conduct a review to compare our GM labelling requirements with international practice.

In Australia and New Zealand all foods produced using gene technology must be safety assessed by FSANZ before they can be sold. The labelling requirements for GM food are not about safety; they are designed to enable consumers to make informed choices about what foods they eat.

The review found:

  • Although Australian and New Zealand were among the first countries in the world to adopt mandatory GM food labelling, these requirements remain among the most comprehensive, both in scope and breadth of capture, of any country in the world.

  • In Australia and New Zealand the majority of consumers welcome mandatory labelling of GM food so that they can make informed purchasing decisions. Consumers in other countries also hold these views.

  • Two separate compliance surveys conducted by enforcement authorities in Australia and New Zealand and finalised in 2003 found a high level of industry compliance with the labelling requirements. Of the 168 products tested, all but one was considered to be compliant with labelling requirements. The non-compliant product was identified in the New Zealand survey and enforcement action was initiated with the product being recalled and the labelling rectified.

  • The surveys demonstrate that the labelling requirements can be effectively enforced using strategies which examine compliance plans and documentation held by manufacturers, and supplemented by product testing where appropriate.  

  • International regulations for the labelling of GM foods vary markedly from country to country. For example, the EU permits accidental contamination of foods with small amounts of unapproved GM commodities in the food supply while Australia and New Zealand does not permit any unapproved GM commodities for sale or use in the food supply.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This is the report of the Review of Labelling of Genetically Modified (GM) Foods. The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Council (ANZFSC) endorsed the Standard for the labelling of GM food in November 2000 and it was subsequently gazetted in December 2000. At that time Ministers agreed to a 12 month transition, until December 2001, for the new Standard to come into effect.   In addition there was a 12 month stock-in-trade provision allowing manufacturers 12 months to sell through stock that had been manufactured prior to the labelling regime coming into effect in December 2001.  

In Australia and New Zealand the mandatory labelling of GM foods is a requirement of Standard 1.5.2.  When the Standard was agreed to, Australia and New Zealand were among the first countries to adopt a mandatory labelling regime. Consequently, Ministers requested a review be conducted within three years of the date of gazettal of the Standard to consider developments in the regulation of GM foods internationally.

In August 2003, the (now) Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council (ANZFRMC) agreed to five terms of reference for the review, including stakeholder consultation requirements. Consultation for the review resulted in the receipt of 472 submissions from Australia and New Zealand: 432 from individuals; 5 from government; 19 from industry; 5 from public health professionals; and 11 from other organisations. Submissions from individuals accounted for approximately 92% of the total submissions received.  

The terms of reference for the review are:

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) will conduct the review and prepare a report for ANZFRMC, governed by the following terms of reference.

1.        Prepare a review of GM food labelling legislation or regulation internationally (proposed and existing), with particular focus on the EU, USA, Canada and APEC countries.

2.        Compare the current Australian/New Zealand requirements for GM food labelling with the requirements of countries listed in (1).

3.        Examine consumer attitudes in relation to the labelling and acceptance of GM foods, where they have been publicly reported in Australia/New Zealand and those countries listed in (1).

4.        Summarise developments in the Codex Alimentarius in respect of a standard for the labelling of GM food.

5.        Prepare in association with New Zealand Food Safety Authority and Australian State and Territory authorities a summary of implementation of the GM food labelling standard in Australia and New Zealand and report on compliance and enforcement with the Standard to date.

The complete report in PDF format is at: http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/_srcfiles/ACF19B0.pdf

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