Cleaning is a requirement of any food business, and to do it correctly the right cleaning and sanitising chemicals are required.

All chemicals used for cleaning should be food grade – suitable for use in a food business. However there may still be incidental contact.

Accord has reviewed the Guide on cleaners and sanitisers that may have incidental contact with food, and the new version is now available at the link below;

https://www.aifst.asn.au/sites/default/files/accord-guide-on-cleaners-sanitisers-that-may-have-incidental-contact-with-food-november-2019.pdf

The following are recall notices from the NSW Food Authority and are included here with permission.

Recall: Uncle Tobys Roll-Ups

10 January 2020

The NSW Food Authority advises:

Nestlé Australia Ltd is conducting a recall of some batches of Uncle Tobys Roll-Ups Passionfruit 94g, Uncle Tobys Roll-Ups Rainbow Berry 94g, Uncle Tobys Roll-Ups Rainbow Fruit Salad and Uncle Tobys Roll-Ups Funprints Strawberry. The product has been available for sale at Coles, Woolworths, IGA’s, independent retailers and online retailers nationally.

Product details & date markings:

• Uncle Tobys Roll-Ups, 94g, Passionfruit
  Best before 01 JUL, 2020, Batch Code 93383607
• Uncle Tobys Roll-Ups, 94g, Rainbow Berry
  Best before 02 JUL 2020, Batch Code 93393607
  Best before 06 JUL 2020, Batch Code 93433607
  Best before 07 JUL 2020, Batch Code 93443607
• Uncle Tobys Roll-Ups, 94g, Rainbow Fruit Salad
  Best before 29 JUN 2020, Batch Code 93363607
  Best before 30 JUN 2020, Batch Code 93373607
  Best before 01 JUL 2020, Batch Code 93383607
  Best before 13 JUL 2020, Batch Code 93503607
• Uncle Tobys Roll-Ups, 94g, Funprints Strawberry
  Best before 08 JUL 2020, Batch Code 93453607
  Best before 09 JUL 2020, Batch Code 93463607
  Best before 14 JUL 2020, Batch Code 93513607

Packaging: Cardboard box- 6 units per cardboard package

Problem: Some products are being recalled because an ingredient supplier has advised Nestlé that equipment failure in their facility has led to the possible presence of small metal fragments in an ingredient supplied to Nestlé used to manufacture the products.

Food safety hazard: The Uncle Tobys Roll-Ups products being recalled may contain small metal fragments, which may cause illness/injury if consumed.

Country of origin: Australia

What to do: Consumers should not eat this product. Consumers should return the product to the place of purchase for a full cash refund. Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice.

For further information please contact:

Nestlé Australia on 1800 152 126, www.nestle.com.au.

Recall: Sacla` Italia brand Pesto 190g

10 January 2020

The NSW Food Authority advises:

Conga Foods is conducting a recall of Sacla` Classic Basil Pesto 190g and Sacla` Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto 190g, due to the presence of an undeclared allergen (peanut).

The recalled product has been available for sale at Coles, Woolworths, Independent grocery stores (including IGAs except in NT) nationally and online.

Product details & date markings:

• Sacla` Classic Basil Pesto, 190g, glass jar
• Sacla` Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto, 190g, glass jar
• Best Before dates from 31/07/2021 until 31/01/2022

Problem: The recall is due to the presence of an undeclared allergen (peanut).

Food safety hazard: Any consumers who have a peanut allergy or intolerance may have a reaction if the products are consumed. Anyone concerned about their health should seek medical advice.

Country of origin: Italy

What to do: Consumers who have an allergy or intolerance to peanuts should not consume these products and should return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

For further information please contact:
Conga Foods
sacla@congafoods.com.au or call 03 9487 9500

It is interesting that only two of the top ten outbreaks were from meat based foods. This is likely due to the very tight food safety controls on meat based business in the USA.

When people are asked what foods are the main cause of food poisoning, they nearly always say chicken, fish or other meats. These top ten outbreaks in the USA for 2019 highlights that fruits and vegetables are just as likely to be involved as the meats in a food related outbreak.

With our focus on bushfires and the impacts, it is easy to forget about things like food safety, but it is also important. So here is some advice from the Food Safety Information Council. It is included with permission.

The following brilliant advice for emergencies and food is from a great brochure from  the Australian Food and Grocery Council and it can be found at https://foodsafety.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/pantrylist-2015.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3XADOO_EU5fu0IYx0dOxvTOp_a6AQbP2NhKf7tIwJCHrLvnsI31Tfwd-Y. It includes a very useful pantry list to use in the event of an emergency and is included here with permission.

Getting ready for an emergency Emergencies can happen  anywhere and any time, and can have a significant  impact  on people’s  lives. Being prepared for an emergency can ensure that you and your family can manage if affected by an emergency such as: Bushfire, Flood,Influenza  Pandemic

Naturally all households differ, and you should  customise  the list to suit the needs of your household. You should  also give special consideration to any family members with  special needs, such as babies, young  children,  pregnant  women, the elderly, ill or infirmed.

You can start to build  your supplies  over time, adding  more each time you shop. Regularly check the expiry date/s of your emergency supplies,  and consume  or replace any items as required.

Be prepared

In addition to ensuring you have an adequate  supply  of food, water and emergency  provisions, there are some  other  simple steps you can take to  prepare  for an emergency  situation:

• Discuss your plans with  family and  friends.
• Consider how  family  members/friends outside  your household might  cope in an emergency? Would  any other  family  members join  your household in an emergency  situation (eg parents, grandparents, adult  children)?  If so, you may need to  consider how  to include  them  in your plans.
• Have important phone numbers such as your  family  doctor, local police  station, State Emergency Service, fire brigade and utility providers in a prominent place (eg the  fridge  door).
• Listen to local news and get up to date information. Emergency incidents  like  those listed  above  can affect the supply  of essential utilities, including electricity, gas and water, and disrupt  the supply  of food, groceries and critical items. This brochure  provides  you with  important information on how to stock your pantry  to  ensure your household has an adequate supply  of food, water and emergency items to cope with a prolonged emergency situation. It also contains  a ‘pantry  list’ of suggested supplies.

The Pantry List should  only be used  as a guide for items that may assist in an emergency situation  and should  be customised to meet your individual household needs.

• It is suggested that households should hold sufficient supply of food, water and essential items to enable a household to be confined at home for up to 14 days.
• Food supplies should be continually used and replenished.
• Ensure food is rotated, and use-by dates are checked regularly.

Managing at home

If you do find yourself and your family in a situation where you are confined, or choose to be confined at home during or following an emergency,  there are several things you should  consider to ensure  you manage  your supply of food in the best possible  way.

These include:

• If the power is out, use refrigerated/ frozen food products first. Refrigerated foods will remain safe for up to 4 hours after a power failure. Frozen foods will remain safe for up to 1 day after a power failure. Keeping the refrigerator/freezer door closed as much as possible may keep food safer for longer, however a thermometer  should be used to ensure food has not exceeded 6°C.  Freshly cooked products  stored  at room temperature (ie not in the fridge) will remain safe for up to 4 hours after cooking.
• Consume other perishable products (eg fresh fruit and vegetables, bread) before consuming long life products.
• When purchasing products for your pantry , aim for ready-to-eat products  that do not require cooking (in case gas or electricity supply is disrupted).
• Ration food/water supplies based on how long you expect to be confined at home.

The following is from the Food Safety Information Council Ltd website – www.foodsafety.asn.au, and is included here with permission.

Entertaining is fun especially during Christmas and the holiday season when you catch up with family and friends or at other times of the year during celebratory events. But preparing food for a lot of people can be risky especially when several generations get together. Young children, the elderly, those with compromised immune systems and pregnant women can be severely affected by food poisoning.

There are a few reasons why a party can mean a greater risk of food poisoning, including:

• the average home kitchen is not designed for cooking for a lot of people
• guests often bring food to share, which means food can be out of the fridge for several hours, enough time for bacteria to multiply
• many people start preparing food well ahead of an event. For some non-perishable items, such as a Christmas cake, that’s fine. But other foods, such as casseroles or desserts, need to be carefully prepared and then chilled or frozen quickly.

Follow the tips below to avoid giving a gift your friends and family don’t want!

Plan ahead

Some simple planning can protect your family and friends, so talk to them early to work out who will prepare what food. Arrange to cook the riskier foods like meat and turkey on site where the Christmas dinner is going to be and use a meat thermometer to make sure it is cooked to 75°C in the thickest part of the meat.

Ask guests who are travelling for more than an hour to bring safer foods that don’t need refrigeration or keeping hot, such as cakes, biscuits and Christmas puddings. If they like to cook they can always come earlier and help you in your kitchen. Make sure your kitchen and utensils are clean and that everyone washes and dries their hands before handling food.

Those that live less than an hour away could bring hot food in an insulated bag but make sure it is reheated to 75°C before serving.

Those living less than an hour away could also bring refrigerated items like salads and desserts. Refrigerated items should be packed in a cooler or esky straight from the fridge and just before leaving the house. Surround the food with ice bricks, frozen gel packs or frozen drinks. If you are having a BBQ any raw meat or poultry should be packed at the bottom of the cooler in an enclosed plastic container where it can’t drip onto other foods.

Avoid temperature abuse

Temperature abuse is the major cause of foodborne illness at parties and functions. Remember to minimise the time food stays in the temperature danger zone (5°C to 60°C). Learn more about the Temperature danger zone.

Keep hot food hot – use the top of the stove or an oven turned down to just below 100°C. If you want to serve food at less than 60°C, make sure it doesn’t stay at that temperature for more than four hours.

Keep cold food cold – if you prepare food ahead of time, and cool it in the fridge, make sure that the fridge is still operating at or below 5°C even though you’ve loaded it with extra food. Learn more about Fridge and freezer food safety.

Cool food quickly – once the steam stops rising, cover the food and put it in the fridge. You want it to cool as quickly as possible so that spores, which can survive cooking, don’t germinate. You can hasten the cooling process by pre-cooling the hot food in its container in a sink of iced or cold water or putting it into shallow containers and chilling or freezing the food in those. In deep containers it can take days for the centre of the food to reach 5 °C.

Thaw any frozen meat or meals correctly in the fridge allowing sufficient time to thaw completely (usually the day before) or in the microwave on the day of the party. Reheat food fast either on top of the stove, in the oven or in a microwave. Remember those spores are always looking for windows of opportunity to germinate and those germinate cells will grow and make your guests sick.

The fridge

Domestic fridges are not very large and an overcrowded fridge or freezer does not allow the cold air to circulate freely around the food to keep them adequately frozen or chilled. When the fridge contains a large load of food, it has to work overtime to cope and, particularly if the weather is hot, the temperature inside will rise.

You should have a fridge thermometer inside the fridge so you can check that your fridge is operating at the correct temperature (at or under 5 °C). At these temperatures food poisoning bacteria will multiply very slowly and the food will remain safe for two or three days. Check your fridge temperature regularly, after any newly refrigerated food has had a chance to cool, and adjust the controls to lower the temperature if necessary.

Make sure that raw meat and poultry can’t contaminate ready to eat food. Raw food can contain food poisoning bacteria. This is not a problem if the food is cooked before it is eaten. However, if these bacteria get onto ready to eat food, such as salads, desserts or foods that have already been cooked, they can cause food poisoning. Learn more about cross contamination

You inevitably will run out of space to allow you to do this properly, particularly if your guests are also bringing food which needs to be refrigerated until you are ready to eat, so what should you do?

• Take out the beer. Drinks can’t make you sick if they are inadequately cooled but food can. Fill the laundry sink and insulated containers or buckets with ice to keep beer and soft drinks chilled.
• Ground coffee doesn’t need to be refrigerated just stored in an airtight jar.
• Whole fruit can survive in the fruit bowl or cupboard, as can whole raw vegetables.
• Those jars of pickles, chutneys and bottled sauces that have vinegar on the label can come out too because they won’t be a problem outside the fridge for a couple of days.
• If you still don’t have enough room, make sure the things that are eaten later are in the fridge and leave out the things you will eat first.

Remember the temperature danger zone – these foods can stay out of the fridge for up to four hours in total but must be thrown out after that.

Keep these items at high risk of food poisoning bugs in the fridge:

• cooked meats, deli meats, patés etc. should be left in the fridge until you are ready to eat them
• salads – especially cooked vegetable, pasta or rice salads (whether they contain meat or not)
• ready to eat seafood
• dips and other ready to eat foods
• cream, egg and custard based desserts
• any dish containing raw or minimally cooked eggs, such as home made mayonnaise or sauces.

Preparing and cooking the food

Because of the risks in catering for a large group, you need to be even more careful than usual about preparing food to prevent any bacteria being introduced by cross contamination.

• Wash your hands before you start preparing and between preparing raw and ready to eat foods – learn about Handwashing. Wash chopping boards, knives and anything else which will come into contact with the food between preparing raw and ready to eat foods.
• Cook poultry, minced meats, sausages, tenderised meats and other pre-prepared meats until they reach 75°C in the centre using a meat thermometer. No pink should be visible. Steaks and other solid pieces of meat can be cooked to your preference eg rare or medium rare – if you use a meat thermometer it will help you cook the perfect piece of meat.
• Do not allow cooked meals to cool on the bench. As soon as steam stops rising, refrigerate or freeze in a leak-proof container.
• Don’t prepare food if you have vomiting or diarrhoea (gastroenteritis) – you’ll be sure to pass it on to your family and friends.
• Don’t leave perishable nibbles, like dips and soft cheeses, out in the temperature danger zone for too long. It is better to divide them into small amounts and replenish with fresh portions as required. This also makes them look more appetising. Don’t mix fresh top-ups with ones that have been outside for some time. Low risk foods, such nuts, crisps, crackers, etc. can be topped up every hour or so.

Turkey cooking advice

Turkeys can be big birds and a big problem if you don’t have a plan, so before buying a huge frozen turkey, read the label! Big turkeys take several days to defrost in the fridge, not to mention hours to cook properly, so think whether you really need one a whole, big one. Ask yourself what else are you serving and consider a part turkey, such as a breast, or turkey roll − much easier to defrost and cook to perfection. If you still opt for the whole turkey and cannot source a fresh bird ask your butcher or supplier to defrost the turkey in their cool room so you can pick it up in time for Christmas and refrigerate. Whether full turkey or turkey roll, this meat must be cooked all the way through so use a meat thermometer to check that the temperature in the thickest part reaches 75°C. Because stuffing slows down cooking and cooling, it is best cooked separately.

Raw eggs

Trying out new recipes this time of year can be great fun but food poisoning bugs can survive and even grow quickly in foods containing raw egg, like egg nog, home made mayonnaise and desserts such as tiramisu and chocolate mousse, if they aren’t handled properly. If you are tempted to make raw eggs dishes this holiday period (like egg nog, uncooked desserts such as mousses and tiramisu, hollandaise sauces, fresh mayonnaise, aioli, health shakes with added raw egg or steak tartar) you can reduce the likelihood of illness by following the simple tips:

• Dishes containing raw eggs as an ingredient, that aren’t going to be cooked before being eaten, should not be served to those vulnerable people at greater risk from food poisoning such as small children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems.
• Egg meals should be cooked for these vulnerable people until the yolk in a boiled egg has started to become firm or eggs have become set in omelets or scrambled eggs.
• Check your eggs for visible cracks. If cracked it is safest to discard them or cook thoroughly, for example in a baked cake.
• If you accidentally drop pieces of shell into your egg mixture, it too could be contaminated and the mixture will need thorough cooking.
• Wash your hands with soap and running water and dry thoroughly before handling any food including eggs and after handling eggs or raw meat so you don’t contaminate other food.
• If you are not going to cook the eggs further, don’t separate the yolk from the white using the shell as that could contaminate the raw egg. Invest in a plastic egg separator.
• Prepare raw egg foods just before you are going to consume them and refrigerate immediately at 5°C or below, so the bacteria cannot grow.
• Keep your eggs refrigerated in the cardboard box you purchased them in.

Leftovers

Refrigerate  or freeze leftovers immediately after the meal. Divide into small containers so they cool quickly.  If leftovers have been in the temperature danger zone for more than 2 hours they should be eaten or refrigerated immediately and for more than 4 hours they must be thrown out. Always store perishable leftovers in the fridge and use them up within two to three days. When reheating food ensure that it is hot all the way through (use a meat thermometer to ensure it is at least 75°C in the centre).

If you want to bring home any leftovers, ask your hosts to put your ice-bricks, gel packs or water bottles into the freezer during the party so that you can transport the leftovers home safely chilled. Put leftovers into the fridge as soon as you get home.

Storing ham

Your Christmas ham will keep several weeks with proper handling. After reading the packaging labels, remove it from its plastic wrap, cover it with clean cloth soaked in water and vinegar so it doesn’t dry out, and store it in the fridge below 5°C. Reduced salt hams are now becoming popular but will not last as long as conventional hams so think how much you are going to use in the next week or so and freeze some for later.

The following are two current recalls. The information is included with permission from Food Standards Australia New Zealand.

David Jones Almond Roughs and Peanut Caramel Clusters  

20 December 2019

Product information

David Jones Pty Limited is conducting a recall of David Jones Almond Roughs and David Jones Peanut Caramel Clusters. The products have been available for sale at David Jones Stores.

Date markings

Best Before 9th June 2020

Problem

The recall is due to undeclared allergens peanut and almond. Undeclared peanut in the Almond Roughs and undeclared almond in the Peanut Caramel Clusters.

Food safety hazard

Any consumers who have a peanut or almond allergy or intolerance may have a reaction if the products are consumed.

Country of origin

Australia

What to do​

Consumers who have a peanut or almond allergy or intolerance should not consume these products and should return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

For further information please contact:

David Jones Customer Service Phone Line or Email

1800 354 663

www.davidjones.com.au/Contact-us

Daly Potato Company Bacon and Dijon Gourmet Potato Salad  

​24 December 2019

Product information

Daly Potato Company is conducting a recall of Bacon and Dijon Gourmet Potato Salad. The product has been available for sale at Woolworths in NSW, ACT, VIC and TAS and Coles in TAS.

Date markings

Use By 08/01/2020

Problem

The recall is due to microbial contamination (Listeria monocytogenes).

Food safety hazard

Listeria may cause illness in pregnant women and their unborn babies, the elderly and people with low immune systems.

Country of origin

Australia

What to do​

Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice and return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund.

For further information please contact:

Daly Potato Company

0428 960 603

​www.dalypotatoco.com.au

The following is the latest media release from New South Wales Health and is included here with permission.

Avoid salmonella food poisoning this Christmas

19 December 2019

As Christmas gets underway amid a heatwave, NSW Health is warning people to avoid Salmonella food poisoning, with 168 cases already reported this month.

Ms Keira Glasgow, NSW Health Manager of Enteric and Zoonotic Diseases, said careful food preparation and storage is the best way to avoid salmonellosis.

“Over every Christmas break we see outbreaks of Salmonella food poisoning, which are usually due to food not being prepared and stored properly,” Ms Glasgow said.

“The most common causes of salmonellosis outbreaks are eating food containing raw or undercooked eggs and not carefully separating raw food from cooked food.

“The longer food is left out of the fridge, the more bacteria will multiply. If food that is normally refrigerated has been sitting out for over two hours, you should throw it out.”

Helpful food safety tips include:

• Use different chopping boards, trays, utensils and plates when preparing raw foods, especially meat, and ready to eat food
• Thaw frozen food in the fridge, not on the bench as Salmonella bacteria love to grow between the temperatures of five and 60 degrees Celsius
• Wash fruit and vegetables thoroughly before eating
• Don’t pour raw meat juices from marinades onto cooked food
• Wash hands immediately after handling raw foods and before handling cooked or ready-to-eat food
• Don’t prepare food for others if you’ve had symptoms of gastroenteritis until 48 hours after symptoms have passed.

NSW Food Authority CEO, Dr Lisa Szabo, said to reduce the risk of Salmonella poisoning, consumers and food retailers can use commercially produced products instead of handmade mayonnaise and sauces.

“It is also much safer to use commercially pasteurised eggs rather than raw eggs in ready-to-eat products such as desserts and dressings,” Dr Szabo said.

“Businesses in NSW must comply with strict requirements around the use of raw eggs in foods, and the sale of eggs with dirty or cracked shells is prohibited.”

Symptoms of salmonellosis include fever, headache, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting and usually last for four to seven days.

“Most people recover from salmonellosis by resting and drinking fluids but some people including infants, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems can develop a severe infection,” Ms Glasgow said.

For further information click on the NSW Health Salmonellosis fact sheet.

The following is the latest media release from the Food Safety Information Council Ltd and is included here with permission.

Keep your family and friends food safe this Christmas and Summer entertaining time

The Food Safety Information Council today launched their Christmas and Summer entertaining food safety advice.

Cathy Moir, FSIC Chair, said that this is a great time for us to get together with family and friends and to try out new recipes but we need to be extra careful with food safety practices when catering for a lot of people and in the hot summer weather.

‘Our research found that one in three Australians are either at serious risk of getting food poisoning themselves or live in a household with someone at risk. Any one of your guests could be in these vulnerable groups such as being pregnant, elderly or having reduced immune systems due to illness or certain medicines,’ Ms Moir said.

‘Here are some of our key Christmas and Summer entertaining food safety tips:

1. Plan ahead and don’t buy too much food. It’s vital that you don’t overstock your fridge and freezer, as this won’t allow the cool air to circulate freely and perishable food cannot be adequately frozen or chilled. Less food will also help to reduce food waste.
2. Make room in your fridge for perishable foods by removing alcohol and soft drinks and put them on ice in a container or laundry sink. This also stops guests opening the fridge and helps to maintain the temperature at 5°C or below. Use a fridge thermometer to check the temperature.
3. Think about getting a turkey breast or a turkey buffé that is simpler to cook than a whole turkey. If you do need a whole turkey ask your food business if they can defrost it in their cool room ready for you to pick up. Otherwise it must be defrosted in your fridge which can take several days and also increase the risk of potentially contaminating ready to eat foods stored in the fridge.
4. Don’t wash any poultry before cooking as that will spread the bacteria around your kitchen. Cook the turkey until a meat thermometer shows it has reached 75° C in the thickest part of the thigh and cook any stuffing separately as it might not fully cook inside a whole turkey. Probe thermometers are readily available, easy to use and help you make sure that food has reached the right temperature.
5. Cooked egg dishes are simple and nutritious but try to avoid raw or minimally cooked egg dishes, such as raw egg mayonnaise or aioli, egg nog or fancy desserts, which can be a particular risk for food poisoning A safer alternative, if you want to serve raw egg dishes, is to look for pasteurised egg products.
6. Christmas ham won’t last forever – check the storage instructions and best before or use by date before removing the ham from its plastic wrap, cover it with clean cloth soaked in water and vinegar so it doesn’t dry out, and store it in the fridge at or below 5°C. It is important to remember that the use by date on the original packaging won’t apply after the packaging has been removed, so check the fine print and see if the ham has a suggested shelf life after opening. Reduced salt hams are now becoming popular but will not last as long as conventional hams so think how much you are going to use in the next week or so and freeze some for later.
7. Don’t leave dips and other perishable chilled foods like patés, cold meats, soft cheeses like camembert and brie, cold poultry, cooked seafood like prawns and smoked salmon, sushi and salads out for more than two hours. Put out small amounts and replace (not top them up) from the fridge.
8. Refrigerate leftovers as soon as possible. If perishable foods and leftovers have been left out of the fridge for less than two hours they should be okay to refrigerate or freeze to eat later, so long as it hasn’t been sitting in the sun. Never eat perishable food that has been unrefrigerated for more than four hours as it may not be safe and should be thrown away. On a very hot day food should not be refrigerated if it has been outside in the heat for more than an hour and discarded after it has sat outside for 2 hours.
9. Always reheat leftovers to 75°C in the centre of the item or the thickest part to kill any food poisoning bugs. Use a probe thermometer to help you make sure that the leftovers have been reheated safely.
10. Don’t forget to wash your hands in warm soapy water before preparing and cooking food, and after handling eggs, raw meat, particularly poultry, burgers and sausages.’

Test your knowledge with our Christmas and holiday entertaining quiz.

For more information see our Food Safety at Christmas advice.

The Food Safety Information Council would particularly like to thank Australian Pasteurised Eggs, the Gold Sponsor for our Summer Campaign, as well as Tonic Health Media for their support. Tonic Health Media are Australia’s largest health and wellness network and will be broadcast our important food safety messages  in 5,300+ GP practices, hospitals, pharmacies and health centre waiting areas across the country to an audience of 15 million+ per month  see their website for more info.

Media contact:

Lydia Buchtmann, Food Safety Information Council, 0407 626 688 or  info@foodsafety.asn.au

The following is a media release from Food Standards Australia New Zealand about the Review of food derived using new breeding techniques. Whilst this may sound like something to do with animals, it incorporates a review of the definitions  of genetic modification and the foods derived from it. The media release is included here with permission.

Final Report – Review of food derived using new breeding techniques 

Date:10/12/2019

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) today released the Final Report on its review of food derived using new breeding techniques (NBTs).

FSANZ CEO Mark Booth said the Final Report is the result of a significant amount of work by FSANZ, including extensive consultation with stakeholders and the community on whether the current definitions in the Code for genetically modified foods are fit for purpose given recent advancements in genetic technologies.

“The Review found that while there are diverse views in the community about the safety and regulation of food derived from NBTs, many agreed the current definitions are no longer fit for purpose and lack clarity,” Mr Booth said.

“Based on these findings, FSANZ will prepare a proposal to amend the definitions in the Code in the New Year.

“The Proposal will look at options to strengthen current regulations and make it clearer which foods should be subject to pre-market safety assessment by FSANZ.

“As with all Proposals to amend the Code, FSANZ will consult with stakeholders and the community to ensure they can have their say.

“We understand this is an area where stakeholders have different views and concerns so communication and engagement will be a big part of our consultation process.

“I’d like to thank all of the stakeholders who contributed to the final review and its recommendations,” Mr Booth said.

More information

Read the Final Report

Media contact: 0401 714 265 or media@foodstandards.gov.au