The following are three calls to action from Food Standards Australia New Zealand and are included here with permission;

Call for submissions on application for new sweetener 

Date: 20/07/2018

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) today called for submissions on an application to permit a new sweetener.

FSANZ Chief Executive Officer Mark Booth said the sweetener was derived from monk fruit (or luo han guo).

“FSANZ has conducted a thorough safety assessment and concluded there are no public health or safety issues related to the use of monk fruit extract as a sweetener,” Mr Booth said.

Monk fruit extract is derived from the fruit of Siraitia grosvenorii, a perennial vine, native to southern China. It is between 250 and 400 times sweeter than sucrose.

The period for comment closes at 6pm (Canberra time) 31 August 2018.

All FSANZ decisions on applications are notified to ministers responsible for food regulation who can ask for a review or agree that the standard should become law.

More information

Read the assessment reports

How to make a submission​

Call for comment to permit rosemary extract as a food additive 

Date: 20/07/2018

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for comment on an application to permit the use of rosemary extract as a food additive.

FSANZ CEO Mark Booth said the applicant is seeking permission to use rosemary extract in a range of foods to extend shelf life.

“Rosemary extract is permitted for use as a food additive in the European Union, Japan, Singapore and China, Mr Booth said.

“FSANZ’s risk assessment found no health and safety concerns with the additive.”

Rosemary extract is sourced from the leaves of the rosemary plant and has properties that are similar to other permitted food additives.

The period for comment closes at 6pm (Canberra time) 31 August 2018.

All FSANZ decisions on applications are notified to ministers responsible for food regulation who can ask for a review or agree that the standard should become law.

More information

Read the assessment reports

How to make a submission

Call for comment on Reb M produced using a novel method 

Date: 20/07/2018

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for comment on an application seeking to permit a novel production method for an already permitted sweetener (Rebaudioside M).

FSANZ CEO Mark Booth said Rebaudioside M is a type of steviol glycoside, which is a naturally occurring sweetening agent extracted from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni plant.

“The applicant is seeking approval to use a novel process to manufacture the sweetener using enzymes from genetically modified yeast,” Mr Booth said

“FSANZ’s risk assessment found no health and safety concerns with the new method.”

The period for comment closes at 6pm (Canberra time) 31 August 2018.

All FSANZ decisions on applications are notified to ministers responsible for food regulation who can ask for a review or agree that the standard should become law.

More information

Read the Call for Submissions report

How to make a submission​

Media contact: 0401 714 265 (Australia) or +61 401 714 265 (from New Zealand)​​

Champagne is sparkling wine made only in the Champagne region, and no other sparkling wine can use that name. The same applies to cheeses and other foods made in specific regions in France.

This is the most obvious form of Country of Origin Labelling (CoOL) but in Australia now, it is a requirement that foods must show where that food was produced using a required format.

The requirement only applies at this stage to packaged foods.

CoOl is also a tool to assist with reducing food fraud, where a food is labelled as one thing, when it may in fact be something else.

There are several food categories which are more involved in food fraud than others, and seafood is high on that list.

The seafood industry is calling for the CoOL requirement to be extended to the food service industry. Seafood sold in supermarkets must show where it has come from, but this does not apply to restaurants, cafes, bistros, pubs, clubs and take aways.

This means  that the barramundi you are buying in the fish and chip shop does not have to be labelled to tell you that it is from Australia.

Seafood Industry Australia (SIA) CEO Jane Lovell said; “The new laws don’t apply food sold in places like restaurants, cafes, pubs, clubs and fish and chip shops. We want to see these labelling laws extended to foodservice. At the supermarket and when you buy fresh fish, by law, all seafood has to be labelled with its country of origin. But, when you go out to dine, there is no obligation to label where the seafood you are about to order and eat comes from. What SIA can’t understand what the difference is – the government believes consumers have a right to know where their seafood comes in retail – why not when they are eating out?”

According to SIA 70% of seafood eaten in Australia is imported, so it seems that it is important to let us know what seafood is and isn’t imported, so we can make a choice. Since 2008, the Northern Territory government has required that all cooked and pre-prepared seafood in the foodservice industry must show it’s country of origin.

The SIA is calling for Australian seafood to be show as Australian on menus and imported seafood to be shown as an”I”, with an explanation on themeaning on the menu.

Following is a email  asking for public consultation on possible changes to sugar labelling, and is included here with permission from FRSC.

Dear Stakeholder

The Food Regulation Standing Committee (FRSC) is inviting submissions from stakeholders on the labelling of sugars on packaged foods and drinks. A Consultation Regulation Impact Statement (Consultation Paper) has been prepared to seek information on this topic from stakeholders, including industry, public health and consumer organisations and other interested parties.

The Consultation Paper is available on the Food Regulation website.  As this is a public consultation, we ask that you forward this invitation to any other relevant parties that would be interested in providing a submission.

Information provided in response to the consultation will be drawn upon to prepare a Decision Regulation Impact Statement which will identify a preferred policy option to recommend to the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation (the Forum) in relation to the labelling of sugars on packaged foods and drinks. The Forum is comprised of Ministers responsible for food regulation from the Australian Federal Government, New Zealand, and Australian States and Territories governments.

Submissions need to be lodged through the online Portal and should be supported by evidence. Peak organisations are expected to consult their members on the questions in the Consultation Paper and provide a single response on behalf of their members. Duplicate submissions are not necessary. Submissions that are not evidence-based, or do not directly answer the questions in the paper may not be drawn upon in preparing the Decision Regulation Impact Statement for the Forum.

Submissions close at 11.59pm on 19 September 2018 Australian Eastern Time.

If you have any questions about this consultation process, please contact the Food Regulation Secretariat at the email address below.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to make a submission.

Kind regards

Food Regulation Secretariat

Website: www.foodregulation.gov.au | Email: FoodRegulationSecretariat@health.gov.au

Phone: +61 2 6289 5128 | Postal Address: MDP 707, GPO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601

The following is information from Food Standards Australia New Zealand on a current recall and is included here with permission.

PRODUCT

Woolworths – Essentials snap frozen mixed veg 1kg: Carrots, peas, corn, green beans & potatoes – National distribution Best Before 19 MAR 2020 through to 24 APR 2020

Woolworths – Bell Farms Steam Veggie Carrot Corn and Broccoli 3pk 450g – National distribution, all stock

IGA – Black & Gold Corn Kernels 500g – National distribution Best Before all dates

IGA – Black & Gold Mixed Vegetables 1kg: Carrots, peas, beans & corn – National distribution Best Before all dates

ALDI – Market Fare Peas, Carrots and Super Sweet Corn 1kg – National distribution

ALDI – Market Fare Corn Kernels 1kg QLD, VIC, WA and select NSW stores Product of Hungary (only)

ALDI – Market Fare Mixed Vegetables 1kg QLD, NSW, ACT, WA Packed in Belgium from Imported and Belgian Ingredients (only)

ALDI – Market Fare Quick Steam Carrot Broccoli and Cauliflower 450g – National distribution

ALDI – Market Fare Quick Steam Carrot Corn and Broccoli 450g – National distribution

ALDI: Only products with country of origin of Belgium, United Kingdom or Hungary, all other countries not affected.

Greenyard Frozen Belgium NV is conducting a recall of the above products. The products have been available for sale at Woolworths, ALDI and IGA, Campbells and Independent grocery stores.

PROBLEM

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

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

Belgium/Hungary

WHAT TO DO

Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice and should return the products to the place of purchase for a full refund. For further information please contact:

Woolworths 1800 103 515 , ALDI 1800 709 993, Metcash 1300 135 690

www.greenyardfrozen.com

There are changes happening for food businesses which many may not realise and will have an impacy on business costs. The Australian Security and Investment Commission (ASIC) is now using a user pays model for funding.

This means that dependent upon the size and type of organisation as to how much each will pay for any services provided by ASIC. Organisations will receive an invoice each January for the regulatory services provided by ASIC during the previous financial year, based on metrics they are required to submit. All current regulated organisations are required to complete their business activity metrics by 27 September 2018.

However, this is not the only change happening with a government body which will impact on business costs.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand  has just released the following media release which is important for food businesses. It is included here with permission.

Call for comment on draft cost recovery arrangements

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) today called for comment on a revised approach to cost recovery arrangements.

Acting FSANZ CEO Peter May said the arrangements have been revised to better reflect the administrative costs associated with certain applications to amend the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code).

“We have consulted with industry and developed a costing model that takes into account the different levels of work required throughout the application process. This will give applicants a more accurate estimate of the actual charge,” Mr May said.

Less than two per cent of FSANZ’s total revenue is generated through cost recovery and only a small number of applications to amend the Code incur costs.

The deadline for submissions is 6pm (Canberra time) 2 August 2018.

More information

• Read the revised Cost Recovery Implementation Statement
• How to make a submission

Media contact: 0401 714 265 (Australia) or +61 401 714 265 (from New Zealand)​​

Research is showing time and again that the brain and it’s health and happiness is connected directly to the health of the gut.

So having a healthy gut is good for our health.

The key to the whole thing is fibre and having both the right type and the right amount. The good bacteria in the gut – the ones we need in order to have a healthy gut – need plenty of the right type of fibre to be healthy themselves.

The problem is that all the research and surveys done on and around the subjectof late have found that we are simply not eating either enough or the right type or both.

Dr. Sam Hay, Channel 9 Medical Expert, said “Fibre is the only thing we eat that makes it all the way in to the gut still intact.  It gives the gut bacteria something to do – they go to work, breaking it down and producing compounds that keep us healthy.  Grain fibre, like what’s in breakfast cereal, acts as a food source for the gut, it helps good bacteria like Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus to survive and thrive.  That means a healthier gut”.

In April a project between Kellogs and Wild Life Sydney gave visitors the opportunity to walk through an interactive pop up display highlighting the importance of healthy gut bacteria – it was called the Gut Bacteria Zoo”.

The “Zoo” is now also available on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wETy9xdowhU

Kellogg’s Managing Director, Belinda Tumbers, said “Through the Kellogg’s Gut Bacteria Zoo, families who visit will get the chance to learn more about these elusive, friendly creatures that live within our guts and how we can help take care of them so they can thrive. With fibre, and especially grain fibre, a key food source for our gut bacteria, breakfast cereals are actually a great place to start. We have 17 different cereals that are either a ‘source of’ or ‘high in’ grain fibre – so there is plenty of choice to help support your gut health”.

When people hear the word sustainability they think about “green’. However sustainability is not just about things being green and the impact on the environment, it is in fact, as much, if not more, about money.

Saving money and making money.

By doing the right thing by the environment (being green) a business is able to both save and make money. But only if that business takes a long term view. That is sustainability.

The official definition for sustainability is very complex but it all boils down to taking a long term view and acting now.

So many companies around the world have realised that there is an absolute need to include sustainability as a key part of their policies and reporting and have set standards which are based on international expectations.

One of the issues that all businesses and their industries should be considering as part of their Sustainability Policy is how they are viewed by both their customers and the public in general.

This means that for thefood industry in Australia it is vital that it’s producers / manufacturers and the industry understands what people think about their products and how they are produced.

If people are happy about a product and how it is produced, they will buy more of it and so it makes economic sense for businesses and their industries to find out what the views are.

So the Egg Industry in Australia has just launched a survey process to be done by CSIRO, to determine those views.

From the results the industry will then develop the Egg industry Sustainability Framework. This will be the guide for all producers to follow to ensure that the eggs are produced in a way which maximises the sustainability of each business and the industry as a whole.

The survey process will be in several parts and will include all stakeholders from producers to retail to consumers.

It is expected that the draft Framework will be available by late 2018.

More information can be found at https://www.australianeggs.org.au/what-we-do/sustainable-production/sustainability-framework/#item-837

For fruit and vegetable producers there are four choices when it comes to where to sell their produce; locally, nationally, internationally or a combination of one or more of the other options.

A large factor in the decision of which option to pursue is the size of the business and it is usually only larger producers who can afford the costs involved in exporting.

Australian produce is highly valued overseas as it is seen as being premium quality and coming from a “green” place, with good food safety controls.

The process of getting that produce overseas and into a market is not an easy one. The produce has to reach that market in the high quality state that was expected and this means careful packing, transport and handling.

To make this process easier for exporters, the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources has recently released

‘Fresh fruit and vegetable export requirements: A guide for Australian business’, which will assist produce exporters know what to do and how to do it, by detailing each step of the export process.

The guide was launched by the Federal Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Steven Ciobo and the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, David Littleproud.

Federal Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Steven Ciobo said; “The Turnbull Coalition Government is pursuing the most ambitious trade agenda in our country’s history, opening new doors for more Australian exporters to sell their top quality, clean, green and safe produce to more markets worldwide.Australia’s agricultural products are a sought-after commodity, and this guide will help producers benefit from Australia’s strong reputation, providing current information on market regulations and expectations and links to the correct export documents and templates.”

The guide can be found at https://www.austrade.gov.au/fresh-fruit-veg/

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

Taking a reusable bag to the shops may be good for the environment, but it can also be home to a host of nasty bugs.

The Food Safety Information Council is now warning shoppers that reusable grocery bags could put consumers at risk of food poisoning.

Council Chair Rachelle Williams said, “This ban is great for the environment but there can be the risk of food poisoning from reusable bags.”

Queensland, Victoria and WA will ban single-use plastic bags from July 1, joining the ACT, the Northern Territory, South Australia and Tasmania who have had bans in place for several years. Although NSW will not have a ban, Coles and Woolworths have undertaken to phase out single-use plastic bags nationally.

Instead of being offered free plastic bags, customers will have the choice of bringing their own in, or buying reusable bags ranging from 15 cents to $2.

The Food Safety Information Council is now advising shoppers on how to safely use reusable shopping bags to combat sickness in the lead up to the ban — and thankfully, there are plenty of things you can do to protect yourself and your family.

The council recommends using separate, leak-proof, easily washable bags for meat, poultry and seafood, and for fruit and vegetables. Why? By failing to pack items into separate bags, we could be exposing ourselves to these invisible germs.

“Retailers can still provide small plastic bags for these higher risk products which are recyclable at major supermarket,” the council says.

Purchase a cooler bag as well to keep your refrigerated and frozen food at a safe temperature on the way home. And never put fresh fruit and vegetables that won’t be peeled or cooked directly into the trolley.

It’s also advised to do your grocery shopping last when out and about so perishable food doesn’t ruin and, of course, never leave your shopping in a hot car. Once you get home pack chilled and frozen products into your refrigerator of freezer immediately.

“It’s best not to store your reusable shopping bags in your car where they can get hot or can come into contact with pets or dirty items such as sporting equipment and shoes,” the council concluded