Media Release:
Updated Safe Food Australia Guide Now Available
Date: 21/11/2016
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) today released the third edition of Safe Food Australia.
Safe Food Australia is a guide to the food safety standards in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.
FSANZ Chief Executive Officer Steve McCutcheon said Safe Food Australia is used by government agencies responsible for enforcing food standards. Businesses may also find it offers guidance that will help them to comply with the standards.
“The new edition includes updated evidence and information to address current food safety issues and trends. It also provides new guidance for mobile, temporary and home-based vendors,” Mr McCutcheon said.
“It is now available as a searchable online document to help readers quickly and easily access the information they are looking for.
Mr McCutcheon also launched FSANZ’s online Food Safety Hub—a one stop food safety shop—providing information for food regulators, businesses and consumers.
“The Food Safety Hub brings together food safety advice, guides, resources and tools to make it easier for users to find what they’re looking for.
“I encourage food businesses, regulators and consumers to visit the Food Safety Hub which can be accessed from the FSANZ website,” Mr McCutcheon said.
Safe Food Australia is available at www.foodstandards.gov.au/safefoodaustralia and the Food Safety Hub can be accessed at www.foodstandards.gov.au/foodsafetyhub.
Safe Food Australia was prepared by FSANZ at the request of the Implementation Subcommittee on Food Regulation. Advice and guidance on complying with the Food Standards Code should be directed to local food enforcement agencies, as FSANZ is not able to interpret the requirements of the Food Standards Code.
Media contact
0401 714 265 (Australia) or +61 401 714 265 (from New Zealand) or [email protected]
More information
Download a copy of Safe Food Australia
FSANZ’s Media Issues
Labelling
Calls for country of origin labelling are growing in Europe with France, Italy, Greece, Finland, Portugal and Lithuania all pushing to trial new labelling requirements on meat and dairy products. Get the full story here.
Poland also looks set to introduce a voluntary ‘Made in Poland’ label for foods that contain at least 75 per cent domestically produced ingredients. More details here.
Chilean officials are taking legal action against Nestle, Kellogs and Masterfoods for breaching the country’s food labelling laws. The laws ban the use of “children’s characters” on the labels or packaging of products classed as unhealthy. Find out more here.
Food safety
Elfa Bean Sprouts and Ballyhigh Paunch (lamb stomach) were recalled this week due to incorrect used by dates and the potential for microbial contamination respectively.
An American soup product has been recalled due to possible presence of Listeria which was discovered during routine FSIS testing. Get the full story here.
With the rate of food allergies in Australians tripling over the past ten years, Queensland researchers are investigating whether ‘immunotherapy’, which is similar to a vaccine, can be used to help. More details here.
A new study from the University of Leicester has looked into the food poisoning risks associated with bagged salad greens. The study found that the juices released from the cut ends of salad leaves enable Salmonella to grow in water, even when refrigerated – surprising as Salmonella’s temperature preference is a balmy 37C. Find out more here.
According to new research from the Milken Institute School of Public Health in the US, people who eat high levels of fast food are exposed to 40 per cent more phthalates than those who don’t. The chemical is found in packaging materials and the lead author of the research said that the findings are “extremely concerning”. Read more about the research here.
Scientists from Tecnologico de Monterrey in Mexico have discovered that isolated compounds from avocado seeds could reduce the growth of Listeria in ready-to-eat foods. See how here.
Food regulation
Independent think tank, the Grattan Institute, has released modelling that suggests a 40c per 100gram tax on sugar would help to address rising obesity rates and raise $500million for the budget. See the details here.
There’s political division over the introduction of a sugar tax with leader of the Nationals Barnaby Joyce calling it “bonkers mad” and even tweeting “The ATO will not solve your weight problem”. On the other side, Greens leader Richard Di Natale says he will introduce a private members bill on the matter if the government doesn’t act. Get the full story here.
The New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has signed aMutual Recognition Arrangement for Certified Organic Products, giving “…local consumers increased confidence in organic food imported from China because MPI has assessed the Chinese system and found it to be robust”. Read the MPI’s statement here.
Over 23,000 UK food businesses received varying levels of food safety warnings in 2015/16 after new EU legislation came into force. See why here.
The US FDA has is set to amend its food additive regulations to no longer authorise the use of two long-chain perfluorinated compounds used in grease-proof food packaging. See why here.
Diet and nutrition
According to new research from the University of Cambridge, a healthy diet (five portions of fruit and vege a day) costs three times as much as eating junk food. While researchers have called to scrap the advice as it “demoralises people unable to reach them”, others have warned that there’s no solid evidence to support these claims. Get the full story here.
On the back of the story in last week’s media issues covering AHPRA’s move to ban a surgeon from giving nutrition advice, the author of this article thinks we should be encouraging doctors to give nutritional advice. See why here.
GMO
Despite over whelming scientific evidence suggesting the safety GM foods, a CHOICE poll has found that 84 per cent of people surveyed are concerned about eating food with GM ingredients. More details here.
The recent ruling by the International Agency for Research on Cancer that glyphosate is a “probable carcinogen” has left many scientists and food agencies across the world perplexed. This article suggests their decision to shun typical risk assessment methods could be to blame. Find out more here.
Quirky
Water that’s been ‘infused with the frequency of the moon’, lamb and beef protein bars – this article takes a look at the weirdest things for sale in a health supermarket.
To view Issue 141 Food Standards News please click on the following link: http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=700bf5d7b419cc12102524e87&id=abc42e254b&e=0081f4e9d0
Article: IFN 19-16 – Carbon Monoxide Treatment of Fish
To read the above article on Carbon Monoxide Treatment of Fish please click on the following link: http://www.agriculture.gov.au/import/goods/food/notices/ifn-19-16
Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation Communique 25 November 2016
The communiqué from today’s meeting in Brisbane of the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation is now available on the Food Regulation website – www.foodregulation.gov.au
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