GMO Legislation
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is responsible for carrying out safety assessments of genetically modified (GM) foods on behalf of the Commonwealth and Australian and New Zealand Governments. GM foods have ingredients in them that have been modified by gene technology. This technology allows food producers to alter certain characteristics of a food crop by introducing genetic material and proteins from another source. An example of this is a corn plant with a gene that makes it resistant to insect attack.
The sale of genetically modified foods in Australia and New Zealand is regulated by Food Standard 1.5.2 in the joint Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. This Standard came into effect in December 2001 and has two provisions:
1. A mandatory pre-market safety assessment requirement
2. A mandatory food labelling requirement
GM foods are only permitted for sale in Australia and New Zealand if they have been assessed by FSANZ, are considered safe, and have been approved by the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Council. The standard stipulates that all foods containing genetically modified DNA or protein must have the words 'genetically modified' in conjunction with the ingredient concerned on the product label.
Exempt from these requirements in Australia and New Zealand are:
- Highly refined foods, with no novel DNA or protein left in the final product or ingredient
- Processing aids and food additives with no novel DNA or protein remaining
- Flavours present at less than 0.1% in the final food
- Point of sale products where consumers can ask the vendor for this information
- 1% accidental GMO content per ingredient
Details of FSANZ's assessments of GM foods, what labelling they require, and current proposals and approvals can be found on the Food Standards Australia New Zealand website: www.foodstandards.gov.au.
Foods available for sale in Australia and New Zealand must also comply with fair-trading and trade practices laws, food laws and other laws such as those controlling the introduction of new organisms to the environment. Legislation governing the introduction of genetically modified organisms into the environment differs between Australia and New Zealand.
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