Australia and New Zealand
July 30, 2024
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for public comment on proposed changes to how genetically modified (GM) foods are defined in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code).
Proposed changes developed through Proposal P1055 – Definitions for gene technology and new breeding techniques include a new definition for ‘genetically modified food’.
This is the second round of public consultation on the proposal.
Feedback provided through the first round of consultation has been taken into account in developing new and revised definitions that are simpler and clearer.
FSANZ CEO Dr Sandra Cuthbert said a new Code definition for GM food is necessary to ensure regulation keeps pace with new techniques for genetic modification, collectively referred to as new breeding techniques (NBTs).
“The purpose of the proposed new GM food definition is to clarify, in light of technology developments, what foods are GM foods for Code purposes,” Dr Cuthbert said.
“The proposed new definition will continue to protect public health and safety while providing a clear definition for enforcement purposes, better harmonisation with regulatory approaches being adopted around the world and greater regulatory certainty for industry.”
All GM food available for sale in Australia and New Zealand must be assessed for safety by FSANZ and expressly permitted in the Code, with permitted GM foods subject to mandatory labelling. This will continue to be the case under the proposed changes.
To have your say about this proposal see our call for submissions page. Submissions close at 6pm (AEST) 10 September 2024.
What happens to my feedback?
FSANZ will consider all feedback received through the submission process before deciding on whether to approve the proposal.
Submissions will be published to our website as soon as possible after the end of the public comment period.
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