The Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) last week invited the public and interested organisations to comment on proposed changes to the Food Standards Code, including new requirements for food-type dietary supplements.
ANZFA's managing director Ian Lindenmayer said ANZFA is expected to become Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) on 1 July 2002 and so future invitations for public comment on food matters would come from the new Authority.
"FSANZ will maintain and build on ANZFA's approach of being open and transparent in consulting the public about all possible new food standards," Lindenmayer said. "We will also continue to base our decisions on robust data and rigorous scientific analysis," he added.
In a statement this week, ANZFA confirmed that at present, food-type dietary supplements cannot usually be manufactured in Australia, although they can be prepared and sold in New Zealand and imported to Australia for sale. However, ANZFA is currently examining the feasibility of developing new regulatory measures for food-type dietary supplements for the new Food Standards Code that would apply to both Australia and New Zealand.
Harmonisation between the two countries, claims ANZFA, would result in more equal trade opportunities, greater consistency in label information and possibly a greater range of products.
Food-type dietary supplements are products, presented as foods, that contain, in a concentrated form, nutrients and other bio-active substances, and/or herbs and other botanical substances. They are available as juices, snack-type bars, breakfast cereals, confectionery, yoghurts and other foods.
Individuals or organisations wishing to lodge submissions with ANZFA should do so by 7 August 2002. The procedure for making submissions is outlined on the ANZFA website.