Food Standards Australia New Zealand

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) (Māori: Te Mana Kounga Kai – Ahitereiria me Aotearoa), formerly Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA), is the statutory authority in the Australian Government Health portfolio that is responsible for developing food standards for Australia and New Zealand.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand
FSANZ
Agency overview
Formed1991
Employees102 (2016)[1]
WebsiteOfficial website

Description

FSANZ develops the standards in consultation with experts, other government agencies and stakeholders; the standards are enforced by state and territory departments, agencies and local councils in Australia, the Ministry for Primary Industries in New Zealand, and the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment for food imported into Australia.[2] According to legislation, the recommendations made by the body should be open and accountable, and based upon a rigorous scientific assessment of risk to public health and safety,[3][4] though FSANZ's commitment to this has been disputed by leading public health and consumer representatives across Australia and New Zealand.

All decisions made by FSANZ must be approved by the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council, which is composed of the Health Minister from each of the Australian states and territories, and the Health Minister from New Zealand, and other participating Ministers nominated by each jurisdiction.[5] This may lead to political interference in the decision: for example the decision made over hemp seed, when the Food Standards scientists recommended that hemp seed be allowed for sale, the ministers vetoed this because they did not want to appear soft on drugs.

Publications from FSANZ include the Australian Total Diet Survey and Shoppers' Guide to Food Additives and labels.

Nomenclature

This authority is sometimes cited variously as Australia and New Zealand Food Standards/Safety Authority (ANZFSA),[6][7][8] possibly incorrect nomenclature arising due to confusion with the old initialism ANZFA, and with the acronym of the New Zealand authority, New Zealand Food Safety, which previously managed such questions in New Zealand.

See also

Notes and references
  1. APS Statistical Bulletin 2015–2016 (Report). Australian Public Service Commission. September 2016. Archived from the original on 8 May 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  2. "Food enforcement contacts". Food Standards Australia New Zealand. 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  3. "Corporate Plan 2019–20". FSANZ. 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  4. "Home". Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  5. "Board Meeting Outcomes". Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Archived from the original on 15 April 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2008.
  6. Nicola Roxon, MP (20 June 2007). "FOOD STANDARDS AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND AMENDMENT BILL 2007". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Commonwealth of Australia: House of Representatives.
  7. "Australia New Zealand Food Authority Amendment Bill 2001". Commonwealth of Australia.
  8. Urbana, J.D.; Carakostasb, M.C.; Brusickc, D.J. (January 2013). "Steviol glycoside safety: Is the genotoxicity database sufficient?". Food & Chemical Toxicology. 51: 386–390. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2012.10.016. PMID 23103588.
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