Food Standards Australia New Zealand recently announced that it would adopt a policy on making health claims, involving one of the biggest changes to food labelling in Australia and New Zealand in recent years.
It comes at the same time as Europe too seeks to bring in regulation of health claims, proposing to allow disease risk reduction claims under a strict pre-market approval process. Australia and New Zealand will likely require a similar registration process.
Currently the only high level health claims referring to risk reduction of a serious disease or condition permitted in the region concerns the benefits of folate in reducing the risk of neural tube defects in unborn babies.
Other claims such as 'good source of calcium' or 'low fat' are currently allowed but only a few are listed in the Food Standards Code, with others covered by an industry code of practice.
FSANZ is seeking opinion on how high level health claims should, if permitted, be regulated. The agency is working with a Scientific Advisory Group and a Standard Development Advisory Committee that has representatives from consumer groups, health professionals, enforcement agencies and the food industry. The first round of public consultation will start on 10 August and will continue until 13 October 2004.
The second round of consultation on a draft standard should commence in late May 2005 and the final standard is due to be completed by December 2005.
Copies of the Initial Assessment Report and Submitters' Response Booklet , as well as details of planned stakeholder briefings over coming months, can be found on the FSANZ website.