Regulation of food commodities in Australia and New Zealand

A complete new set of standards for food commodities that apply in both Australia and New Zealand was adopted in December 2000. The policies underpinning these standards aim to protect public health and safety while facilitating industry innovation in the market, and hence improve consumer choice. The aim in reviewing the commodity standards was to develop new food product standards that reduce the regulatory burden, are easier to understand and amend, and reflect the advances in scientific knowledge in areas such as nutrition, toxicology and allergenicity. Provisions that apply to all foods, such as labelling requirements and food additive permissions, were grouped into generic standards that cover all foods. Where specific provisions were required for particular food commodities, based on stated objectives, then commodity-specific regulations were developed. The commodity standards in Chapter 2––Food product standards of the new Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (Volume 2) reflect the move towards a more internationally consistent regime of food regulation.