Reforms to food additive regulation in Australia and New Zealand

A new joint standard for food additives (Standard 1.3.1) has been adopted in Australia and New Zealand. This standard takes as its underpinning policies the protection of public health and safety while facilitating industry innovation in the market, and hence improving consumer choice. The principles applied are essentially similar to those in the European Union directives on food additives and set out in the preamble to the Codex General Standard for Food Additives. The standard allows for use, limited only by good manufacturing practice, of a very wide range of additives that are considered to be safe even if consumed in excess or are self-limiting. The standard is based on a comprehensive food classification system derived from one developed by the Confederation of Food and Drink Industries of the European Community and used by the Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants. Each additive included in the standard underwent a detailed risk analysis including identification and application of acceptable levels of exposure based upon toxicological and other safety data, examination of technological function and justification for use, good manufacturing practice, and dietary exposure estimation using the Food Standards Australia New Zealand DIAMOND model.