18 December 2002
FINAL ASSESSMENT REPORT
Full Report [ pdf 262kb ]
Executive Summary
The application (A404) from Tatua Cooperative Dairy Co Ltd was to permit the use of lactoperoxidase and sodium (and potassium) thiocyanate as processing aids on meat. Lactoperoxidase and sodium (and potassium) (iso)thiocyanate are components of a lactoperoxidase system (LPS) with the function of inhibiting bacteria. The applicant advised in a letter dated 18 December 2000 that only sodium thiocyanate was used. The other components of LPS - glucose oxidase and glucose are permitted already in the joint Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code as processing aids.
The Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) transitional requirements for an application at full (draft) assessment stage have been followed. The Authority has not received additional submissions in relation to this application and to date it has not been notified of any Ministerial Council policy guidelines relevant to this application.
Permitting the use of these processing aids to levels determined by Good Manufacturing Practice may be of public health benefit to consumers and reduce the incidence of food-borne illness when used as an additional hurdle in a food safety system for the treatment of meat. At the levels of use proposed in the application neither the components of the lactoperoxidase system, nor the intermediary products, pose a significant risk to human health, apart from the potential for adverse reactions to milk proteins. Lactoperoxidase is a milk derived protein and the LPS system also contains some other milk proteins. consumers allergic to milk protein will need to be made aware of its presence on meat products. Any risk to such consumers, given that meat products may not normally be considered as carrying any risk of exposure to milk allergy proteins, will be adequately addressed by the labelling requirement.
It is recommended that consumers be informed by appropriate labelling of meat and meat products for the presence of milk proteins as required by Standard 1.2.3.
Since draft assessment FSANZ has decided:
(a) because there is a mandatory labeling requirement in Standard 1.2.3 at clause 4, that this requirement should not be repeated in the meat product standard; and
(b) for public health and safety reasons, an editorial note cross referencing to the labeling standard should be included in clause 14 of Standard 1.3.3 for processing aids.
FSANZ has agreed to adopt the draft variation proposed in A404 for the following reasons:
- Permitting the use of these processing aids to levels determined by Good Manufacturing Practice may be of public health benefit to consumers and reduce the incidence of food-borne illness when used as an additional hurdle in a food safety system for the treatment of meat.
- At the level of use proposed in the application neither the components of the lactoperoxidase system, nor the intermediary products pose a significant risk to human health for the majority of the population.
- consumers allergic to milk protein will need to be made aware of its presence on meat products. While meat products are not normally considered to carry any risk of exposure to milk proteins, any potential risk to consumers will be adequately addressed by the labelling requirement.
- The proposed changes to Volume 2 of theFood Standards Codeare consistent with the section 10 objectives of theFood Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991.
- The Regulatory Impact Statement indicates that, for the preferred option, namely, to approve the use of lactoperoxidase from bovine milk and sodium thiocyanate, the benefits of the proposed amendment outweigh the costs.
Full Report [ pdf 262kb ]