Published
Overview
The Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Board met from 11-12 March 2025 to discuss and decide on standards matters, as well as governance, organisational, performance and strategic matters.
The FSANZ Board is the accountable authority for the agency.
Matters for Decision notified to the Food Ministers' Meeting
Once notified, Food Ministers’ Meeting (FMM) has 60 days to consider FSANZ Board decisions on standards matters. The following decision will be notified within 10 business days:
A1302 - Food derived from insect-protected corn line MZIR260
The Board approved A1302, an application from Syngenta Australia Pty Ltd for food derived from insect-protected corn line MZIR260. This corn line has been genetically modified for protection against insect pests and may be used in the production of a variety of foods, including corn starch, oil, sweeteners, flour (used in bread), meal (used in polenta) and grits (used in cereals). Foods that contain novel DNA or novel protein require labelling as ‘genetically modified’.
The Approval Report will be made publicly available once notified.
Standards matters for discussion
The FMM routinely ask for certain matters of particular interest decided by the FSANZ Board to be considered in-session at an FMM where possible. FSANZ and the FMM Secretariat work collaboratively to align meeting dates as the FSANZ Act requires the FMM to consider FSANZ Board decisions within 60 days of being notified of those decisions. Food ministers requested the following matters be given in-session consideration:
- A1269 - Cultured quail as a novel food
- P1049 - Carbohydrate and sugar claims on alcoholic beverages
- P1059 - Energy labelling on alcoholic beverages
To accommodate the request for in-session FMM consideration, the FSANZ Board held an in-depth discussion on these matters to support their decision-making at an extraordinary meeting scheduled for late March 2025. This scheduling aligns with proposed timeframes for the next in-session FMM.
The Board’s preliminary discussions supported in-principle the proposed approaches which included clarifying permissions for carbohydrate and sugar claims, mandating energy labelling on alcoholic beverages, and developing a new standard for cell-cultured quail. Regarding the proposals relating to alcohol, the Board highlighted the importance of education about new regulatory measures together with existing arrangements to support consumer understanding, as well as monitoring and evaluation of the impacts.
Strategic discussions
Egg food safety and primary production requirements
The Board received an update on the status of proposal P1060 - Egg food safety and primary production requirements.
Definitions for gene technology and new breeding techniques
The Board received an update on P1055 - Definitions for gene technology and new breeding techniques.
W1164 - Research about labelling of plant-based meat and dairy products
The Board received an update on research undertaken by FSANZ, requested by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, to determine whether consumers understand the labelling of plant-based protein and dairy alternative products currently for sale in Australia.
International annual update
The Board received an update on FSANZs international activities across 2024 and proposed key activities for 2025. The update included information on bilateral and multilateral engagements, input into international standards development via Codex, participation in expert meetings and an overview of major FSANZ-led international projects in the areas of pesticides and food safety risk communication.
Governance, risk and performance
The Board considered a range of governance, risk and performance matters presented by the Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee and People and Culture Committee.
Other matters
The Board welcomed the report on the work of Implementation Subcommittee for Food Regulation (ISFR) from ISFR Chair, Dr Eva Bennet.