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Irradiation of fruit and vegetables

Irradiation of fruit and vegetables We recently approved an application by the Queensland Government Department of Agriculture and Fisheries to irradiate all types of fresh fruit and vegetables as a phytosanitary measure (i.e. to control the spread of pests like fruit fly). Changes to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code) to include this new permission were gazetted on 22 July 2021. Irradiation has been used in Australia and New Zealand for 20 years and internationally since the 1950s. This approval extends previous code permissions for 26 fruit and vegetables to cover all fruit and vegetables for one purpose only -  to stop pests moving from one quarantine region to another.  Irradiated food is safe Irradiated foods are not…

Published 22 July 2021

Trans fatty acids

Trans fatty acids (May 2017) Trans fatty acids (TFAs), occur both naturally in foods and can be formed or added to foods during manufacture. Naturally occurring TFAs are found in some animal products including butter, cheese and meat. Manufactured TFAs (also known as artificial TFAs) are formed when liquid vegetable oils are partially hydrogenated or 'hardened' during processing to create spreads such as margarine, cooking fats for deep-frying and shortening for baking. Some TFAs are also formed during high temperature cooking. Are trans fatty acids harmful? There is strong evidence that TFAs increase the amount of 'bad' low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in our blood, a major risk factor for coronary heart disease. Also, TFAs may decrease the levels of 'good' high-density lipoprotein (HDL)…

Published 16 April 2019

Health and hygiene of personnel and visitors

Health and hygiene of personnel and visitors You need to make sure all personnel and visitors follow good personal hygiene and health practices to keep your produce safe. Personnel (staff and contractors) and visitors can contaminate produce with harmful microorganisms, chemicals, or foreign matter from their hands, body, clothes or equipment. To reduce this risk, your business should set good personal health and hygiene practices and make sure they are followed. What are good health and hygiene practices? Good practices include:

• Washing hands before handling food, and after toilet and lunch breaks, or any other time hands may have become dirty.
• Avoiding sneezing, coughing, etc on food.
• Not attending work/ handling…

  Published 21 October 2023

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)   Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a transmissible and fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects cattle. Variant Creutzfeldt - Jakob disease (vCJD), a rare and fatal human neurodegenerative condition, results from exposure to BSE through eating contaminated beef or beef products. BSE has never been detected in cattle in Australia or New Zealand. The World Organization for Animal Health recognises both countries as having a negligible BSE risk status. What causes BSE? Most scientists think that BSE is caused by a protein called a prion. For reasons that are not completely understood, the normal prion changes into an abnormal prion that is harmful. Both vCJD and BSE are not contagious. A person (or a cow) cannot catch vCJD or BSE from being near a sick person or cow…

Published 14 July 2023

Growing sites

Growing sites If you’re a grower of leafy vegetables or melons, you need to make sure the site you use to grow your produce does not make the food unsafe to eat. What is a growing site? A growing site is any site used to grow fresh produce. This includes open areas or fields, as well as partially or fully enclosed planting areas such as greenhouses and hydroponic facilities. What are the requirements? Primary producers of leafy vegetables and melons must do what they reasonably can to make sure their growing site does not make produce unacceptable to eat, from contamination with harmful bacteria, chemicals or physical hazards. This means you need to know about your growing site, what it was used for previously, what is happening nearby and what other potential sources of…

Published 20 October 2023

Call for comment on new sources for enzyme processing aids

Call for comment on new sources for enzyme processing aids Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for comment on three applications to allow new enzyme processing aids from genetically-modified (GM) microbial sources.   FSANZ CEO Dr Sandra Cuthbert said the applications seek approval to permit the use of three different enzymes; endo-1,4-beta-xylanase enzyme (gene donor Talaromyces leycettanus), alpha-arabinofuranosidase enzyme (gene donor Talaromyces pinophilus) both sourced from GM Trichoderma reesei and the carboxypeptidase enzyme sourced from Aspergillus oryzae.  “Trichoderma reesei and Aspergillus oryzae have a long history of safe use as a source of enzyme processing aids,…

Published 8 February 2023

Call for comment on a GM processing aid for use in baking and brewing

Call for comment on a GM processing aid for use in baking and brewing Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for comment on an application to amend the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code) to permit a genetically modified (GM) processing aid for use in baking, brewing, distilled alcohol production and starch processing.  The application is seeking approval of a protein engineered variant of the enzyme glucoamylase as a processing aid to produce glucose syrups and other starch hydrolysates.  The enzyme is sourced from a GM strain of Aspergillus niger (A. niger) containing a protein engineered variant of the glucoamylase gene from Gloeophyllum sepiarium. The proposed use of glucoamylase as an enzyme processing aid in the quantity and form proposed is consistent with its…

Published 28 August 2024

Australian Total Diet Study

Australian Total Diet Study The Australian Total Diet Study is Australia's most comprehensive monitoring survey of chemicals, nutrients and other substances in the Australian diet. We measure the levels of different chemicals and substances in a range of foods typical to the Australian diet. We use this data to estimate Australian consumers' exposure to chemicals through food to ensure it is safe to eat. The ATDS is also a trusted source of public health information which is used by the World Health Organisation (WHO), other government and nongovernment agencies and independent researchers. The first ATDS (formerly the Australian Market Basket Survey) was conducted over 50 years ago in 1970 by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). FSANZ has managed the study…

Published 10 December 2021

Perfluorinated compounds

Perfluorinated compounds (December 2021) Perfluorinated compounds and their derivatives are man-made chemicals that have been used in a wide range of products, including garments and textiles, fabric protection, furniture, and some types of fire-fighting foam. There are three principal contaminants that may be found in contaminated food: PFOS; PFOA and PFHxS. The scientific literature on the effects of these chemicals on people is inconclusive. However, testing on animals has shown some effects at low doses.   FSANZ work on perfluorinated compounds In 2016, the Australian Government Department of Health (Health) commissioned FSANZ to:

• provide advice on appropriate health based guidance values (HBGVs) for PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS
• conduct a preliminary dietary exposure…

  Published 10 December 2021

Iodine fortification

Iodine fortification Iodine is a naturally occurring mineral and an essential nutrient for life. It is found in the food we eat and the water we drink. Adequate intakes of dietary iodine by Australians, particularly females of child-bearing age and breast-feeding mothers is important for health and to reduce possible iodine-deficiency health problems such as impaired neurological function in babies and young children. Mandatory iodine fortification was implemented in Australia in 2009 through Standard 2.1.1 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code which required the replacement of non-iodised salt with iodised salt for making all breads except organic bread and bread mixes for making bread at home. Mandatory iodine…

Published 1 April 2019