permaculture

[Fiona Campbell + Russ Grayson <pacedge@magna.com.au>]

FYI

Bob Phelps wrote:

>                       To subscribe or comment contact:
>                     "Dick Copeman" <eco-cons@bit.net.au>
>
>                               November 1998
>                             CONSUMER FOOD NEWS
>
> PRUNING OF FOOD CODE SPEEDS UP
>
> The reform (and reduction) of food regulation in Australia
> and New Zealand is speeding up, as indicated by the
> summaries below. Full copies can be obtained from:
>
>         Australia New Zealand Food Authority,
>         PO Box 7186, Canberra  MC, ACT 2610,
>         ph 02 6271 2222, fax 02 6271 2278,
>         e-mail <info@anzfa.gov.au>.
>
> Please respond to them by the dates shown.
>
> A338, A431, A346, A355, A362, A363:
> Foods Produced Using Gene Technology
>         Monsanto has lodged the first applications under the
> recently gazetted standard for foods produced using gene
> technology. They seek approval for soybeans, corn, canola
> oil and cottonseed derived from genetically modified
> plants. The plants have been genetically engineered to be
> resistant to the herbicide glyphosate (Roundup) or to be
> resistant to insects, through incorporation of a gene from
> the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).
>         The Consumer Food Network has obtained copies of the
> Monsanto applications (copies available from the Network).
> Perusal of these reveals that only two of the six foods,
> Roundup-Ready soybeans and Bt cottonseed, have been tested
> by feeding them to laboratory animals, and then only for
> four weeks. Rats fed Bt cottonseed gained less weight in
> the first week than rats on a control diet, and male rats
> were still lower in weight at the end of the trial.
>         No evidence was provided about herbicide residue levels in
> any of the Roundup-Ready foods, despite the fact that ANZFA
> is currently considering a request from Monsanto for the
> Maximum Residue Level for glyphosate in soybeans to be
> relaxed from 0.1mg/kg to 20 mg/kg.
> ¨ Comments due by 23rd December
>
> P169: Representational Issues about Food
> This proposal would remove a number of specific regulations
> governing labelling of foods. Claims about kosher, halal
> and other foods prepared in accordance with religious or
> cultural prescriptions would no longer be regulated, nor
> would the use of endorsements such as the Heart
> Foundation's Tick of Approval. Other regulations to be
> removed include those covering:-
> use of the word 'style', as in 'home-style' or
> 'Italian-style';
> use of the name of one food to describe another, as in
> 'coconut milk' or 'peanut butter';
> declaration of the percentage content of ingredients that
> are given emphasis on the label; and
> negative claims about the absence or non-addition of a
> substance .
> These claims would be regulated only by the general
> prohibitions on false, misleading or deceptive
> representations. Non-prescriptive Guidelines for Claims
> about Foods are proposed to assist food businesses avoid
> misleading or deceiving consumers.
> (Health claims, nutrition claims and nutrient claims are
> being considered in other proposals.)
> ¨ Comments due by 30th November
>
> P187: Fruit and Vegetables
>         This proposal would remove quality factors such as mould
> in canned tomatoes, green pigmentation in potatoes and the
> peanut content of peanut butter from food regulations and
> put them into industry guidelines. A pH (acidity)
> requirement for canned fruit and vegetables would be the
> only quality factor that would remain, because it is
> important in controlling the growth of Botulism spores.
> ¨ Comments due by 30th November
>
> P185: Milk, Cream, Fermented Milks and related products
>         This proposal specifies the requirements for
> pasteurisation of milk and milk products but leaves open
> the possibility of other methods of making milk
> microbiologically safe.
>         It would allow, for the first time in Australia, milk
> whose protein and fat content has been altered, to be still
> called 'milk' and not 'modified milk', as long as the
> composition of the milk was still within the usual range.
> It would also increase the allowable fat content of 'low
> fat milk'.
>         It would remove current regulations governing:-
> cooling, storage, handling and homogenisation of milk;
> chemical and antibiotic residues in milk;
> addition of water to milk;
> packaging of milk and cream;  and
> the content of fruit yoghurts.
>         Some of these regulations would be replaced by an industry
> code of practice. Nutrient claims, such as 'low fat', would
> be subject only to the existing voluntary Code of Practice
> for Nutrient Claims.
> ¨ Comments due by 30th November.
>
> P186: Cheese, butter and edible oil spreads
>         This proposal signals an intent to move away from a
> requirement that all milk be pasteurised during the cheese
> making process, but would leave in place interim standards
> until new HACCP systems are approved.
>         It would also remove:-
> requirements for declaration of fat content in cheese;
> requirements for designation of cheese varieties;
> limits on the use of milk-fats in margarines;
> specifications for use of the terms 'polyunsaturated' and
> 'monounsaturated'.
> ¨ Comments due by 30th November.
>
> P164: Representational Issues ? Quality Descriptors
>         This proposal would remove current regulations governing
> use of words such as 'fresh', 'freshly squeezed',
> 'natural', 'traditional' and 'pure' to describe foods. Only
> the general prohibitions in food law and fair trading law
> on false, misleading and deceptive representations would
> remain to regulate use of these terms, but the Food
> Authority proposes to develop a guide to assist food
> manufacturers comply with food law and fair trading law.
> Draft definitions of the descriptors for inclusion in the
> guide are included in the proposal.
> ¨ Comments due by 23rd December
>
> P150: Food Additives
>         This proposal sets maximum permitted levels for food
> additives in a range of foods. For certain foods, however,
> no levels are set. These include frozen fish, seafood,
> wine, sweeteners and salt.  Instead, the proposal refers to
> Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) as setting the benchmark
> for additive levels for these foods. GMP is not defined in
> the proposal, however.
> ¨ Comments due by 23rd December
>
> P189: Identity and Purity of Food Additives, Processing
> Aids, Vitamins, Minerals, etc.
>         This proposal would remove all specifications governing
> the identity and purity of the above items from the Food
> Standards Code and replace them by a requirement that they
> comply with specifications outlined in a range of
> international publications. The only standard to remain in
> the Code specifies maximum allowable contents of lead,
> arsenic and heavy metals.
> ¨ Comments due by 23rd December
>
> P188: Processing Aids
>         This proposal specifies several hundred processing aids
> that are allowed to be used in food processing and water
> purification, as well as the maximum permitted residues of
> most of those that may leave residues in food or water. The
> list of allowed processing aids includes extraction
> solvents such as toluene and trichloroethylene, as well as
> 32 enzymes, including four that are produced by genetically
> engineered bacteria.
> ¨ Comments due by 23rd December
>
> OTHER REPORTS
>
> Imported Food Safety
>         A draft report of a review of the Imported Food Control
> Act 1992, which is administered by the Quarantine
> Inspection Service (AQIS), has been released for comment.
> It proposes that a partnership (or co-regulatory) approach
> be developed between government and food importers to
> ensure that the 10% of our food that is imported is safe
> for Australian consumers. Industry will be asked to take
> greater responsibility but regular government-controlled
> audits will continue, though on a reduced level for those
> businesses with a good food safety record.
> ¨ Comments due by 16th November.
> Report available from:
> AQIS, GPO Box 858, Canberra 2601.
> Ph 02 62724423, Fax 02 6272 4256.
>
> Strategic Objectives for Australia's Interests in Codex, 1998-2002
>         Codex Alimentarius is the international body, which sets
> the food standards governing international trade in food.
> Australia's food standards are increasingly being aligned
> to Codex standards.
> Australia's National Codex Committee is seeking greater
> consumer involvement in their work.
> ¨ Report available from the National Codex Committee, c/-
> AQIS (see address above)
> Ph 02 6272 5112, Fax 02 6272 3103.
>
>  (If any members of the Food Network are interested in
> receiving and commenting on Codex reports, via e-mail,
> please contact Dick Copeman at the network.)
>
> FEEDBACK WANTED
>
>         Dick Copeman, coordinator of the Consumer Food Network,
> and editor of Consumer Food News, would like feedback from
> members of the network on the value to them of this
> newsletter. He would particularly like to receive
> suggestions for improvements or alterations to the
> newsletter, as well as copies of any submissions made to
> ANZFA.
>
> Dick Copeman
> Consumer Food Network
> 223 Logan Road, Buranda QLD 4102
> Ph 07 3217 3187, Fax 07 3217 3028
> Email: "Dick Copeman" <eco-cons@bit.net.au>


--
PACIFIC EDGE PERMACULTURE
Russ Grayson and Fiona Campbell
PO Box 446, Kogarah NSW 2217 AUSTRALIA

Phone   02-9588 6931    (IDD-61+2+9588 6931)
Email: pacedge@magna.com.au

Permaculture education, publishing, design.
NSW contact, Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network.
APACE Kastom Garden Program, (village agriculture), South Pacific.
PaD (Permaculture and Development) Project .