Last Chance For Food Industry

The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Council has sent a strong message to the food industry to move swiftly to meet new food standards on genetically modified food.

"It is very disappointing that biotechnology companies and the food industry have not moved quickly enough to have all genetically modified food assessed for food safety by May 13 1999 as required by a new joint Australia-New Zealand food standard," Health Minister Wyatt Creech said tonight.

"The New Zealand Government is vigilant in ensuring the safety of food. We are also committed to a workable and practical way of protecting food safety while maintaining continuity of the food supply.

"It is not practical or sensible to continue with an approach that could see safe foods taken off shelves."

Australia and New Zealand Ministers have unanimously agreed that overseas biotechnology companies that haven't made applications already must now:

submit a comprehensive application for a safety assessment of their foods to the Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) by 30 April this year provide details of a safety assessment undertaken by a recognised overseas regulatory authority.

"If the companies meet these tests then their products will be able to stay on sale while they go through the fuller more complex food standard assessment. Ministers require these assessments to be completed by 30 June 2000.

"As a back up the Ministry of Health will be running random tests of products to ensure they comply with these measures.

"Ministers have considered this matter at some length. We have protected the right of consumers to have safe food by developing a practical workable way of ensuring food safety. This step is the best solution," Mr Creech said.

In July last year, the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Council (New Zealand is one of ten members) agreed to a standard which, for the first time, would regulate the production of foods produced using gene technology.