International Perspective Australian Experience in Vertical Product - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

International Perspective

Australian Experience in Vertical Product Standards

Ref: Gruber et al., Regulation of food commodities in Australia and New Zealand; Food Control; 14 (2003) 367 -373)

Background:

• A complete new set of standards for food commodities was

adopted in December 2000.

• The policies underpinning these standards aim to protect public

health and safety while facilitating industry innovation in the market, and hence improve consumer choice.

• The aim in reviewing the commodity standards was to develop new

food product standards that reduce the regulatory burden, are easier to understand and amend, and reflect the advances in scientific knowledge in areas such as nutrition, toxicology and allergenicity.

• Provisions that apply to all foods, such as labelling requirements

and food additive permissions, were grouped into generic standards that cover all foods. Where specific provisions were required for particular food commodities, based on stated

• bjectives, then commodity-specific regulations were developed.
• These commodity standards also reflect the move towards a more

internationally consistent regime of food regulation.

Challenges Identified

Standards out of step with needs of industry and consumers Highly prescriptive standards, impeded innovation Standards were based on traditional diets, and not on modern changed dietary patterns Standards didn’t recognize the developments in consumer protection laws

Policy Principles:

Reduce the level of prescriptiveness of standards to provide wider permissions on use of range of ingredients, additives Replace standards which control individual foods with ones which control all foods or range of foods. Developing definitional standards in appropriate cases. Retaining standards for individual standards only if consistent with objectives. Redraft standards for easy understanding, amendments

Specific Objectives

Take account of changes in food supply and take steps to reduce regulatory burden on food industry. Reflect recent advances in scientific knowledge. Ensure greater protection for consumers.

General Standards Commodity Standards General Standards Commodity Standards

Landscape Shift

Decision Tree:

Is the aim of the standard to protect public health and safety, prevent fraud and deception, provide adequate information relating to food to enable consumers to make informed choices or to facilitate trade?

Yes No

No Standard Required

Can the aim be met through a generic standards?

No No

Yes

Can the aim be met through any other means?* *e.g. other legislations, such as: fair trading laws, Code of Practice, Guidelines Can the aim be met through a minimum definition and generic Labelling provisions?

Yes

No Standard Required

No

Develop a Commodity Standard

Question?

Learnings for India Food Regulatory Frameworks

India: Coverage by Horizontal & Vertical Standards

S. No . HORIZONTAL STANDARDS VERTICAL STANDARDS SCOPE/ COVERAGE STANDARISED PROPRIETARY 1 Food Contaminants (Heavy metals, Toxins etc.) Yes Yes 2 Pesticide Residues Yes Yes 3 Antibiotics, Veterinary Drugs Residues Yes Yes 4 Food Packaging and Labelling Yes Yes 5 Licensing and Registration Yes Yes 6 Laboratory and Samples Analysis Yes Yes 7 Food Additives Yes Yes 8 Microbiology Yes Yes 9 Prohibition and Restriction on Sales. Yes Yes 10 Food Product Standards Yes NO ENFORCEMENT / SURVEILLANCE Yes YES

Food Safety Pillars

Manufacturing Processes:

• Food Safety Management System

Packing & Storage

• Packaging
• Good Storage Practices

Consumer Information

• Food Labelling

Ingredients

Novel Ingredients General Ingredients

Food Additives

Pre-approval for specific category

HORIZONTAL COMPOSITIONAL

PRE APPROVAL

History of Use

Conclusions

• Development of food product standards for food commodities as

embodied in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (Volume 2) reflects a move towards a more internationally consistent regime of food regulation.

• This has resulted in the replacement of food standards that regulate

individual foods with standards that apply across a range of foods, and should also apply to new products as they are developed and become part of the food supply.

• It is possible to create a win - win situation by creating a regulatory

system that:

• Is both accountable and transparent;
• Provides the consumer with adequate information to make informed choices;
• Enables the consumer to exercise choice through buying products which are

adequately labelled.

• In turn this has led to food standards that are:
• easier to understand.
• reduce the level of prescriptiveness, thereby promoting innovation.

Thank You………….

• Dr. Jasvir Singh
• Sc. Affairs, Regulatory Affairs

Mondelez India Foods Pvt. Limited