Report released on review of food using new breeding techniques

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AusBiotech’s submission to the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) consultation on 'Food derived using new breeding techniques' has formed part of a newly-released Preliminary Report summarising the submissions.

The Report is now available on the Food derived using new breeding techniques – review webpage, under the section More Information. The original submissions, including AusBiotech’s comment developed by the AusAg and Food Advisory Group, have also been published on this page.

AusBiotech said into submission that it disagreed that any food derived from organisms containing new pieces of DNA should be captured for pre-market safety assessment and approval. AusBiotech maintains that all regulation must be commensurate with risk.

AusBiotech argued that there is no foundation to the assumption that food derived from organisms that contain ‘new’ pieces of DNA are of greater risk than food developed using ‘conventional’ breeding. Pre-market safety assessment and approval should only be required if the final characteristics of the food warrant such an assessment and not based on the process or technique(s) that may be been applied to produce the product. The adoption of the proposed general principle would advocate a process regulatory trigger for new breeding techniques that is not commensurate with risk.

Interested stakeholders, who would like to stay informed about further public consultation on the review process, can register with the FSANZ subscription service, and can choose the following options:

  • Interest Area Genetically modified foods
  • Subscription Items Food Standards Notification Circular

AusBiotech’s full submission can be found online.