. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/Notif.00/408
13 September 2000
(00-3546)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   NEW ZEALAND
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA)
Agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be
indicated if different from above:           
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Processed foods
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:
• Application A382 – Food derived from insect-protected potato lines (75 pages);
• Application A383 – Food derived from insect and potato leaf roll virus-protected
potato lines; (75 pages)
• Application A384 – Food derived from insect and virus Y-protected potato lines
68 pages);
6. Description of content:  These draft reports describe the scientific assessments undertaken
and recommend an addition to the list of approved foods in Standard A18 Food Produced
Using Gene Technology of the Australian Food Standards Code.  The reports result from
applications for the approval of food derived from three insect protected potato lines produced
using gene technology to be listed in Standard A18.
The three lines of Russet Burbank and Shepody potatoes have been genetically modified in
order to provide protection against a range of insects, including the Colorado potato beetle
(CPB) as well as against potato virus Y (PVY).  These potatoes are known commercially as
New Leaf® Y potatoes.  The New Leaf® Y po tatoes are protected against CPB and PVY
through the transfer of two genes — the cry3Aa  gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus
thuringiensis  subspecies tenebrionis (B.t.t. ) and the PVYcp  gene from PVY.
New Leaf® Y potatoes are not grown in Australia or New Zealand and are currently not
permitted to be imported into Australia and New Zealand as fresh produce.  Rather, the
principle food products containing these potato varieties are likely to be imported processed
food commodities such as processed potato crisps, pre-cooked French fries, potato flour
and potato starch.
Australia previously made a notification under the SPS Agreement on 19 February 1997,
(G/SPS/N/AUSTRALIA/X) informing other members of a proposal to establish a standard
requiring a pre-market safety assessment of foods derived from gene technology on a case byG/TBT/Notif.00/408
Page 2
case basis.  Australia notified in November 1999 (G/SPS/N/AUSTRALIA/X) the availability
to receive public comment on a draft amended standard which regulates the sale of foods and
food ingredients, other than additives and pr ocessing aids, produced using gene technology.
The Standard A18 of the Australian Food Standa rds Code is recognised in Australia as a
mandatory standard.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
The applications under consideration are primarily health related and are concerned with the
protection of human health and safety.   There may be future requirements for labelling.
8. Relevant documents:   Australian Food Standards Code
9. Proposed date of adoption:
Proposed date of entry into force: }Recommendation to Government anticipatedto be made late 2000.  Entry into forceimmediately after Government approval
10. Final date for comments:   30 October 2000
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [     ] or address, e-mail and telefax
number of the other body:   Documents are available from the Australia New Zealand
Food Authority website ( www.anzfa.gov.au ).  Also available from:
Australia New Zealand Food Authority
PO Box 7186
Canberra Mail Centre  ACT  2610
AUSTRALIA         Fax: (+61) 2 62712278
Email: info@anzfa.gov.au
Australia has also made this notification.
This notification has also been notified to the Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary Committee.