. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/AUS/154
7 October 2003
(03-5285)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   AUSTRALIA
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:   Food Standards Austra lia New Zealand (FSANZ)
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where
applicable):  Fresh cassava and bamboo shoots
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  Pacific
Island Countries exporting cassava, Asian count ries exporting bamboo shoots, growers of
cassava or bamboo shoots in Australia or New Zealand and importers of cassava or bamboo
shoots into Australia or New Zealand.  The co mmercial trade in both cassava and bamboo
shoots is relatively small and the proposed regulatory changes are likely to have a minimal
impact on trade.
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   P257 – Advice on the
preparation of cassava and bamboo shoots – Draft Assessment Report (49 pages, English)
6. Description of content:  Cassava and bamboo shoots contai n potentially toxic compounds.
The potential toxicity can be reduced by appropria te preparation of the plant material prior to
consumption as food.  It is recommended that directions should be required to accompany
the sale of cassava and bamboo shoots and that cassava be limited to sweet varieties ofcassava.
Proposal P257 was raised to consider the potential safety risks associated with consumption
of cassava and bamboo shoots, which contain potentially toxic cyanogenic glycosides, and
appropriate risk management strategies.  The three primary objectives of this Proposal are:
1. To examine the public health and safety risk associated with consuming raw or
inadequately prepared cassava.  To determine whether any risk management
measures are necessary in Australia and New Zealand.
2. To examine the public health and safety risk associated with consuming raw or
inadequately prepared bamboo shoots.  To determine whether any risk
management measures are necessary in Australia and New Zealand.
3. To examine the public health and safety risk associated with consuming
commercially available processed cassava and bamboo products.
All proposals  to change the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code , must be
assessed in the context of the following objectives:  (a) the protection of public health and
safety; (b) the provision of adequate information relating to food to enable consumers tomake informed choices; and (c) the prevention of misleading or deceptive conduct.G/SPS/N/AUS/154
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7. Objective and rationale:  [  X ] food safety, [   ] animal health, [   ] plant protection,
[   ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or  disease, [   ] protect territory from other
damage from pests
8. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:
[ X ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] Office International des Epizooties,
[   ] International Plant Prot ection Convention, [   ] None
If an international standard , guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:   Recommendations are consistent with the Codex
Standard for Sweet Cassava (adopted at 26th session Codex Alimentarius Commission,
Alinorm 03/35)
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Australia New
Zealand Food Standards Code  (English)
10. Proposed date of adoption:   Notification to Government anticipated in the first half of
2004 with adoption (gazettal) to follow, pending Government consideration.
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   Date of gazettal pending Government consideration
(see point 10 above).
12. Final date for comments:  31 December 2003
Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ X ] National notification
authority, [   ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:
Food Standards Australia New Zealand
PO Box 7186
Canberra BC  ACT  2610
Australia
Fax:  + 61 2 6271 2278
E-mail:  info@foodstandards.gov.au
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notification authority, [   ] National enquiry point,
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Documents are available from the Food St andards Australia New Zealand website:
www.foodstandards.gov.au/standardsdevelopment .
Copies are also available from:
The Australian SPS Notification Point
GPO Box 858
CANBERRA  ACT  2601AUSTRALIA
Fax: +61 2 6272 3678
Email: sps.contact@affa.gov.au