. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/AUS/162
9 June 2004
(04-2502)
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 Australia 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): Processed foods
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: All
countries supplying food to Australia, as well as domestically produced foods sold in
Australia
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document: Draft Assessment for
Application A518 – Food derived from Insect-protected Glufosinate Ammonium-tolerant
Cotton Line MXB-13 (56 pages, available in English)
6. Description of content: FSANZ has received an Application to amend Standard 1.5.2 –
Food Produced using Gene Technology in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code
to approve the use of food products derived from genetically modified insect-protected
glufosinate ammonium-tolerant cotton line MXB-13. Insect protection is conferred by
expression in the plant of a bacterially derived protein that is selectively toxic to certain
insect pests of cotton. Herbicide tolerance is conferred by the patgene.
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
Foods produced using gene technology are required to undergo a pre-market assessment of
their safety, to ensure that they are as safe as their conventional counterparts.
All applications 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 to
make informed choices; and (c) the prevention of misleading or deceptive conduct.
8. International standard, guideline or recommendation:
[] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [ ] World Organization for Animal Health
(OIE), [ ] International Plant Protection Convention, [ X ] None
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: Australia New
Zealand Food Standards Code (Available in English)G/SPS/N/AUS/162
Page 2
10. Proposed date of adoption: Notification to Government anticipated October 2004 with
adoption (gazettal) to follow, pending Government consideration.
11. Proposed date of entry into force: Date of Gazettal, pending Government consideration.
12. Final date for comments: 19 July 2004
Agency or authority designated to handle 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: [ ] 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 Standards Australia New Zealand website:
www.foodstandards.gov.au/standardsdevelopment .
Copies are also available from:
The Australian SPS Notification Point
GPO Box 858
CANBERRA ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
Fax: +61 2 6272 3678
E-mail: sps.contact@affa.gov.au