. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/AUS/147
30 July 2003
(03-4062)
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):   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
Report for Application A481 – Glufosinate Ammonium Tolerant Soybean lines A 2704-12
and A5547-127 (56 pages, available in English)
6. Description of content:  FSANZ has received an applica tion to amend Standard 1.5.2 –
Food Produced using Gene Technology in the Australia New Zeal and Food Standards Code
to approve the use of food products derived from soybeans which have been genetically
modified to confer tolerance to glufosinate ammonium, a non-selective, contact herbicide.Tolerance to the herbicide is achieved by expression in the plant of a bacterially derived
enzyme that specifically inactivates the herbicide, allowing the plants to survive and grow
following herbicide application.
Soybean lines A2704-12 and A5547-127 have been developed for cultivation in the United
States and Canada only, but food derived from these soybeans could enter the market in
Australia and New Zealand via imported products, once these lines are grown on acommercial scale.
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.G/SPS/N/AUS/147
Page 2
8. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] Office International des Epizooties,
[   ] International Plant Prot ection 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)
10. Proposed date of adoption:  Notification to Government anticipated late 2003 with
adoption (gazettal) to follow, pending Government consideration.
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  Date of Gazettal pending Government consideration
(see 10. above)
12. Final date for comments:   27 August 2003
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:
The Australian SPS Notification Point
GPO Box 858
Canberra  ACT  2601
Australia
Fax:  +61 2 6272 3678
E-mail:  sps.contact@affa.gov.au
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notification authority,  [ X ]  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
E-mail:  sps.contact@affa.gov.au