. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/AUS/145
20 June 2003
(03-3317)
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 A484 – Yieldgard® Insect-protected Corn containing Event
MON863 (64 pages, available in English).
6. Description of content:   FSANZ has received an appli cation 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 corn which has been genetically modified
to confer protection against the corn rootworm, a significant pest of corn crops in certain
regions of the United States and Canada.  Protection is conferred by expression in the plant
of a bacterially derived protein toxin (a Bt-toxin) that is specific for beetle larvae.
MON863 corn also contains a new gene encoding resistance to the antibiotic neomycin and
related aminoglycoside antibiotics.
MON863 corn has been developed for cultivation in the United States and Canada only,
but food derived from this corn could enter the market in Australia and New Zealand via
imported products, once it is grown on a commercial scale.
7. Objective and rationale:  [  X ] food safety, [   ] animal health, [   ] plant protection,
[  ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or di sease,  [   ]  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/145
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  (English)
10. Proposed date of adoption:  Notification to Government anticipated October 2003 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:   25 August 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 2601
Australia
Fax:+61 2 6272 3678
Email: sps.contact@affa.gov.au