. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/AUS/174 
21 March 2005 
 (05-1177) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd 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 numbe r(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 Aust ralia, as well as  domestically produced foods sold in 
Australia.  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   Draft Assessment for 
Application A543  - Food derived from Insect-protected Glufosinate Ammonium-tolerant 
Corn Line DAS-59122-7 (available in English, 46 pages). 
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 
(the Code) to approve the use of food products derived from genetically modified insect-protected glufosinate ammonium-tolerant corn line DAS59122-7.  Insect protection is conferred by expression in the plant of bacterially  derived proteins that are selectively toxic 
to certain insect pests of corn.  Herb icide tolerance is conferred by the pat gene. 
Corn line DAS 59122-7 has been developed for cu ltivation in North America, therefore, if 
approved, food derived from this corn could en ter the market in Australia and New Zealand 
via imported products. 
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 re quired 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 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 consum ers to make informed choices;  and (c) the 
prevention of misleading or deceptive conduct. 
8. International standard, guideline or recommendation:  
[ X ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention, [   ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:    G/SPS/N/AUS/174 
Page 2  
 
 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 August 2005 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:  16 May 2005 
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 Aust ralia 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 ad dress (if available)  of other body:   Documents are 
available from the Food Standards Australia New Ze aland 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