. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/AUS/46 
18 August 2006 
 (06-3955) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   AUSTRALIA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:    
Food Standards Australia New Zealand 
PO Box 7186 
Canberra BC ACT 2610 AUSTRALIA Fax:  (+61) 2 62712278    E-mail:  slo@foodstandards.gov.au
 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:         
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:         
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.  
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   All Countries.  Imported 
(as well as domestically produced) foods sold in Australia, specifically bread. 
5. Title, number of pages and langua ge(s) of the notified document:   Draft Assessment 
Report for Proposal P295 – Consideration of Mandatory Fortification with Folic Acid. 
(375 pages, in English) 
6. Description of content:   FSANZ has prepared this Proposal to consider mandatory 
fortification with folic acid, seeking the deve lopment of a new standard for bread making 
flour.  The Draft Assessment Re port discusses issues surrounding mandatory fortification and 
proposes a preferred regulatory option.  Further assessment has now shifted the pr oposal to a 
preferred approach of fortification of bread with folic acid. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
The specific objective of the proposal is to re duce the incidence of neural tube defects in 
Australia and New Zealand through mandatory fortification of the food supply with folic acid. 
There are no relevant interna tional standards and amending the Australia New Zealand 
Food Standards Code  (the Code) to require the mandatory fortification of bread with folic 
acid is unlikely to have a significant effect on in ternational trade.  This is because bread is 
principally produced for domestic markets.   
 G/TBT/N/AUS/46 
Page 2  
 
  However, FSANZ recognizes that a requirement to  mandatory fortify a staple food such as 
bread may have trade implications not yet iden tified.  The following regulatory approach for 
the mandatory fortification of bread is proposed: 
• The proposed prescribed range for mandatory folic acid fortification is 100-170 µg of 
folic acid per 100 g bread.   
All proposals 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 consumers to make informed choices;  and (c) the 
prevention of misleading or deceptive conduct. 
8. Relevant documents:   Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code  (English) 
9. Proposed date of adoption:  Notification to Government anticipated August 2006 
with adoption (gazettal) to follow, pending Government consideration. 
Proposed date of entry into force:  Twelve months after gazettal pending 
Government consideration.  
10. Final date for comments:   25 August 2006 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses,  if available of the other body:  Documents are 
also available from the Food Standards Australia New Zealand website: www.foodstandards.gov.au/standardsdevelopment