. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/NZL/312 
20 December 2004 
 (04-5571) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   NEW ZEALAND
 
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):  Sugar derived from sugar beet. 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  
Imported (as well as domestically pr oduced) foods sold in New Zealand.  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   Draft Assessment Report 
for Application A525 – Food Derived from Gl yphosate-Tolerant Sugar Beet (Available in 
English;  41 pages). 
6. Description of content:  FSANZ has received and is assessing an application to amend  
Standard 1.5.2 – Food Produced Using Gene Technology of the Australia New Zealand 
Food Standards Code (the Code) to  approve the use of food products derived from Sugar 
Beet line H7-1.  Sugar Beet Line H7-1 contains a novel gene ( cp4 epsps ).  The presence of 
this novel gene in sugar beet confers tolera nce to the broad spectrum herbicide glyphosate, 
which is the active ingredient in the proprietary herbicide Roundup™.  Sugar beet line H7-
1 is not currently under cultivation, nor does th e Applicant envisage that sugar beet line 
H7-1 will be grown in Australia .  FSANZ is in the process of consulting interested parties 
as part of making its assessment of this Application. 
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 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 consumer s 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 Plan t Protection Convention, [ X ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:    G/SPS/N/NZL/312 
Page 2  
 
 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 in mid-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:  18 February 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 Australia New Zealand 
PO Box 10559 
Wellington 6036 
NEW ZEALAND 
Fax:  + 64 4 473 9855 E-mail:  info@foodstandards.govt.nz
 
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 Standards Australia New Zealand website:  
www.foodstandards.gov.au/standardsdevelopment .   
Copies are also available from: 
The NZ SPS Notification Point PO Box 2526 Wellington 
NEW ZEALAND  
Fax:  +64 4 4744219 
Email:  sps@maf.govt.nz