. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/AUS/137
21 February 2002
(02-0887)
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:  Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA)
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where
applicable).  Processed foods in general  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the
extent relevant or practicable:  Imported (as well as domestically produced) foods sold in
Australia.
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Application A416 – Food Derived
from Glyphosate-tolerant Co rn Line NK603 (67 pages)
5. Description of content:  ANZFA has received an application to amend the Australia New
Zealand Food Standards Code to approve the use of food produ cts derived from Corn Line
NK603 that has been genetically modified for tolerance to the herbicide glyphosate.
6. 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.
If application A416 is approved the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code  will be
amended to permit foods derived from Corn Line NK603 that has been genetically modified
for tolerance to the herbicide glyphosate.
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [  X ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:           
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Australian Food
Standards Code, New Zealand Food Regulations 1984  (both available in English),
Standard 1.5.2.
9. Proposed date of adoption:  Recommendation to Government anticipated to be made mid-
2002, adoption to follow  pending Government approval.G/SPS/N/AUS/137
Page 2
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  Not known, date of entry after Government approval
(see 9. above).
11. Final date for comments:  15 April 2002
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [     ] National notification
authority, [    ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:
12. Texts available from:  [     ] National notification authority, [     ] National enquiry point
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Documents are available from the Australia New Zealand Food Authority website
(www.anzfa.gov.au ).  Also available from:
Australia New Zealand Food Authority
PO Box 7186
Canberra BC   ACT   2610
Australia
Fax: (+61) 2 6271 2278E-mail: info@anzfa.gov.au