The Right to choose clean food

1
The Right to choose clean food

• Food Standards and Regulation

2
Food is everyones issue

• Consumers are increasingly concerned about
• Pesticide residues
• Food allergies and sensitivities
• New technologies GM, irradiation, nanotech
• Additives
• Food adulteration

3
Consumer assumptions

• Governments set food regulations with regard to
  human health
• Governments ensure compliance with regulations
• Companies act ethically and responsibly

4
Food regulation in Australia - ACA
INTERNATIONAL Codex Alimentarius WHO FAO WTO
COMMONWEALTH Dept of Health and Ageing, DAFF,
AQIS, FSANZ
STATE AND TERRITORY Health Dept, Agriculture,
Primary industry
Local Government and Area Health Services
OTHER Food industry, Consumers, Health Experts
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FSANZ (Food regulator) objectives

• Protection of public health and safety
• Provision of adequate information so consumers
  can make informed choices
• Prevention of misleading or deceptive conduct
• www.foodstandards.gov.au/_srcfiles/Commentary_v101
  .pdf

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Conflict of interest?

• FSANZ also has to have regard to
• The need for standards to be based on risk
  analysis using the best available scientific
  evidence
• The promotion of consistency between domestic and
  international food standards
• The desirability of an efficient and
  internationally competitive food industry

7
Case studies

• Adulteration oil and melamine
• Additives
• Food irradiation
• Nanotechnology
• GM food

8
7.30 Report into Olive Oil

• Australian Olive Association had imported extra
  virgin olive oil tested
• All oils failed internationally recognised
  standards
• Too old
• Refined not virgin
• Some contained canola and pumace oil (waste
  product)

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No way to reject Oils

• Australia has no standards therefore no way to
  reject oil and penalise companies
• Australia is at risk of becoming a dumping ground
• This oil would not be tolerated if we were
  trying to export it into Italy, but at the same
  time we are taking oil from Italy or Spain which
  doesnt meet their requirements. Dr Rod Mailer,
  Australian Oils Research Lab

10
Melamine Choices concerns

• Concerns about food inspections especially of
  imported seafood, fruit and vegetables
• Reports of dirty imports
• AQIS tests 5 of imported food
• AQIS tests all consignments of high risk food
  (cooked meat, poultry, seafood and some dairy)
• Need to rethink

11
Food Additives

• Some are harmless and beneficial but
• Nearly 300 approved for use in Australia
• 25 of these banned in other countries
• Approx 50 linked to cancer
• 55 can trigger asthma
• 30 associated with hyperactivity and learning
  problems
• 80 may contribute to kidney and liver problems
• About 30 are produced by Genetic Modification

12
Citizen groups on additives

• Additive Alert Kids First campaign to get 6
  food colourings banned. These colours will be
  phased out in GB in 2009 because of health
  concerns
• Low to No Additives Guide and additive free
  cookbook
• The Chemical Maze extensive guide to food
  additives and cosmetic ingredients

13
Food irradiation in Australia

• 3 irradiation plants operating
• Herbs, spices, teas, and 9 tropical fruits may be
  irradiated
• Labels
• No labels on unpackaged items sign nearby
• No clear standard label or warning
• Non-food unlabeled ie herbs, health
  formulations, stockfeed and pet food
• www.foodirradiationinfo.org/

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Nanotechnology

• A nanometre is one billionth of a metre
• DNA is 2.5 nm wide
• A human hair is 80,000 nm wide
• A nanoparticle is a particle with one side
  measuring 100nm or less
• Nanotechnology could be used in almost any
  industry

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Current uses of nanotech

• Sunscreen
• Vitamin supplements
• Anti-bacterial fridge liners, cutlery and
  breadboards
• Tennis racquets

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Is it safe to eat?

• Predicted market 2.4 billion US dollars by 2010
• Industrial revolution caused large increase in
  nanoparticles as by-product urban air pollution
• Properties change at nano size (gold becomes
  blue) so hard to predict how particles will act
• Some nanoparticles have similarities to asbestos
  fibres
• No real idea how or what to test for
• Possible bioaccumulation

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Areas where nanotechnology may be used

• Food packaging
• Food quality analysis and monitoring
• Food processing
• Food additives

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What is our regulators approach?

• No applications received yet for nanotech in food
• Currently no labelling of vitamins that may have
  nanotech particles
• No new standard - Considered under Food
  additives and processing aids
• Not regarded as a novel food
• FSANZ will liaise with nanotech industry

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How FSANZ authorises GM food

• No tests done by FSANZ
• Relies on tests done by the companies wanting to
  release GM food
• Will look at published studies but very few exist
• Ignores the negative findings of the ones that
  have been done

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FSANZ approves every GM food

• RR canola BANNED in Austria rats liver
  increased 15 - growing in NSW and Vic
• Bt10 corn (US) ILLEGAL in Japan and EU. Testing
  to prevent contamination.
• MON 863 corn (US) BANNED by Austrian Government
  liver and kidney toxicity in rats
• Bt63 rice (China) ILLEGAL EU and NZ. Testing to
  prevent contamination. No action by FSANZ
• Alpha amylase corn designed for bioethanol.
  BANNED in S. Africa for human health concerns
• Greenpeace Eating in the Dark

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Together, the increasing exposure to GM foods and
the increasing incidence of anaphylaxis have a
close association.
22
Allergy tests on RR canola fatally flawed

• Monsanto was not able to identify and
  characterize one of its intended GM proteins in
  the GM canola planted in Victoria and New South
  Wales this year.
• Instead they supplied Food Standards with
  information about a protein that was not expected
  to be present in the crop.
• Wrong protein tested therefore the whole approval
  should be invalid
• Please help get the news out

23
Where is food regulation heading?

• COAG identified food regulation as area to be
  targeted for ambitious reforms
• Productivity Commission research paper pressing
  need for accelerated reforms to reduce regulatory
  burdens.

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CHOICE Claire Hughes

• Opposes proposals to increase power of NSW and
  Vic in Food Ministers Council
• Wants Bettwaite report to be published
• Against fast tracking proposals that limit
  consumer consultation
• Our food system is actually designed to promote
  and protect the health of consumers. Its not
  just there to provide the framework for business

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Food Democracy vs Food ControlFood Wars by Tim
Lang and Micheal Heasman

• Food Democracy
• Bottom up decision making
• Genuinely open debate
• Exploring what people think

• Food control
• Top down decisions
• Limited dialogue
• Limited public engagement

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In the UK

• Citizens juries on GM
• UK Office of Communications (OFCOM) commissioned
  research workshops about junk food. Participants
  voted
• New policy framework Food Matters there should
  be a national conversation about how to go about
  transforming the food system
• Role of government to facilitate not lead
  discussion
• Active NGOs and public vital

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Get active

• Network
• Contact FSANZ
• Contact Federal and State politicians
• Food Regulation Standing Committee senior
  bureaucrats advise Food Ministerial Council on
  food policy. Do not have to make advice public
• Food Ministerial Council labelling review
• COAG review of food regulation
• Join MADGE