OT/ First irradiated food application for Aus/NZ

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

 

For anyone on this list from Australia, please consider putting

a submission in to ANZFA against the irraditation of food in Australia.

(irradiate herbs, spices, nuts, oilseeds and tea.)

The deadline is December 6th.

If food is treated properly we do not need to irradiate it.

Also, if you know of any informative websites or references about

irradiation

of food, (other than 2 below) , please let me know.

 

Here are two sites re irradiation. There may be more sites about food

irradiation

and I will be looking for those today.

 

1. www.anzfa.gov.au

2. http://www.irradiation.com/food.htm

 

Kind regards,

 

Marguerite (see below)

 

Wednesday 11 October 2000

 

 

ANZFA seeking public comment on first food irradiation application

 

 

The Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) is seeking public comment

on an application from an Australian company, Steritech Pty Ltd, to

irradiate herbs, spices, nuts, oilseeds and tea.

 

The Steritech application is the first ANZFA has received since the

Australia New Zealand Food Standards Council (ANZFSC) (the Council of

Australian and New Zealand Health Ministers) approved Standard A17,

Irradiation of Food, for inclusion in the Australian Food Standards Code in

August last year.

 

Standard A17 prohibits irradiation or re-irradiation of foods unless this is

specifically approved by ANZFSC. Approval can only be given on a

case-by-case basis, and applicants must demonstrate that irradiation is

necessary for food safety or technological reasons.

 

Steritech is seeking approval to irradiate these foods to control:

microbial contamination;

pest infestation; and

sprouting and/or germination of food or those weed seeds inadvertently

present in food, which may pose an environmental threat.

In support of its application, Steritech claims irradiation of these foods

would reduce the presence of chemical fumigant residues from chemicals such

as ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, phosphine and methyl bromide which are

used to kill the microbial contaminants and pests that commonly occur in

these foods.

 

ANZFA has appointed a steering group comprising representatives from

government (health and agriculture portfolios), industry and consumers from

Australia and New Zealand, and an expert in food irradiation to examine the

Steritech application, and the public responses received through the

consultation process.

 

To assist the public consultation process, ANZFA has prepared an issues

paper which has been published with a copy of the Steritech application on

the web site, www.anzfa.gov.au or www.anzfa.govt.nz The deadline for

submissions is 6 December 2000. The public will have another opportunity to

comment on the application when the steering committee releases its report

in February/March 2001.

 

After the second public consultation process, the ANZFA Board will finalise

its recommendations to ANZFSC which will then make the final decision on the

Steritech application.

 

For more information contact:

 

Steve Fynmore, ANZFA Public Affairs, (02) 6271 2208, mob. 0413 483 200 (NZ

+61)

Lydia Buchtmann, ANZFA Public Affairs, (02) 6271 2625, mob 0411 268 525 (NZ

+61)

 

An information pack is available from ANZFA. The application, issues paper

and fact sheets are on the ANZFA web site: www.anzfa.gov.au or

www.anzfa.govt.nz

 

Fact Sheets:

 

Food Irradiation - General Information

Food Irradiation - Australia & New Zealand

Food Irradiation - Herbs and Spices Application