Stakeholder engagement as a

priority for enabling regulation

• We are a bi-national statutory agency

• Our main function is to develop and

administer the Australia New Zealand

Food Standards Code

• Not responsible for enforcement

ABOUT US

Policy Forum on Food

Regulation

(ministers)

FOOD REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

Standards setting FSANZ

Enforcement States and

territories,

NZ MPI

DAFF (imported

foods)

THE FOOD STANDARDS CODE

• Labelling

requirements

• Substances

added to foods

• Maximum

residue limits

• GM foods

• Compositional

requirements

for specific

foods

• Food safety

requirements

for food

handlers

• Australia only

• Standards for

agricultural

commodities

• Australia only

IN DEVELOPING MEASURES CONSIDERATION

IS GIVEN TO:

Protection of public health and safety

Providing adequate information to consumers

Preventing misleading and deceptive conduct

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT −THE “GAPS”,

OR IMPEDIMENTS?????

• All quiet on the western front

• Resources

• Timing

• Chefs

SILENCE ISN’T GOLDEN

All quiet……..

Resources restricted and getting worse

Need to get smarter about how we do things

Start talking early…..everyone

RESOURCES AND TIMING

TOO MANY (A LOT OF) CHEFS?

A long and winding road… health claims

A CASE STUDY

Complex project

Eight years

Six rounds consultation

>500 submissions

THE JOURNEY

2003 Policy guidance

2008 draft Standard (self substantiation)

review request

2010 consultation pre-approval

2012 draft Standard

(pre-approval and self

substantiation)

The health claims standards has been

gazetted what now….

A continuous and responsive environment

The cooks…

THE NEVER ENDING STORY?

Continuous improvement

Innovation

What works?

Keep the baby!

COMMUNICATING WITH

STAKEHOLDERS INTO THE FUTURE

RESPONSIVE

Direct contact

Newsletters

Face-to-face

OLD SCHOOL

INTO THE FUTURE

“All stakeholders in the joint food regulation system

should commit to improving the quality of

engagement. Stakeholders should provide each

other with timely, constructive and evidence-based

information and be accepting of differing positions.”

Find the strategy under about us at

www.foodstandards.gov.au

ALL IN…

> maintain our open and transparent approach

> explore new ways to capture and recognise

stakeholder views

> enhance the understanding of our role including our

boundaries

> continue to improve the accessibility of our

information

SOME PRIORITIES

www.foodstandards.gov.au

QUESTIONS….