Foreword (June 2018)
Foreword
By Joe Lederman
(FoodLegal Co-Principal)
Welcome to the June-July 2018 bumper edition
of FoodLegal Bulletin!
In this June-July 2018 edition of
FoodLegal Bulletin
Our FREE
article “Current developments
in food law and policy in Australia and elsewhere” provides this
month’s update on many new regulatory developments for food producers and
suppliers, beginning with Australia, but also internationally.
Australia’s new
Country of Origin Labelling laws take effect on 1 July 2018. In the article “Unintended
impacts of new Country of Origin record keeping up and down the supply chain”
FoodLegal Co-Principal Charles Fisher analyses the record-keeping obligations
imposed by these new Country of Origin Labelling laws, and the requirements
they place on food businesses throughout the supply chain.
Foods for Special
Medical Purposes have broader compositional requirements than numerous other
food products. Our article “What limitations
exist for Food for Special Medical Purposes allowances?” explores the limits
of these permissions, and explains when regulatory pre-approval will be
required in light of the recent FSANZ proposal to permit a new amino acid in
Foods for Special Medical Purposes.
The article “When does a new
probiotic strain need regulatory pre-approval to be used in food?” by Charles
Fisher outlines the key regulatory questions to consider when using traditional
ingredients such as probiotics in innovative ways, including when regulatory
pre-approval might be necessary.
The Australian
Federal Department of Industry has stated that Australia’s new Country of
Origin Labelling Laws will apply to products from New Zealand. Our article “What is
the impact of the Country of Origin requirements on New Zealand products?”
examines the effect of the latest changes on the labels of New Zealand products
being sold in Australia, and how this impacts our bi-national trading
relationship.
A proposal to
update Australia’s nutrient reference values may influence the ability of food
companies to make certain nutrition content claims. Our article “FSANZ
proposal for review of regulatory nutrient reference values” looks at
the likely changes and how this will affect product labelling and marketing.
Many food
companies may not be aware that food regulators may seek to impose liability on
company directors or managers for a breach of the Food Act in certain circumstances. Our article “Piercing
the corporate veil under the Food Acts: Implications for directors and managers
of non-compliant food companies” breaks down the provisions in each
Australian State and Territory that impose personal liability, and the
circumstances in which they will apply.
Our article “The food regulatory
and marketing implications of animal feed supplementation in Australia”
explains the regulation of animal feeds in Australia, and the connections and
contrasts for the compositional and labelling requirements of food for animals
that are feed feedstocks that have been fortified using substances such as
fatty acids or various vitamins and minerals, including such issues as product
fortification, vitamin and mineral claims, food product categorisation, and
other labelling issues.
We hope you
enjoy this edition of FoodLegal Bulletin!
Joe Lederman
Editor
This is general information rather than legal advice and is current as of 25 Jun 2018. We therefore recommend you seek legal advice for your particular circumstances if you want to rely on advice or information to be a basis for any commercial decision-making by you or your business.