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About FoodLegal Bulletin


Australia's premier periodical in food law and policy issues.
It focuses specifically on analysis and commentary for regulatory compliance and the legal issues affecting food and food industry participants.

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February 2021

  • Foreword (February 2021)
  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas (February 2021)
  • Changes in geographical indications protections in the European Union and United Kingdom: impacts on Australia
  • What is the role of the Poisons Standard in Australian food law?
  • Are Australia’s liquor laws fit for purpose?
  • Compromising safety for nutrition? The case for the natural conventional preservatives
  • ACCC report into perishable agricultural goods recommends new prohibition on unfair trading practices

December 2020

  • Foreword (December 2020-January 2021)
  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas (December 2020-January 2021)
  • What are the laws on repurposing or reclaiming recalled foods?
  • Is the TGA undermining the food industry’s confidence in its own compliance?
  • Probiotics and prebiotics: What are the regulatory considerations for such food claims in Australia?
  • The marketing of ‘sustainability’ attributes and claims, and the legal risks
  • Packaging sustainability and Australian laws
  • Retailer policies on sustainability, a current analysis of Australian requirements
  • Case study: November 2020 ACCC action against “Made in Australia” claims on frozen imported fish fillets processed in Australia

November 2020

  • Foreword (November 2020)
  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas (November 2020)
  • Why Australia should quickly improve its legal framework for Whole Genome Sequencing of foodborne diseases and food pathogens
  • Does food have to be digested?
  • The academic pursuit of ‘ultra-processed food’ research: An analysis of the research to date
  • Implications of the new advertising Code of Ethics on food marketing
  • Will Country of Origin Labelling be adopted in foodservice?

October 2020

  • Foreword (October 2020)
  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas (October 2020)
  • Scientific and regulatory developments in relation to mycotoxins in Australia and internationally
  • TGA introduces new laws targeting sports supplements: What this means for food businesses
  • Big Mac v Big Jack – A whopper of a legal showdown
  • New guidance on food contact chemicals under AICIS
  • How to improve the economics of Australian meat producers: Value-adding in meat animal production systems

September 2020

  • Foreword (September 2020)
  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas (September 2020)
  • Australian Government initiates major food regulatory reform processes
  • All Vegetable oils are not the same: Comparisons of different categories of Vegetable oils
  • Can food be sold in a capsule, pill or tablet format? Strategic pathways for assessing a product against Australia’s food-medicine interface
  • Fruit juice: An evolution in regulatory compliance issues for a series of emerging product developments
  • The Modern Slavery Act 2018 and compliance issues for food businesses
  • Avoiding regulatory pitfalls when advertising in a COVID-19 context

August 2020

  • Foreword (August 2020)
  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas (August 2020)
  • Impact of the new mandatory pregnancy warnings labels for alcoholic beverages in Australia and New Zealand
  • Food industry implications of recent Australian Federal Parliamentary allergy report
  • Industrial chemicals in cosmetics under Australian law: transition from NICNAS to AICIS
  • High pressure processing (HPP) aka high hydrostatic processing of foods and beverages: the effects, legal status and novel applications
  • Extending phytosanitary irradiation to all fresh fruits and vegetables generally

June - July 2020

  • Foreword (June-July 2020 'bumper edition')
  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas (June-July 2020)
  • ACCC moves further into the food regulatory space with yoghurt infringement
  • Issues to consider when selling alcohol online, and important State-by-State differences
  • Social media risks for comments, testimonials and whether to use #ad or #sponsored
  • Does an allergen need to be declared if it disappears during processing?
  • How time can impact the legal obligations which apply to food
  • When might a packaged product be exempt from trade measurement requirements?

May 2020

  • Foreword (May 2020)
  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas (May 2020)
  • Maximum Residue Limits: Is FSANZ endorsement of Codex MRLs right or wrong?
  • When can a food description become a protected Geographical Indicator?
  • Proposed draft changes for Australian export rules for meat and meat products
  • Victoria’s proposed Container Deposit Scheme and other waste management initiatives
  • Natural toxic and antinutrient compounds in plants and processing steps to eliminate them

April 2020

  • Foreword (April 2020)
  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas (April 2020)
  • Exporting and importing food during the COVID-19 lockdown: What has changed?
  • COVID-19: Regulatory changes and enforcement priorities for food businesses (as at 3 April 2020)
  • Force majeure clauses in supply and other food business agreements: Legal protections in the COVID-19 pandemic?
  • Tocopherols in food: functions, attributes and science
  • An analysis of the regulatory impacts in different steps of the APVMA regulatory framework for agricultural and food producers, importers and processors

March 2020

  • Foreword (March 2020)
  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas (March 2020)
  • Adapting quickly as a food supplier to a pandemic crisis
  • Assessing FSANZ’s proposed amendments to Chapters 3 and 4 of the Food Standards Code
  • Analysis of the proposed new mandatory pregnancy warning labels for alcoholic beverages
  • The important distinctions between food labelling and food packaging requirements in food regulation
  • Redefining food produced using gene technology: in the context of new breeding techniques
  • Government introduces bills to improve and consolidate food export requirements

February 2020

  • Foreword (February 2020)
  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas (February 2020)
  • Will the introduction of plain English allergen labelling create consistency for industry?
  • The regulatory framework issues for konjac in Australia
  • Discrepancies between food product classification under the Food Standards Code and GST regimes
  • Regulatory implications of new claims about sugar
  • The potential impact of the 2019 draft New Zealand country of origin regulations

December 2019 - January 2020

  • Foreword (December 2019 - January 2020 bumper edition)
  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas
  • Permission vs Forgiveness: A case study on the cost of compliance
  • The law of ‘artisanal’ claims in Australia
  • The impact of the new mandatory Dairy Code of Conduct for Australian food businesses
  • Food regulators signal actions on Health Star Rating, food framework and plant-based descriptors
  • Do you always need a trade measurement statement indicating product “weight”?
  • Does a food business need to renew its systematic review for a self-substantiated health claim?
  • The global regulation of maximum residue limits

November 2019

  • Foreword (November 2019)
  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas (November 2019)
  • The Lantern Project: Creating a nationally consistent interpretation of food safety compliance in Aged Care, the need to improve nutrition and food choices for our elderly
  • TGA overreaches in its crackdown on sports supplements
  • Comparing the Australian regulatory frameworks for food, cosmetics and therapeutic goods
  • Understanding franchisors’ disclosure obligations: Lessons from the Federal Court
  • What is Australia’s role in Codex?

October 2019

  • Foreword (October 2019)
  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas (October 2019)
  • Changes to the regulation of the import and sale of high caffeine foods and medicines in Australia
  • Is enzyme regulation obsolete?
  • Regulatory issues surrounding fermented non-dairy beverages
  • Is substantial transformation based on the whole product or just imported ingredients?
  • The role of industry standards in misleading or deceptive conduct

September 2019

  • Foreword
  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas (September 2019)
  • Test Article
  • Where a product was “made in” might depend on where it is being sold
  • What needs to be considered when regulating caffeine powders and high caffeine content products
  • How will the Health Star Rating label system for foods in Australia change following its five-year review?
  • What to do if your food business has received an infringement notice or been charged for breaking a food law

August 2019

  • Foreword (FLB, August 2019)
  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas (August 2019)
  • What could the review into sports foods mean for the way food supplements are regulated in Australia?
  • What can food businesses take from the TGA guidance on “natural” claims?
  • Should the RDIs in the Food Standards Code align with those in the Nutrient Reference Values?
  • Could Codex revision change the shape of allergen regulation in Australia?
  • Analysis of the Federal Court’s decision in ACCC action against Woolworth’s biodegradable claims

June 2019

  • Foreword (June-July 2019)
  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas (June 2019)
  • Do all cross-contact allergens have to be listed in the ingredients list?
  • Exporting food from Australia: The 5 key questions
  • What is the difference between a nutrition content claim and an ingredient claim?
  • FSANZ’s upcoming review of Chapters 3 & 4 of the Food Standards Code: Food safety processes in Australia’s regulatory system
  • The fine line between puffery and misleading claims
  • Privacy considerations for loyalty programs
  • ACCC decision indicates fine line between brand maintenance and price fixing

May 2019

  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas
  • New parallel import law opens gate for importers, but food safety must be considered
  • Tips for food start-ups Part 3: What information must go on my product label?
  • 7 key questions to ask when advertising food products to children under the RCMI and QSRI
  • Dietary fibre, a potential opportunity for further better health claims or marketing claims
  • Government accepts majority of 14 recommendations in Review of the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct

April 2019

  • Foreword (April 2019)
  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas (April 2019)
  • Strawberry Tampering Report: Is this the end of a horticulture food safety standard?
  • Should the law make faster food safety testing technologies for listeria mandatory?
  • Tips for food start-ups Part 2: What can go in my product?
  • ACCC reviewing premium claims for food and produce
  • Does a Vegan claim mean the absence of all animal allergens in the product?

March 2019

  • Foreword (March 2019)
  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and Overseas
  • Tips for food start-ups Part 1: How do I start my food business?
  • What do consumers expect of a ‘natural’ product? The Heilala decision considered
  • When re-categorisation of a food-like product as a non-food product may permit a stronger Country of Origin claim to be made
  • When can caffeine be added to a New Zealand supplemented food?
  • ACCC crackdown on food industry franchisors

February 2019

  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and Overseas (February 2019)
  • What happens if a key ingredient in your product is declared as a novel food?
  • Can you call your product Vegan?
  • L-carnitine as a food ingredient
  • Where a forecasting mistake can land a food company in hot water
  • What does it mean for honey to be ‘ripe and mature’?
  • Lubricants in food processing and Anti-sticking substances in foods: Differences and Similarities and the regulatory approaches

December 2018

  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and Overseas (December 2018)
  • Are all foods that contain “traces” of allergens now considered unsafe?
  • Is substantial transformation the right test? An analysis of the first Court decision on new Country of Origin Labelling laws
  • Implications arising from proposed changes to the Health Star Rating algorithm
  • Does the Food Standards Code permit carry-over of vitamin and mineral fortification?
  • What is “GRAS”? Is it good enough for the Australian Market?
  • Key considerations when developing a certification trade mark
  • Key issues in ensuring trade measurement statement compliance
  • Why an attempt to harmonise follow-on formula protein requirements is being led by industry

November 2018

  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas (November 2018)
  • Can a sports food claim to be sporty?
  • An update on Australia’s new import laws
  • A Brief Assessment of the New Criminal Offence of ‘Reckless Contamination’
  • Substances used in the cheesemaking process
  • Regulatory distinctions between a mandatory declaration, an advisory statement or a warning statement

October 2018

  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and Overseas (October 2018)
  • Country of Origin: How relevant is the concept of ‘significant ingredient’?
  • A warning or a criminal prosecution? How Australia’s food laws are being enforced
  • Social media legal risks for food businesses
  • Labelling of plant-based dairy analogues
  • Increased charges for applying to change the Food Standards Code

September 2018

  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and elsewhere (September 2018)
  • Do food service products require a country of origin label?
  • Can enzymes ever be used as food ingredients?
  • Changes to carbohydrate and sugar claim permissions on alcoholic beverages
  • A shift towards harsher penalties for breaching the Australian Consumer Law
  • TGA seek feedback on proposed guidance for Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code 2018
  • What are the impacts if the minimum alcohol percentage for tequila is reduced?

August 2018

  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas (August 2018)
  • How the ACCC plans to enforce Country of Origin
  • Therapeutic Goods Administration consider options for future regulation of ‘low risk’ products
  • How flexible is our health claims system? A point in time review of self-substantiated health claims
  • How the context in which food is sold can impact liability for potentially misleading or deceptive claims
  • How will food businesses and consumers be affected by New Zealand’s proposed Country of Origin laws?
  • Green tea: is it good or bad for our health?

June 2018

  • Foreword (June 2018)
  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas (June 2018)
  • Unintended impacts of new Country of Origin record keeping up and down the supply chain
  • What limitations exist for Food for Special Medical Purposes allowances?
  • When does a new probiotic strain need regulatory pre-approval to be used in food?
  • What is the impact of the Country of Origin requirements on New Zealand products?
  • FSANZ proposal for review of regulatory nutrient reference values
  • Piercing the corporate veil under the Food Acts: Implications for directors and managers of non-compliant food companies
  • The food regulatory and marketing implications of animal feed supplementation in Australia

May 2018

  • Foreword (May 2018)
  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas (May 2018)
  • Does the new country of origin labelling apply to inner packs?
  • Statutory reporting requirements for biosecurity risks on foods imported to Australia
  • Waste management regulatory regimes in Australia and further developments to watch
  • How new definitions can redefine meat marketing
  • Carrageenan as a disputed food additive
  • The practical differences between industry-based private compliance and legal regulatory compliances

April 2018

  • Foreword (April 2018)
  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas
  • Federal Department of Industry to apply Country of Origin requirements to New Zealand products
  • Federal Court rules a high sugar food was not compatible with a ‘healthy’ claim
  • Can products that contain GOS claim to have ‘no added sugar’?
  • Country of origin labelling for food in assisted service display cabinets
  • Magnesium: Australian food regulations and dietary guidelines, and latest research and trends
  • The Laws of Honey

March 2018

  • UPDATED: Australia’s new Country of Origin Information Standard: a competitive advantage for New Zealand?
  • Current Developments in food law and policy in Australia and elsewhere (March 2018)
  • Is 'substantial transformation' the wrong criterion for the kangaroo?
  • 2018 ACCC Enforcement Priorities
  • Fast Food and Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) Menu Labelling Schemes – FRSC Consultation Paper
  • New restrictions on functional claims for complementary medicines in Australia
  • When does a company kitchen need Food Act registration?

February 2018

  • Foreword (February 2018)
  • Current Developments in food law and policy in Australia and elsewhere (February 2018)
  • Do the new Country of Origin food labelling laws apply to B2B transactions?
  • The recent FSANZ and OGTR technical reviews of GM and GMO regulatory implications
  • Why is FSANZ increasing maximum residue limits?
  • ‘Diabetic friendly’ foods in Australian food law and the context of recent scientific findings
  • Recent trend of ‘slack-fill’ actions in the US: what are the comparative regulatory risks in Australia?

December 2017

  • Can foods for export still use the kangaroo logo?
  • Current Developments in food law and policy in Australia and elsewhere (December 2017)
  • Do Formulated Supplementary Sports Foods have stricter health claim requirements?
  • Proposed "Genetically Modified" amendments may signal reduced GM obligations for some products
  • Trends, opportunities and regulation of infant food
  • How to reduce the legal risks of your ‘natural’ claim being misleading or deceptive: lessons to be learned from recent Federal Court of Australia case
  • ‘No added sugar’ and ‘diet’ drinks: misleading or deceptive?
  • What impact has the Advertising Standards Board had on food marketing in 2017?
  • Mandatory notification of foods with anaphylactic reactions, the new Victorian Health and Child Wellbeing Legislation Amendment Bill 2017

November 2017

  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and elsewhere (November 2017)
  • Does mentioning a healthy ingredient constitute a health claim or a nutrition content claim?
  • Trans fat: A review of the research on the scientific and regulatory position for Australia
  • The legal implications of possible changes to the Health Star Rating System
  • What the abandonment of FSANZ Proposal P1034 means for packaging regulation in Australia
  • Thematic approach to the 5 year review of Australia’s Health Star Rating System
  • The Law of Syrups according to the Food Standards Code

October 2017

  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and elsewhere (October 2017)
  • The law of probiotics in Australia and beyond, A review of regulatory definitions, claims and descriptions for probiotic food labelling and composition
  • Is Australia’s novel food regulation 'exclusivity' option protected against food imported by New Zealand?
  • Grapefruit-drug interactions: The regulatory gap for the grapefruit juice health risks based on scientific findings
  • Does the portion of Australian ingredients in my product affect whether it has been “substantially transformed”?

September 2017

  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and elsewhere (September 2017)
  • Potential ways to optimise product Health Star Rating
  • Scientific and regulatory insights for protein ingredients and protein enrichments
  • When does blending of dry ingredients count as “substantial transformation”?
  • Charles Fisher on Front of Pack war stories
  • Sameera Sirisena on Opportunities in Food Reformulation and new technological innovations
  • Federal Court issues judgment on use of natural claim in trade mark case
  • I already make healthy food choices

August 2017

  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas (August 2017)
  • Updating Australia's law for Imported Foods, 2016-2018
  • Batch sample requirements in food production
  • Recycled water: Regulatory framework and permitted agricultural uses, in Victoria
  • Horticultural industry by-products as possible functional ingredients
  • A scientific and nutritional review of the constituents of Australia's infant formula products
  • The regulatory rules for hemp as a food in Australia

June 2017

  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and elsewhere (June-July 2017)
  • Health Star Rating progress report prompts Front of Pack discussions
  • Legal and regulatory issues in the online sale of foods
  • The implications of different tests for "Product of" under Australia's new Country of Origin law: Is it easier to claim "Product of France" than "Product of Australia?"
  • Technological and sensory substitution developments for fat replacement in food product reformulation
  • Water as an adulterant
  • Applications of dietary fibre in food processing
  • Smoking of foods: Methods, regulation and legal compliance considerations

May 2017

  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and elsewhere (May 2017)
  • WTO tobacco decision on Australia's plain packaging laws: Could these legal principles be extended to other products?
  • How non-compliance for importers can arise despite complying with the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code
  • How Australian food standards deal with wine technologies and their application to 'wine' and 'wine products'
  • Sucrose is not in food only to be sweet: Meeting the deficiencies of other sweeteners when reformulating foods to replace sugar
  • Priority versus non-priority foods under the new Country of Origin Labelling scheme

April 2017

  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and elsewhere (April 2017)
  • Oats and gluten: A source of confusion and the problem for people with coeliac diesease
  • Polyphenols in food: Measurement and bioactivities
  • Origin claims based on geographical indicators
  • Techniques of salt reduction
  • What food companies can learn from the Whole Pantry "fake cancer" case
  • Further guidance issued on "substantial transformation" under the new Country of Origin Labelling laws

March 2017

  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and elsewhere (March 2017)
  • ACCC announces 2017 enforcement priorities
  • Can the new Country of Origin Labelling laws be privately enforced?
  • What am I? The 'true nature' of food names
  • The science of cinnamon
  • New MRL limits blur the line between food and commodities
  • Government response to Horticulture Code of Conduct review - finally a win for industry?

February 2017

  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and overseas (February 2017)
  • When an Australian grown product doesn't count as an Australian ingredient
  • Fast-tracking compliance possibilities for some food imports into Australia
  • Update on beverage container deposit laws in Australia, as at February 2017
  • A review of microbiological criteria for food safety in Australia
  • The regulation of herbs, plants and spices used in foods
  • Natural toxicants and contaminants in foods: Irrespective of whether a food is "natural" or not

December 2016

  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and elsewhere (December 2016 - January 2017)
  • Woolworths victory over ACCC: Lessons learnt by SMEs
  • Overview of Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation November 2016 meeting
  • Are press releases 'advertising' under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code?
  • Australian consumers' 10 most hated ingredients and how to claim your food does not contain them
  • Yoghurt Story prosecution: A tale of two regulatory regimes
  • An update on New Zealand's Natural Health and Supplementary Products Bill
  • Can sugar-free confectionery use food colours?
  • Natural extracts (Part 1): Real and natural, but really?

November 2016

  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and elsewhere
  • The new Country of Origin Labelling system: "Can I still say 'local and imported' ingredients?"
  • An update on United States major food regulatory changes [GRAS, nutrition facts issues and 'healthy' claims]
  • Trans-fat replacement: The latest emerging research on new alternative technologies and related functional ingredients to replace trans-fats
  • A review of scientific issues on Soy foods, soy ingredients and bioactive ingredients in soy
  • The growing problems of self-serve checkout systems: What supermarkets might consider legally to tackle self-serve shoplifting
  • Making voluntary Industry Codes legally binding: A lesson from the banking sector

October 2016

  • Current developments in food law and policy (October 2016)
  • What is substantial transformation? (FLB October 2016)
  • Nature's colours: Animal, mineral or vegetable? (FLB October 2016)
  • Unfair contract terms legislation to affect thousands of businesses: What you need to know (FLB October 2016)
  • EasyMeals case highlights what food companies should be aware of when selling online (October 2016)
  • Starches in the food industry, new chemical or physical structures that are creating new functional properties in a changing landscape (FLB October 2016)
  • The expanding sciences of food fraud forensics

September 2016

  • Current developments in food law and policy (September 2016)
  • Emulsifiers, stabilisers, thickeners, gelling agents: Texturisers - Which one and why?
  • Fast food menus: The latest target of mandatory nutrition information
  • Under Australia's new Country of Origin Labelling laws: Is the water in my product "Australian"?
  • The implications of the ACCC v Valve Federal Court decision for food online sales and personal importations of food
  • Nutritional challenges facing infant formula and infant foods
  • Review of Australia’s export control laws

August 2016

  • Current developments in food law and policy in Australia and elsewhere
  • Nanotechnology and the FSANZ approach
  • Media rebates and the non-disclosure to advertising customers by agencies
  • Update on Australian position for pregnancy warning labels on alcoholic beverages
  • Opportunities for using bacteriophages in food production, food safety, food preservation and for medical and therapeutic purposes
  • ACCC action against Heinz signals new approach on "healthiness" claims for foods

June 2016

  • Current developments in food law and policy (June - July 2016)
  • Charles Fisher on regulatory pathways to innovate and healthy products
  • Weight loss restrictions: Substances that can't be added to food products
  • Alcoholic beverages and current topical issues - Part 1
  • The colours of meat
  • Australia's new biosecurity legislation - What does it change?
  • Does the dairy industry have a monopoly over cheese?

May 2016

  • Current developments in food law and policy (May 2016)
  • How long will it take for Health Stars to truly reflect what's healthy and what's not?
  • Can a guidance document be given the weight of law?
  • Hormonal growth promotants (HGP): A review of the existing scientific position
  • An analysis of the New Zealand Supreme Court's interpretation of health claims
  • Are there labelling anomalies in the new Food Standards Code?
  • Mark Fletcher provides consumer insights at FoodLegal Symposium

April 2016

  • Current developments in food law and policy (April 2016)
  • Country of Origin Labelling laws get Ministerial approval - What do we know?
  • Category Benefits vs Product Claims: The risks in making intrinsic claims
  • Nutrition content claims that fall outside the Food Standards Code
  • Understanding the difference between 'validation' v 'verification' in food safety systems
  • FSANZ Proposal P1028 on infant formula, comments on proposed new food standard: A case of L'enfant terrible

March 2016

  • Current developments in food law and policy (March 2016)
  • FSANZ Proposal P1024: Novel foods and nutritive substances - Quo vadis?
  • How concentrated are your ingredients?
  • What about minerals as nutritive substances and their 'natural-ness'? How natural are they?
  • Temperature abuse and ready-to-eat salads, a scientific basis for better food safety protocols
  • Determining the appropriate length of time for food companies to retain food safety records
  • Prebiotics and probiotics and yoghurt

February 2016

  • Current developments in food law and policy (February 2016)
  • Are Australia's new proposed country of origin laws going too far?
  • The importance of the "food matrix" in food composition and innovative marketing
  • How really natural are vitamin-based nutritive substances?
  • A case study of an undeclared food allergen: lupin and the Food Standards Code
  • CoOL: How do the "safe harbour defences" differ in the new country of origin labelling framework?
  • A labelling dilemma for Australian-grown food packed offshore

December 2015

  • Current developments in food law and policy (December 2015 - January 2016)
  • PrimeSafe to undergo changes following independent review
  • Arnott's Biscuits misleading comparison claims for light & crispy Shapes
  • Uncle Tobys penalty: Implications for usage of split claims?
  • The laws of Arsenic in foods and the implications
  • Is a space required in a trade measurement statement? When letter of the law conflicts with government guidance
  • "GM-free" claims in Australia, USA and different EU countries
  • Water beverages and bottled or packaged water regulation

November 2015

  • Current developments in food law and policy (November 2015)
  • Update on EU evaluation of health claims
  • Benzene, friend or foe?
  • Is a new future starting to hatch for the labelling of free range eggs?
  • FSANZ Proposal for a ban on raw apricot kernels with some exceptions
  • Is there a problem with titanium dioxide - or in its nanoparticle form?

October 2015

  • Current developments in food law and policy (October 2015)
  • Organic farmer loses WA Court appeal against GMO crop neighbour
  • Reader feedback: A comment on the article "Are the New Zealand regulatory opportunities and avenues for Australian food importers getting narrower?" by Patrick Noyelle, FoodLegal Bulletin
  • A vitamin by any other name, analysis of food labelling requirements and inconsistencies on vitamin labelling
  • Which meat can I eat? Observations on some Food Standards Code meaty issues
  • Whether existing laws cover all sugar claims
  • The difference between "unsafe food" and "unsuitable food"
  • The various rules when describing products as "weight loss" products

September 2015

  • Current developments in food law and policy (September 2015)
  • Comparing EU Court decision with Australia's ANZFSC rules for "characterising ingredients" and ACCC's dominant purpose test on fruit depictions
  • Proposed allergen labelling exemptions may assist allergy sufferers and food companies
  • How do I add stevia to this?
  • Are the New Zealand regulatory opportunities and avenues for Australian food importers getting narrower?
  • The 'natural'-ness of different food colouring substances
  • An overview of the legal distinctions between laws, regulations, standards and codes

August 2015

  • Current developments in food law and policy (August 2015)
  • PM announces final version of Australia's Country of Origin Law
  • Superfood claims: Regulatory risk or opportunity
  • Alcohol Labelling and Compositional Compliance - the past, present and future regulatory issues
  • Different regulatory and voluntary frameworks for prevention of food wastage

June 2015

  • Current developments in food law and policy (June - July 2015)
  • Government releases new country of origin proposals
  • Comparing permitted health claims in Australia and the European Union
  • Cleaners, sanitizers, sterilizers and detergents, amongst the unseen food additions
  • The hidden weighting game, food stabilizers, emulsifiers and cloudy additives in drinks and other foods
  • Regulating conduct in online business in Australia
  • FSANZ Proposal P1037: Proposed changes to health claims and nutrition content claims standard
  • Overcoming practical problems of the Health Star Rating system, Australia's front-of-pack labelling scheme

May 2015

  • Current developments in food law and policy (May 2015)
  • Australian Nutrition Data - Which source?
  • Online and 'Uber-style' food businesses: A regulatory perspective
  • The regulatory issues concerning innovations in the separate areas of protein quality and concentrated foods
  • What is the legal definition of 'fresh'?
  • Towards improving safety of fruit and vegetables: is the mission for a food safety 'lite' scheme or a reinvention of the wheel?
  • The word 'Anzac' and the legal framework for its usage

April 2015

  • Current developments in food law and policy (April 2015)
  • Why should regulated production of kangaroo meat be prohibited in any Australia jurisdiction?
  • Five tips that might help with the Nutrient Profiling Scoring Criterion
  • What is the legal meaning of 'superfood'?
  • How a voluntary labelled warning can signal a product might be an unsafe food in some circumstances
  • How Listeria risk assessment for 'ready-to-eat' food differs according to food type
  • A critique of the World Health Organisation's Gluckman Report on Child Obesity Policies
  • World Health Organisation publishes new sugar intake recommendations

March 2015

  • Current developments in food law and policy (March 2015)
  • Hepatitis A and food testing: What lessons were learned by governments from last time?
  • Government faces a Country of Origin Labelling (CoOL) mouse trap
  • Saturated fats, trans fats and labelling laws
  • Are the rules on allergen labelling and processing aids always fair?
  • Are the Food Standards Code's Daily Intake amounts consistent with the NHMRC measurements?

February 2015

  • Current developments in food law and policy (February 2015)
  • Vittoria Coffee victory in Australian High Court allows protection for non-English descriptive words as Australian trademark
  • New Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code version gets go-ahead from Ministers
  • Legal position and recent history of raw milk regulation in Australia
  • Overview of the new EU Food Information for Consumers Regulation
  • Questioning the assumptions behind "free range" claims
  • Is the enforcement of "natural" claims going to start overseas?
  • Will the food authorities tackle misleading and deceptive conduct?

December 2014

  • Current developments in food law and policy (December 2014 - January 2015)
  • Is the food industry missing a major food safety risk? A look at intake of food chemicals other than by oral ingestion
  • Emerging food safety risks: 2014 and beyond (Charles Fisher audio-visual presentation)
  • Can you mention diseases on food labels in Australia?
  • Permitting promotions, legal registration issues for online product promotions and competitions
  • Can a "mountain product" claim be made for a food or beverage in Australia?
  • The ins and outs of nutritional substances in milk, a review of the scientific literature about different dairy processes

November 2014

  • Current developments in food law and policy (November 2014)
  • Some therapeutics and complementary medicines face de-listing for therapeutic claims in Australia
  • Online sales of food and the need for the regulators to catch up
  • Using food regulation to a healthy advantage - Charles Fisher presentation
  • The 20 different meanings of 'sugar' in the Food Standards Code
  • Contamination potential from ice in retail displays of fresh food
  • Does the labelling of dietary "sodium" in foods sufficiently address the health impact of high salt intake?

October 2014

  • Current developments in food law and policy (October 2014)
  • Tackling childhood obesity: examining the causes and best preventive measures
  • Consumer trends: Low FODMAPS foods a healthy marketing opportunity
  • PACIS 2009 report: Designing Supply Chain Systems to Cope with Catastrophes
  • EDITORIAL: Ebola or other serious disease outbreaks: Where are Australia's pandemic quarantine and logistics plans?
  • The legally undeclarable ingredient
  • Does the trademark defence stand up to a breach of the new Health Claims Standard?
  • Harnessing Functional Foods Presentation by Dr Lisa Ryan
  • Fermented food trends and regulatory issues
  • PACIS 2009 report ABSTRACT: Designing Supply Chain Systems to Cope with Catastrophes

September 2014

  • Current developments in food law and policy (September 2014)
  • New proposed version of the Food Standards Code raises more questions than it answers
  • Are "Gluten free oats" illegal in Australia?
  • Flavour trends, new flavour technologies and the proprietary protection of flavours
  • Food photography: What is the legal position?
  • Food category domain-names and an update on domain-name disputes

August 2014

  • Current developments in food law and policy (August 2014)
  • GUEST COLUMN: Professor Glen Wiggs on the end of the Australian National Preventative Health Agency: "ANPHA's demise a mercy killing"
  • Protection of Innovation for Products: Supermarket-Supplier Competition (Adam Hyland video)
  • The new paradigm of the ACCC's credence claim enforcement agenda
  • The difference in carbohydrate listings between USA and Australia
  • Essential oils as food supplements in Australia
  • Health Star Ratings Go Live

June 2014

  • Current developments in food law and policy (June - July 2014)
  • Landmark GM judgment points finger at organic certifying body
  • How we can make the Health Claims Standard work for us (Charles Fisher 30 minute lecture video)
  • Is "rehydration" a health claim?
  • Is deionised fruit juice... fruit juice?
  • Developments in non-thermal food processing alternatives
  • "Hide and seek" in the ingredient list

May 2014

  • Should the law require all eggs to be pasteurised?
  • Monitoring data on ethyl carbamate
  • Celiac protein potentially blocked by EU GMO laws
  • Update on emerging risks
  • Scientific Opinion on Strawberry crinkle virus and plant health
  • UK Food Standards Agency no longer accepting Novel food applications
  • Evaluation on human health risk of chlorpyrifos
  • Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of 4-hexylresorcinol (E 586) as a food additive
  • Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of propyl gallate
  • Scientific Opinion on infant and follow-on formulae
  • Scientific Opinions on EU health claims
  • EFSA releases new scientific opinions and reports
  • Did the ACCC's action on fuel docket discounts change Australia's Competition landscape?
  • ACCC's latest action against Coles' multi-million dollar gain from 'unconscionable conduct' against smaller suppliers
  • The growth of nanotechnologies in the food industry and the regulatory issues
  • Does "Gluten Free" mean different things for different businesses?
  • Self-substantiated health claims: why so slow on the uptake?

April 2014

  • Current developments in food law and policy (April 2014)
  • What are acceptable variances for food labelling purposes in food measurements, nutrient measures or other purposes?
  • Testing foods for different pathogens: A FoodLegal examination of the conventional tests and comparing the alternative newer testing methods
  • Meeting the fibre criteria for CoPoNC and the relationship with Standard 1.2.7
  • Genetically Modified: A meaningful or meaningless label?
  • An explanation of new US food label proposals

March 2014

  • Recent interviews
  • Some of the legal risks for numerical claims in marketing
  • The position of some Health Claims in the EU not being acceptable within Australia as yet
  • Imported food non-compliances, some issues and questions of relabelling
  • Raw food trends and the Law of "Raw"
  • Implementing national food standards and government nutritional policy frameworks (Anne Astin video)

February 2014

  • Nutrition and Health Claims Video - Dean Stockwell
  • Multi-purpose processing aids: Chitosan; A case study
  • Vitamins and Minerals in foods and their secret ingredients
  • Vending machines and nutritional regulatory issues
  • Finicky and difficult food customers - What are the legal issues?

December 2013

  • Some problematic issues in the proposed Supermarket Code of Conduct
  • Impact of US regulatory requirements in Australia for trans fats, nutrition facts and carbohydrates
  • Bad Taste Problems: the Risks in Controversial Marketing
  • Making a comparative claim: what constitutes a 'reference food'?
  • What happens when you get a false positive for an allergen or dangerous substance? A case study on Allergen Detection using ELISA assays and False Positives
  • Is 'Healthy' or 'Healthier'... a health claim?

October 2013

  • Why is caffeine regulated more strictly than alcohol in Australia?
  • The regulation of plant sterols in food
  • How has the ACCC performed on food marketing cases in 2013?
  • The detection of gluten in foods - methods and limitations
  • When can tariffs be used to protect domestic food production?
  • Code breaches for non-declaration of food additives?
  • Why Australia and New Zealand's 'joint' food law systems are so different
  • Australia's proposed FoPL scheme compared with international regimes
  • Are wholegrain claims nutrition content claims or food-related claims?
  • Is the debate about the "healthy fats" just beginning?

September 2013

  • ACCC wins major "unconscionable conduct" action
  • When an 'additive' might have a different 'purpose'
  • Government seeks feedback on regulation of caffeinated products
  • Are health claims actually legally permitted on behalf of food?
  • Formaldehyde and the law

August 2013

  • Can your product claim to be "rich in": antioxidants? or probiotics? or whole grains?
  • How meaningful is the government's Star Rating System for packaged foods?
  • Matching Dietary Fibre Claims to Laws and Science
  • Coconut laws: beyond Lamingtons and Cherry Ripes
  • FSANZ hides the ball: Alcohol labelling under Standard 1.2.7

June 2013

  • Gluten-free debate as AFGC pushes for change
  • Adequate, but unregulated, storage instructions
  • More "Natural" water products, as regulated under Australian food laws
  • Consumers do not live by bread alone, there is also a matter of labelling
  • Must a 'Natural Flavour' contain only 'Natural' substances?
  • When will a "restraint of trade" clause be legitimate or regarded as anti-competitive?
  • Who can make food-related "Weight Loss" claims?

May 2013

  • Country of Origin claims that are beyond the ambit of current laws
  • To what extent is a food wholesaler or ingredient supplier responsible for retail product compliance?
  • Environmental claims on food for sale in the European Union
  • The Use of Creativity in Ingredient Lists
  • Products full of flavour

April 2013

  • Food analysis methods: Problems of analysis with LODs and LOQs
  • ACCC powers in relation to supermarket suppliers
  • Is the Health Claims Standard encouraging consumption of processed foods?
  • Health Claims and the importance of the "form" of the food: microwaved, oven-baked or pan-fried?
  • Should the Food Standards Code be varied for additional allergens?

March 2013

  • Tracking the source of contamination in a food incident: how to find the smoking gun?
  • Categorising a food with GST-exemption - a case study
  • Horse meat substitution: what might happen in Australia?
  • Next after Health Claims, it's about Front of Pack Labelling
  • Is the NPSC that bad? A case study demonstrating how the NPSC works
  • Is there prescriptive wording for Health Claims? An analysis of the theory versus the reality in Australia

February 2013

  • Probiotics as a case study comparison of Health Claims regulatory approaches
  • How the Health Claims Standard was finalised: The last 12 months reviewed
  • Implications of the Bonsoy soy milk class action
  • Will the usage of 'portion control' in food marketing be subject to regulatory scrutiny?
  • When should a "Preservative Free" claim be permitted?

December 2012

  • Nutrient Profiling Systems and health?
  • Enforcing the Food Standards Code: 'Slipping through the cracks'
  • Novel Foods: Is the ACNF approach to food safety going to apply more broadly to all foods?
  • Sodium reduction trends and the regulatory implications
  • ACL vs ANZFSC: The front vs the back of the label
  • A case of confusing drafting of the Food Standards Code

November 2012

  • Are the UK traffic lights a preview for Australia?
  • Health Claims vs Therapeutic Claims: Why Australia is hamstrung by its artificial distinctions?
  • The Date Debate: Use-By vs. Best Before
  • Relevant marketing and regulatory implications in Endorsements
  • "How do you like your eggs?" Analysis of self-regulating body vetted by ACCC
  • The potential implications of the Tobacco Plain Packaging decision for food labelling and food regulation

October 2012

  • The interaction of IP property rights within the Food Standards Code
  • Regulatory tactic of using the "Novel Foods" accusation: Novel enforcement method or a regulatory abuse?
  • Risk management restructuring changes create new risks
  • Unexpected contaminants in food packaging

September 2012

  • Law inconsistency by APVMA hinders agricultural exports from Australia
  • The outcomes of FoodLegal's Health Hazards Symposium
  • Vegetarian foods and their compositional and labelling issues
  • Packaging regulatory issues for meat product: Listeria in the meat - packaged or not?
  • Origin Labelling and further developments

August 2012

  • Greens push for new Country of Origin Labelling scheme
  • When is a "fresh" food product really fresh?
  • When does the street address on a food label need to be registered as a food premises?
  • How many bureaucracies purport to regulate alcohol in Australia?
  • Laws on Preservatives and the FSANZ framework

June 2012

  • Will dark chocolate force food-labelling laws to change?
  • Chemical Residues and Processing Aids in Fruits & Vegetables
  • Will the Health Claims regime discourage claims for whole fruit and vegetables in favour of artificial supplements?
  • Food Safety on airlines: Complications of cross-jurisdictional legal issues
  • Watch out importers: Why AQIS has no soft touch

May 2012

  • Elderly at risk: Food deficiencies of Australia's aged population
  • Google case heralds a new wave of compliance obligations for companies with an online presence
  • Corporate Social Responsibility Policies and Scope for "Benefit Corporations"?
  • Parallel importers hit by new FSANZ interpretation
  • Has the meaning of "antioxidant" become inherently misleading?

April 2012

  • Assessment of the Potential for Cross-Contamination of Food Products by Reusable Shopping Bags
  • Food trucks - roving restaurants, not just food takeaways
  • Is Australia's Country of Origin Labelling ("CoOL") regime vulnerable to WTO appeal?
  • Random regulatory controls over nuclear contamination in Australian food imports
  • Supermarkets and statutory powers to investigate their unconscionable conduct

March 2012

  • New Zealand pressured on mandatory addition of folic acid in flour despite new medical concerns
  • FSANZ seeks comment on proposals for regulation of "fat free" claims
  • EFSA requires probiotic health claims to meet strict guidelines: Will Australia follow suit?
  • Shedding some light on "light alcohol" in Australia
  • When do laws to encourage environment sustainability infringe anti-competition law?
  • Towards a better understanding of oils and fats

February 2012

  • The Problematic Issue of "Name and Shame" Registers
  • Will mobile technology development render health claims regulation useless?
  • Risks in innovative marketing copy: "Roaming" vs "Ranging"
  • Making "-free" claims: Different approaches of the ACCC, FSANZ and TGA
  • Divergent approaches on the flavour route

December 2011

  • Ministers Identify Australian Food Labelling Priorities
  • Time to Reform the Confusing Laws of Food Lubricants in Australia
  • The Legal Requirements for Food Regulators to Avoid any Potential for Bias
  • Supermarket Powers, the ACCC and the Metcash Decision
  • Food Marketing and a Lesson in Trade Mark Law: Woolworths and the "Honest to Goodness" Trademark Case
  • "Overall Impressions" and the "Reasonable Consumer": How the Food Industry Can Learn from a Court Case about Telephones

November 2011

  • ACCC Mandatory Reporting Requirements Update
  • Update on Health and Nutrition claims standard 1.2.7
  • Are food additives 'food'? How legal definitions impact the regulation of food additive manufacture
  • Product review: FSANZ Nutrition Panel Calculator
  • The Misunderstood Child of the Food Standards : the Processing Aid

October 2011

  • A Series on Sweeteners: Advantame
  • Did adulteration stop and contamination begin? Or, has food law simply changed?
  • Legal risks for healthy food certifications, a reflection on recent National Heart Foundation change in strategy
  • Legal implications of picking up the online food shopping: Click and Collect
  • The Terminology of Therapeutic Goods Regulation and Complementary Medicines, in Alphabetical Order

September 2011

  • A Series on Sweeteners: Aspartame
  • Legal Collars and Glue: The Law of Starch in Australia
  • Supermarket Ombudsman: What might this role become?
  • Who certifies the certifiers? The ongoing contest between industry QA people and government regulators
  • Class Actions and the Food Industry

August 2011

  • FSANZ introduces its Code Interpretation Service
  • Protecting privacy for your product development
  • Parallel importing and traceability: does grey stock pose a food safety risk?
  • When did roughage become so complex? The when, why, what and how of dietary fibre regulation in Australia.
  • Food Safety Regime Differences between Australian States

July 2011

  • A Tale of Two Governments: Planning from Paddock to Plate but Sorting out their Spin from Their Spoon
  • FSANZ proposes important maintenance changes to the Food Standards Code
  • Plastics in Food: Natural Migration or Border Jumping
  • European E.coli puts spotlight on Australian horticultural regulation and practices - Irradiation no longer old hat
  • Slimming Claims and Substantiation of Weight Loss Claims
  • GM Presence and Legal Issues about Adventitious Presence

May 2011

  • Caffeinated foods and beverages at the top of Ministerial Council agenda
  • The regulatory implications of research findings about health-oriented monikers and pseudonyms
  • Concerns in the EU over meat binding agents
  • Legibility, font sizes and the recommendations of the Blewett Review
  • How mandatory should country-of-origin labelling be?
  • The Blewett Review: Legislation, Compliance and Enforcement - Presentation given at the FoodLegal Symposium Blewett Between the Lines 28 March 2011

April 2011

  • A suggested solution to make Traffic Lights Labelling meaningful
  • AQIS denies Free Trade argument in Red Bull blockage
  • Sweet cereals don't justify bitter medicine from food regulators
  • How much of a bad thing: A review of food sampling in enforcement and legal remedies for food companies
  • Can the Blewett Panel push for private standards and industry self-regulation work?

March 2011

  • Heart Foundation Tick raises further concerns
  • Folate Fortification: Did switching from voluntary to mandatory fortification make a difference?
  • Is FSANZ's approach to QuornTM (mycoprotein) consistent with previous FSANZ policy?
  • Technical and Regulatory Issues of Packaging Affecting Taste: From Pallet to Palate
  • Red Bull in dispute over Trans-Tasman Export Route
  • Do we need More Laws about Barcodes, QR Codes, RFID and other new Label Scanning Technologies?

February 2011

  • Blewett Panel's Report: A blueprint for the future of food labelling in Australia
  • Newest Health Claims highlight need for a better Health Claims approach
  • Legal protection in registered brand names can be illusory
  • Marketing lessons from latest fruit depiction cases in Australia and the USA
  • Legal Issues of Contaminated Ingredients for Suppliers and Customers

December 2010

  • Food Law and Labelling Legislative Updates
  • The Search for the Wholey Grain
  • The Who, What, When, Why and How of Shelf Stability and the Rules for Determining Shelf Life
  • Commentary on recent regulatory trends in beverage law reviews in the United States and Australia: Part 1 - Caffeinated Beverages

November 2010

  • ACCC Crackdown on Green Claims to Impact Food Companies
  • Legal risks in marketing the non-allergenic properties of food products
  • A Basis for Reviewing the Food Standards Code
  • The Butter v Margarine debate and the regulation of saturated and trans fat in Australia
  • Update on the law of salt

October 2010

  • ACCC searches for new targets
  • FoodLegal Editorial: What are consumer expectations of our food law system?
  • Legal Validity and Implications of market research and consumer survey information
  • Regulatory responses to the cloning of farm animals in Australia
  • Can you rely on a sample? Exploring practical legal aspects of supply by sample in the food industry

September 2010

  • Differing approaches by Australian States to implementing Food Safety Programs
  • Legal risks in comparative advertising
  • Rethinking caffeine - New Zealand Food Safety Authority and Risk Profile on Caffeine
  • Do Australia's biosecurity structural changes mean effective change for better or for worse?

August 2010

  • Response from Dairy Australia on technology confirming hormones absence
  • Is Australia ready for a food-borne virus outbreak?
  • Further analysis of Primo Country of Origin Labelling case
  • What constitutes emphasis? An exploration of Food Standard 1.2.10
  • Legal Implications of Changing the Address for your Food Label
  • Business risks in Council shut-down powers
  • Proposals in Victoria requiring fast food chains to display energy content

June 2010

  • Will Australia follow the American ban on Endosulfan?
  • Minimising Hormones and Antibiotics in Dairy Products: When being 'natural' can mean using clever technology
  • The ACCC's review of the Product Safety Recall system: How will it affect the food industry?
  • Should the ACCC have powers to enforce the Food Standards Code or is the ACCC waiting to step away?
  • Will the Labelling Law for Fats Keep Up with Science?
  • Resolving the conflicts over 'safe harbour' labelling for 'Country of Origin' within Australian laws
  • Organic food standardisation: What are the possibilities of convergence with conventional food production?
  • Further additional food law developments (June - July 2010)

May 2010

  • Can you be banned from your job? ACCC granted new powers by Federal Government!
  • Rating the New South Wales "Scores on Doors" system
  • Legal risks in expanding role of food safety auditors
  • ACCC questions when "local" seafood not so local
  • The Bisphenol A debate and FSANZ's relaxed views on food contact materials
  • The laws that permit food companies to recover, recycle and rework waste in food products

April 2010

  • Examining the role of industry self-regulation in food marketing
  • Supply and demand for healthy food
  • Concepts of "Good Manufacturing Practice" programs within the Food Processing Industry
  • New voluntary marketing Code for alcoholic spirits
  • When does food marketing become a food "advertisement"?
  • Some "natural" issues in food marketing

March 2010

  • How necessary is an Australian National Preventative Health Agency for anti-obesity policy?
  • Food Labelling Review Panel releases Consultation Paper
  • Health Claims loophole now threatened
  • Questions asked of proposed 'Front of Pack Labelling' options in Australia
  • The role of Codex Alimentarius in Australian food regulation
  • Avoiding any food additives cocktail

February 2010

  • Members of Food Labelling Review Committee Selected by Ministerial Council
  • When alcohol regulation can defy commonsense: how conventional foods can be impacted by liquor laws
  • Feeling jittery? Some of the legal risks of adding caffeine to food
  • Copycats not necessarily passing off
  • "Truth in Labelling" legislative moves and attempts to pre-empt Food Labelling Review Committee

December 2009

  • Mandatory fortification legal deficiencies exposed in peer-reviewed paper
  • The Federal Court speaks! Recent case provides food industry with clearer guidance on the Trade Practices Act
  • New NSW meat labelling sets precedent for the food industry
  • Protecting your Brand: the Cadbury's trademark and more
  • High Court decision limits duty of care of publicans and implications for other food suppliers
  • Numerous proposed amendments to the Food Standards Code
  • An analysis of the controversy over Palm Oil

November 2009

  • Scientific review of folic acid fortification - causes for concern
  • FSANZ shortcomings in post-marketing surveillance
  • Special Treatment: The inconsistency of food laws applying to importers or domestic producers
  • The use in food laws of 'Dietary Intake', 'Recommended Dietary Intake', other Reference Values and the role of the NHMRC

October 2009

  • TGA proposes to regulate all foods that are in capsule, tablet or pill form
  • Alternative suggestions for removing unfairness in FSANZ fee system
  • The Perception of Naturalness
  • Do Listeria sampling laws go far enough?
  • Update: ACCC intervention on olive oil misrepresentations
  • Some Legal Hints on Novel Foods
  • How legible are Labelling Legibility requirements in Food Law?
  • The Direction of Regulatory Changes for Dairy Fats in Australia

September 2009

  • ACCC Responds to FoodLegal Bulletin
  • Mandatory Folic Acid Fortification Update
  • Food producers must confront National Health Preventative Strategy
  • What is the meaning of 'Food Grade'?
  • What is a 'Free Range' Claim?
  • Legal dangers of changing a label ex post facto

August 2009

  • Update of Victoria's Food Bill
  • Folic Acid: Canadians are being overdosed!
  • How real is "Real"? When can companies describe their products as "Genuine" or "Real" or "Authentic"?
  • Protecting Proprietary Information from Prying Eyes in FSANZ Applications
  • A Comparison of the Law of Doggy Bags and Various Takeaway Food Scenarios
  • Approving Plant Sterols for Use in Foods

June 2009

  • Mandatory folic acid fortification: Big questions remain unanswered
  • ACCC publishes new food labelling update - but is the policy supported by Court case law?
  • New restrictions on price marketing strategies
  • Drawing the important legal distinction: When is it a Food Ingredient or a Food Additive?
  • High Court crackdown on Publisher's Defence could impact healthy food campaigns
  • FSANZ CEO Steve McCutcheon on Maximum Residue Levels
  • Maltesers and Malt Balls: Could your get up get you down?

May 2009

  • Changing Australia's Food Standards: It's Pay to Play!
  • Food industry beware! Australian food industry threatened by new food standard
  • Letter to the Editor: Heart Foundation responds to FoodLegal Bulletin Article about Heart Tick Criteria
  • Financial Stress & Food Businesses: Dealing with Risky Businesses
  • Legal ramifications of insolvency

April 2009

  • Lessons for food advertisers and marketers from the ACCC action against Coca-Cola
  • Heart Foundation Tick criteria re-assessed
  • FSANZ proposal to over-regulate ALL health claims
  • Using certified trade marks to manage legal risks in food marketing
  • It's not Kosher! Are food suppliers or caterers or restaurants legally permitted to say they are "Kosher-friendly" or "Kosher-style"?
  • Release of Draft of Mandatory Industry Code for Unit Pricing

March 2009

  • FSANZ pushing barrow on world stage
  • Front-of-pack Labelling Preliminary Draft Guidelines Released
  • Food retailers and manufacturers response strategies for Horticulture Code of Conduct recommendations
  • Australian regulation of agricultural and veterinary chemicals: Who is having two-headed fish for dinner?

February 2009

  • Dangers of Geography in a Label or Product Name

January 2009

  • Environmental Food Claims and the Legal Limitations of a "Food Miles" Claim
  • Cassava products food standard update and international review at Codex Alimentarius
  • Folic acid fortification mandate in debate
  • Australia's proposed new biosecurity system: who will hold the reins?
  • Unit Pricing to be established as a Mandatory Code of Conduct under the Trade Practices Act
  • Court cases highlight government duties to aggrieved farmers and food growers
  • Two More Issues raised in 'Country of Origin' Labelling Controversy
  • Recent ACCC activity and food industry ramifications

December 2008

  • Why Australian food companies need to consult with government on international food standards
  • Country of Origin Labelling: Consumer concerns revisited
  • Why Australian food producers face unfair disadvantage by AQIS inspection processes for imported foods
  • Important recent food law developments (December 2008 - January 2009)
  • Federal Court Watch
  • Can foods claim to be 'Rich in Potassium'?

November 2008

  • Comprehensive review of all national labelling laws announced
  • Front-of-pack labelling and its Legal Implications
  • Junk food advertising ban or another advertising gap?
  • Important recent food law developments (November 2008)
  • When the real oil ain't the real oil
  • Are additives permitted in organic foods?

October 2008

  • More News of Trade Practices Compliance Requirements: FoodLegal holding Trade Practices seminar for food industry participants
  • Vulnerability to Food Shortages in Bird Flu Scenario:The Need for Food Assurance Policy and Ready-to-eat Reserves
  • Is nanotechnology the new GM? (by Dr Joan Wright PhD, LLB (Hons) BHSc)
  • The dividing line between Functional Foods and Therapeutic Products - Is it a bird, a plane or a superfood?
  • Can you say your food is a 'Product of Australia' when all the packaging is from overseas?

September 2008

  • Trade Practices Compliance Programs: Pre-emptive strings to the ACCC's bow
  • Where is 'unit pricing' heading? More legal analysis of the ACCC recommendation
  • Legal Responsibility and Food Vending Machines
  • If it ain't yoghurt?
  • How might Victorian Food Act changes impact your business?

August 2008

  • Stevia-based high intensity sweetener given clearance by FSANZ
  • New legislation to protect children with allergies in Victoria
  • Victorian DHS Response to VCEC's Recommended Food Law Changes
  • Therapeutic Goods Industry Watchdogs May Need New Teeth
  • New labelling laws for Foodservice and Food Catering Businesses
  • Update on the Law of Unpasteurised Milk

July 2008

  • Overcoming difficulties for co-existence between GM and non-GM crops: Laws required for improving supply chain segregation
  • Why Australian consumers are eating GM food without knowing it
  • Should our Food Law treat GM foods differently from non-GM peanut butter?
  • Legal implications of choosing a brand name
  • Identifying the legal risks of unsafe plasticisers used in food jar lids

May 2008

  • Latest Federal Court decision offers more practical solution than ACCC approach to fruit-based representations
  • Food Standards Code allergen labelling requirements?
  • The Scientific Tipping Point: When science changes the legal position
  • Are you being "served"? Addressing the legal basis for "serve" sizes in food
  • Rights of food premises? Operators or occupiers and food inspectors

April 2008

  • FSANZ releases Final Assessment Report to introduce a new Health claims Standard
  • 'Go Natural Apricot Pieces in Yoghurt' and 'Go Natural Berry Pieces in Yoghurt' product names to change
  • FoodLegal's analysis of the latest draft by FSANZ on Health and Nutrition claims
  • Iodine Fortification and the Choice of Salt in Bread as its Carrier
  • Sodium Cyclamate: Food Standards changes may not benefit anyone

March 2008

  • Proposed Changes to Food Standards Code could potentially affect international cassava industries
  • Labelling or disclosure requirements for cafes and restaurants
  • New South Wales to expand Name and Shame list
  • Legal Avenues for Fighting "Binge Drinking Culture"

February 2008

  • Who is enforcing the laws to stop pesticide contamination of our berries, fruits and vegetables?
  • Queensland Government Responds to FLB article on the Queensland Food Act
  • Overcoming the Problem of Multiple Inspections
  • Testing Methodologies and Food Standards: The Legal Ramifications of Choosing the Right Method of Analysis
  • Pork Industry: A case study on use of evidence in a Productivity Commission Inquiry

December 2007

  • Productivity Commission Report Impacts on Future Food Law Enforcement and Safety
  • Legal Ramifications in Supply of Unpasteurised Milk
  • Legal Issues in Eco-labelling and Packaging of Foods
  • FSANZ seeks further public comment on proposed Health Claims Standard
  • Food Law Conflicts Between States for Reporting on Dangerous Bugs
  • Who audits the food safety auditors? Has the law opened the door to any charlatans?

November 2007

  • Improving the Relationship between State and Local Governments in Food Regulation in Victoria - Part 1: Inspection Powers
  • Improving the Relationship between State and Local Governments in Food Regulation in Victoria - Part 2: Closure Powers
  • The Packaging Dichotomy
  • The law of 'free range' eggs
  • Mandatory Warning, Mandatory Advisory Statements and Declarations under the Food Standards Code

October 2007

  • Queensland Food Act moves in the wrong direction: What happened to simplification and national uniformity?
  • How laws can aid marketing for Special Diets and Weight Loss Foods
  • Legal Tips and Traps for Contract Manufacturing
  • Big Risks for Food Retailers in new Anti-predatory pricing laws
  • Court creates new Legal Liability for Broadcasters and Publishers: Implications for Representations about Food
  • Is "Name and Shame" a winning game? Are there better options?

September 2007

  • Confusing FSANZ responses to food additive issues
  • Food Industry confusion over Inulin and other Nutritive Substances following the Nutricia Court Proceedings
  • Farmers and Suppliers getting market advantage from tighter conditions - Collective strategies versus competition law
  • Legal Issues in Marketing Fruits and Vegetables
  • What's in a name? More legal arguments on the use of Geographical indications for Wine
  • Can Ice Cream really be low fat?

August 2007

  • Why not a Road Traffic style Demerit Points scheme for enforcing food law?
  • Antibiotic use in the food-chain
  • Sources of Confusion: Deriving Nutrition Information
  • Exclusive Rights to a Novel Food: Protecting the Innovators in Food Technology

July 2007

  • Has your food business addressed the possibility of a flu pandemic?
  • "Australian Grown": A "growing" concern
  • Mandatory fortification of bread with folate passed by Ministerial Council
  • The Food Industry Guide to Allergen Management and Labelling
  • Genuine Concerns Without Hysteria about Listeria
  • OPINION: New Laws may help meet International Standards

May 2007

  • Australian Food Regulation Policy Development
  • The Law of Coffee
  • The Legalities of Promoting your Business through Trade Promotion Competitions
  • The Law of Oils and Fats
  • Don't Say Cheese! The adverse impact of the proposed new draft for the new health claims standard in relation to Cheese
  • Allergen Labelling of Milk Products
  • A Question of Measurement but which is the Correct Weight?

April 2007

  • Advertising bans and obesity
  • Ribena, Nutrition Labelling and the Trade Practice Act
  • Preservatives in Beverages
  • Potential for Clash Between FSANZ and ACCC on The 'No Added Sugar' Claims
  • Bill introduced to amend the Food Standards Applications and Proposals Process

March 2007

  • How accurate are Nutrition Information Panels when it comes to Nutrient Variability?
  • "Quick Serve" Restaurants work on reducing trans fat
  • Proposed changes to the NZ dietary supplements regulations
  • Food Recall Insurance - Some Tips and Traps to Consider
  • Biosecurity Australia updates
  • Personal liability of employees for misleading and deceptive conduct
  • The laws of tea and other pleasant herbal concoctions

February 2007

  • Why are illegal dietary supplements being sold in Australia?
  • Corruption and market manipulation by food buyers: What laws might apply?
  • New Mandatory Horticulture Code of Conduct: Our Critical Review
  • Is "Natural" Really Better For You?
  • 'Use By' and 'Best Before' Dates on Food - What do they really mean?

December 2006

  • How healthy is your Hanukkah ponchke or latke?
  • How healthy is your Christmas pudding?
  • Grocery price guide scheme in South Australia stopped by the ACCC
  • Food transportation vehicles and the regulatory regimes
  • AQIS beyond quarantine and regulation of imports: AQIS's other important role as a gatekeeper for Australian food exports
  • A comparison between the Australian and USA rules for advertising aimed at children
  • The problems of the word "fresh" in pasteurised beverages
  • Latest food law briefings (December 2006 - January 2007)

November 2006

  • Chocolate Making and the Law of Chocolate
  • Developing in the Law of Organics: Updated Realities
  • Selling Alcohol Online - A Comparison of the US and Australian Laws
  • Legally Halal
  • New Standards on the use of Phytosterols
  • Food and the Battle Over Our Shrinking Water Supplies: How will Our Law-Makers and Key Players Resolve the Conflicts?

October 2006

  • Trans Fat Update
  • Why are Enzymes not being Mentioned on the Label? Why are They Treated More Favourably than other Chemicals in Food?
  • Exposing the Food Safety Offenders - Why Australia is Lagging Behind
  • Legal Responsibilities of the Food Laboratory in OHS and Related Laws
  • How and When Your Package can be Described as "Recyclable" or "Biodegradable"?
  • How Far Can You Go In Sledging Your Competitor? When are you exposed to defamation risks?
  • Is Tap Water Good Enough? - Quality Control of the Water used in Food Processing and Preparation

September 2006

  • More on the Law of Colours: Woolworths v BP
  • Tips on how to Minimise Legal Liability in the Food Laboratory: Part 2
  • More on the Law of Celebrity Endorsements: ACCC v Advanced Medical Institute (No 3)
  • ACCC Decision in Nestle case may Encourage More Parallel Imports
  • Advertising Claims for Fruit Concentrate Product Draws Ire of the ACCC

August 2006

  • Legally Kosher Foods
  • Legal Powers of Meat Inspectors all around Australia
  • Allergen Labelling - Issues For Manufacturers
  • Tips on How to Minimise Legal Liabilities in the Food Laboratory - Part One: Contracts, Negligence and Product Liability
  • The Law of Salt in Australia - How and When to Use Salt in Food Legally
  • How 'Fair' is 'Fairtrade'?
  • Food Law Developments, August 2006

July 2006

  • More Food Legal Areas Currently Under Review
  • How and When to Use Sugars and Sweeteners Legally
  • When Hormones in Beef are Legal
  • The Legalities of Food Tracking from Paddock to Plate (Field to Fork): Scope for Potential Abuses
  • Legal Arguments over ACCC v Woolworths case
  • Biosecurity Australia Recommends Approval of "Risky" Chicken Imports

May 2006

  • Letters and Feedback
  • Federal Court shows True Colours: More on the Law of Colour in Labelling
  • Concerns over Alcohol as an Ingredient in Conventional Foods
  • Heart Foundation tightens up its ticked endorsements
  • Review of Proposals for Obesity Clampdown: Not Just a Fat Chance?
  • Current Gaps in Regulation of Pesticides in Foods in Australia
  • China Citrus Export Arrangement Reconsidered
  • Legal Concerns About Australian Quarantine Laws: Biosecurity Australia's nature revealed
  • Concerns Over Food Contamination Reporting and Recall Procedures, and the Laws of Metal Contamination

April 2006

  • Health and Nutrition Claims Proposal Too Eager on Omega?
  • The Ups and Downs of Glycemic Law
  • ACCC Squashes "Just Squeezed" Fruit Juices Company
  • Crunch-time Approaches on New Zealand Apples
  • National Obesity Taskforce: Government Announces Plan
  • FSANZ Proposed Standard for Dairy Production (P296)
  • Queensland's "Reasonable Suspicion" Law: New Law to Require Reporting of Intentional Contamination
  • Self-serving Food Safety Gaps
  • ACCC Chocks up Nestle's Move Aainst Parallel Imports - ALDI's sweet victory
  • Aussie Citrus Growers to face Chinese Checkers

March 2006

  • Food Recalls: New Industry Food Recall Package Available Online
  • WA Food Bill & QLD Food Act: State(s) of Progress
  • Australian Laxity in Regulation of Trans Fat
  • Are Australian Food Standards Adequate to Prevent Exposure to Benzene?
  • Queensland Poisonings Highlight Need for Better Food Safety Reporting
  • Geography in a Label or Product Name
  • Labelling Laws Fall Behind
  • ACCC Makes a Monopoly Kosher

February 2006

  • Getting Into a Jam
  • The Law of Food for Voluntary Firefighters and Other Good Causes
  • Nutrition Claims and Health Claims Proposals - Our Technical Update
  • The ACCC is Tougher than Food Regulator on Compliance: The Law of Absolute Truths
  • Supermarket Story No. 2: Justice Re-visited - ACCC Wins Safeway Bread Case
  • Supermarket Story No. 1: Government Betrays Fruit and Vegies Suppliers
  • Bottom of the Harbour: The Law of Toxic Fish

October 2005

  • Senator Barnaby's Choice: "It's the TPA Amendment He Rejects That Makes Barnaby the Best"
  • Realities of Organic Legalities
  • When Is a New Food a "Novel Food"?
  • Fortification of Food with Calcium
  • The Legal and Food Technology Implications of FSANZ Proposal on Processed Poultry
  • Legal Action by Australian Pork Producers Against Director of Australian Quarantine

August 2005

  • NZ FreeTrade Overrides Australian Food Safety Laws
  • Genetically Modified Foods - A Living Controversy
  • New Beverages Claim Advantages
  • Health Claims Still in Limbo
  • Nutritional Information Panels
  • Tamper Evident Child Resistant

July 2005

  • Fair Dinkum Labelling Campaign may miss the Bigger Picture
  • Imported Foods under New Management
  • Product Recalls and Withdrawals
  • Packaging Covenant Revision
  • Acrylamide - from the Fat into the Firing Line
  • Folate Follies
  • Correct Weight

June 2005

  • What Progress on Health and Nutrition Claims
  • Trans-Tasman Route or Rort?
  • Best Thing since Sliced Bread?
  • How Sweet is this?

May 2005

  • Juice Bars Face Barred Juice
  • Costly Recall on Allergy Alert
  • Fortification of Food: To Do or Not To Do - That is the Question
  • Lactoferrin and the framework of a functional food
  • The usage of natural antimicrobials for preserving foods, a further element in the 'natural'-ness of foods

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