4786 NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE No. 200

Australia New Zealand Food Authority

Australia New Zealand Food Authority Act 1991

Australia New Zealand Food Authority Food Standards

The authority advises progress on the following matters relating to food standards. You are invited to present written submissions to the authority on these matters, including the potential regulatory impact on consumers, industry and Government, by the dates indicated. The information papers on these matters provide further information, including advice on the authority’s policy regarding submissions. You can get these information papers from:

The Office Administrator,
Australia New Zealand Food Authority,
P.O. Box 10-559,
Wellington 6036.
Telephone: (04) 473 9942.
Facsimile: (04) 473 9855.
Email: nz.reception@anzfa.gov.au

Matters at Full Assessment

The authority has made a preliminary assessment and accepted the following application, developed the following proposal, and will now make full assessments of them:

Maximum Residue Limits (A366) An application received on 12 November 1998 from the National Registration Authority to amend Australian Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for a number of agricultural chemicals as currently prescribed in the Australian Food Standards Code. Submissions close 5 February 1999.

Review of Maximum Residue Limits (P194) A proposal to review and develop the current provisions for MRLs in Australia, as set out in Standard A14 of the Food Standards Code.

Food sold in New Zealand which is either domestically produced or imported (other than from Australia) must comply with the MRL provisions in the New Zealand Food Regulations 1984. Food imported from Australia must comply with either the New Zealand MRLs or the Australian MRLs in the Food Standards Code.

Matters at Inquiry

The authority will conduct inquiries into the draft standards prepared at full assessment of the following proposals reviewing current Australian and New Zealand regulations in order to develop joint Australia New Zealand standards:

Ice Cream (Proposal P149)

Representational Issues - Labelling Foods with Directions for Use and Purpose (Proposal P165)

Frozen Confection and Ice Confection (Proposal P171)

Confectionery (Proposal P172)

Food Additive Numbering System (Proposal P193)

Submissions on these proposals close 5 February 1999. With respect to Proposal P193 the authority is satisfied that it raises issues of minor significance and complexity and that to omit to invite public submissions prior to having made its full assessment would not have a significant adverse effect on the interests of any person or body. The authority therefore did not invite public submissions prior to making a full assessment of this proposal, but now does so in order to undertake its inquiry into the matters decided at full assessment.

Proposal Abandoned

Following its full assessment of Proposal P134 - Review of Standard A14 - Maximum Residue Limits the authority has decided to abandon this proposal. Since the raising of the proposal in October 1995 the relationship between the authority and the National Registration Authority has altered significantly and arrangements are currently being developed to streamline the processes of setting MRLs in Australia.

Given the above and further consideration of what the review of standard A14 entails, the issues originally envisaged to be considered by Proposal P134 now need to be supplemented by:

• rewording standard A14 to permit the use of approved chemicals that do not require MRLs;
• identifying temporary and trial MRLs; and
• correcting spelling errors of agricultural and veterinary chemical names.

Accordingly Proposal P134, as originally proposed, does not cover the range of issues which need to be considered and thus has been abandoned pending a new proposal (Proposal P194) which will deal with the issues originally proposed for Proposal P134 and the additional matters listed above.

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New Zealand Grape Growers Council

Commodity Levies (Winemaking Grapes) Order

The Commodity Levies (Winemaking Grapes) Order 1998

1. It was resolved at the Annual General Meeting of the New Zealand Grape Growers Council in Queenstown on 27 August 1998 that the levy for 1999 vintage remain at 0.75% + G.S.T.

2. In accordance with the above order which comes into effect on 22 December 1998, all growers and buyers are advised that the calculation of the levy will be on the following basis:

(a) In the case of grapes processed into grape juice or grape juice concentrate before sale, on the basis of a notional price to be determined by the council;

(b) In the case of grapes exported from New Zealand by or on behalf of their grower, on the basis of their f.o.b. value (exclusive of G.S.T., if any, and before deduction of any costs or charges);

(c) In the case of grapes sold in New Zealand, on the basis of their farm-gate price (exclusive of G.S.T., if any, and before deduction of any costs or charges).

C. N. MOORE, Executive Officer.

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