Quick reference

Page last updated: 06 November 2023

Overarching documents
Joint Australia and New ZealandAustralia onlyNew Zealand only
Australia and New Zealand Treaty for a Joint Food System 1996 (amended in 2010): An agreement between the Governments of Australia and New Zealand for a joint food standards system.

Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade 1995: A World Trade Organisation obligation. The Treaty is intended to ensure that negotiations, technical standards and testing and certification procedures do not create unnecessary obstacles to trade.

Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures 1994: A World Trade Organisation obligation. This Agreement applies to all sanitary and phytosanitary measures which may, directly or indirectly, affect international trade.
Food Regulation Agreement: An agreement between the Australian Government and the States and Territories of Australia which gives effect to a national approach to food regulation in Australia.

Regulatory Impact Analysis Guide for Ministers’ Meetings and National Standard Setting Bodies: Published by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and endorsed by the National Cabinet.

Australian Government Guide to Policy Impact Analysis: Published by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Government Expectations for Good Regulatory Practice (Previously the Code of Good Regulatory Practice): Aims to improve the quality of regulation by providing expectations for regulation principles and regulatory stewardship responsibilities.

Guide to Cabinet's Impact Analysis Requirements): How to meet Cabinet’s Impact Analysis Requirements for government policy initiatives that involve a proposal to create, amend or repeal primary or secondary legislation (a “regulatory proposal”).
Procedural documents
Joint Australia and New Zealand
Overarching Strategic Statement for the Food Regulatory System: This document provides a strategic context for the Australian and New Zealand food regulatory system. The document  communicates  to stakeholders (consumers and industry) the objectives sought to be achieved through food regulation and also assists decision-makers within the food regulatory system by providing guidance in relation to policy, standard setting and implementation of food regulation

The Food Regulation Policy Framework (the Framework) sets out the process for identifying and assessing a potential food regulatory issue and determining the appropriate policy response. The Framework was established to guide policy development on behalf of the Australia and
New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation (the Forum). Policy Guidelines developed by the Forum must be taken into account by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) when developing or reviewing food standards. The Framework is designed to be flexible and non-linear and allows for a proportionate approach.

The Principles and Protocols for the Development of Food Regulation Policy Guidelines outlines the principles behind the Framework and explains the steps in the process. It is not intended to be prescriptive: rather the approach needs to be tailored to the particular issue. It is intended to foster a responsive approach to identifying issues that require coordination across the food regulatory system.

Engaging in the Australian and New Zealand Joint Food Regulation System: The Stakeholder Engagement Strategy (2013) aims to provide a co-operative and mutually beneficial approach to engagement that promotes clarity, integrity, trust and connectivity, to support a workable and effective joint Australian and New Zealand food regulation system.

Operating Procedures: These operating procedures are for the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation (formerly the Legislative and Governance Forum on Food Regulation) and the Food Regulation Standing Committee.
Legislation
Joint Australia and New ZealandAustralian state and territories and New Zealand food/health ACTS (web links)
Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991

Food Standards Australia New Zealand Regulations 1994

This Act and its Regulations establishes the agency, Food Standards Australia New Zealand with functions relating to the development of food regulatory measures.
ACT: Food Act 2001

NSW: Food Act 2003

NT: Food Act 2004
QLD: Food Act 2006
Food Production Safety Act 2000
SA: Food Act 2001

TAS: Food Act 2003
VIC: Food Act 1984

WA: Food Act 2008

NZ: Food Act 2014
Policy guidelines
Policy guideline on primary production and processing standards
Policy guideline on novel foods
Policy guideline on nutrition, health and related claims
Policy guideline for the fortification of foods with vitamins and minerals
Policy guideline on the regulation of residues of agricultural and veterinary chemicals in food
Policy guideline on the addition of substances other than vitamins and minerals
Policy statement on the public health role of FSANZ
Policy guideline on intent of Part 2.9 of the Food Standards Code - special purpose foods
Policy statement on front of pack labelling
Policy guideline on infant formula products
Food safety management policy guideline for the retail and food service sectors
Policy guideline on the labelling of food produced using new technologies
Policy guideline on the addition of caffeine to foods
Policy statements
Policy Statement on Front of Pack Labelling On 23 October 2009, Ministers responsible for Food Regulation endorsed a "Policy Statement" which outlined its views on food labelling which could be used to guide consumers to healthier food options.

Policy Statement on the Public Health Role of FSANZ (December 2013) Ministers responsible for Food Regulation agreed to the policy statement to clarify how public health should be interpreted by FSANZ. This statement was developed as part of the Forum’s response to ‘Labelling Logic’, the report of the independent review of food labelling law and policy.

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