The Australian public can rest assured their 'GM Free' foods are just that with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission keeping a close eye on new labelling provisions for genetically modified ingredients.
The ACCC, together with other key stakeholders, provided advice to the Australian New Zealand Food Authority on the development of the new Food Produced Using Gene Technology standard implemented late last year.
The standard has two provisions:
- a mandatory pre-market safety assessment requirement; and
- a mandatory labelling requirement.
It is the second provision in which the ACCC has particular interest in ensuring compliance with the Trade Practices Act 1974. The labelling provisions of the Standard are a new priority for the ACCC.
The ACCC has issued a publication for small business, News for Business, which gives some useful points to consider when planning the labelling and advertising of GM foods. Consumer concerns, as well as the new mandatory labelling requirements, bring back into focus the responsibilities of food manufacturers and retailers in relation to the Trade Practices Act.
News for Business explains how the consumer protection provisions of the Trade Practices Act apply to the labelling and promotion of GM foods and the relationship between the Act and the Standard.
"The ACCC will closely monitor the voluntary claims that businesses make over and above their obligations in relation to the Standard. Businesses should take care to ensure that any voluntary claims do not contradict the Standard or constitute false, misleading or deceptive conduct under section 52 of the Act", ACCC Acting Chairman, Mr Rod Shogren, said today.
"There is no room for ambiguity with a 'GM Free' claim. Businesses must be able to verify any labelling claim. The ACCC will be looking for documented verification systems underpinned by an effective Trade Practices compliance program", he said.
News for Business is a free publication, and available by contacting the Publishing Unit.