Australian and New Zealand honey producers in dispute over the word Manuka

The New Zealand government is throwing its support behind the Manuka Honey Appellation Society, which represents a group of New Zealand producers, for a certification mark on the word “manuka”. The Australian Manuka Honey Association is opposing the application. Manuka honey is produced from the nectar of Leptospermum scoparium, which is indigenous to both Australia and New Zealand.    Source: Sydney Morning Herald

Recall of “Yummy” snacks due to presence of soy and wheat

Yummy Snack Foods has recalled their Pink Berry Bliss, Drake Brand Strawberry Yoghurt Mix, Yummy Brand Choc Orange Lounge Mix, and Drake Brand Chocolate Orange Mix (400g) with all best before dates. The recall was due to the presence of undeclared allergens, soy and wheat.    Source: news.com.au.

FSANZ calls for comment: Processing aid from a new source

FSANZ is calling for comment on an application to allow an already approved processing aid to be produced from a new genetically modified (GM) source. The enzyme β-galactosidase is already approved in the Food Standards Code and has a long history of safe use. This application is looking to produce the same enzyme from a GM strain of Bacillus subtilis.    Source: FSANZ

Review of the standard for Infant Formula

FSANZ is calling for comments on Proposal P1028– Infant Formula Products Consultation paper 1. To read about the background and learn how to make a submission, refer to FSANZ website. Also at this site there is information on a proposed new method of analysing for dietary fibre - the AOAC method 2017.16 (Rapid Integrated Total Dietary Fibre Method).

Failing Food Report – March 2021

Foods inspected at the border, includes risk food test results (Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, E. coli, aflatoxin, hydrocyanic acid, iodine) and surveillance food test results (including additives and vitamins not permitted in certain foods).    Source: Dept of Agriculture, Water and Environment

Approvals and amendments to the Food Standards Code

A1193 – Irradiation as a phytosanitary measure for all fresh fruit and vegetables

A1206 – Subtilisin from GM Bacillus licheniformis as a PA (enzyme)

A1207 – Rebaudioside M as Steviol Glycoside

A1216 – Food derived from herbicide-tolerant canola line MON94100

Application A1205 – Disodium Adenosine 5’ Triphosphate as a nutritive substance in sport foods: Application to amend the Food Standards Code to permit the use of Disodium Adenosine 5’ Triphosphate (Na₂ATP) as a nutritive substance in Standard 2.9.4 - Formulated Supplementary Sports Foods.

New chemical report as at 15th April.

This lists the new chemical public reports published for three new chemicals.    Source: AICIS.

Unregistered importer fined.

The imported chemical is known to cause a range of harmful human health effects. AICIS inspectors, with the assistance of the Australian Border Force, seized and destroyed the chemical. Fines of up to AUD$13,320 can be issued for being an unregistered importer.    Source: AICIS

Chemicals that are intentionally released to the environment during use

Intentional release is any industrial use that results in the direct exposure of a chemical to the environment. It could be released directly to land, air, fresh water, marine water, biota or municipal water supplies. This covers a wide range of chemical uses and types.    Source: AICIS

Update on animal testing bans

On 1 July 2020, Australia banned animal testing on new cosmetic ingredients. This means that new ingredients used exclusively in cosmetics made or sold in Australia, can’t use information from animal testing to prove their safety from this date.    Source: https://animalcosmetictestban.com.au/about/

Progress on microbeads

A voluntary industry phase-out of plastic microbeads found in rinse-off personal care, cosmetic, and cleaning products, has been led by Accord Australasia (Accord) through their BeadRecede campaign, and overseen by the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment and the NSW Environment Protection Authority. Consistent with the intention of protecting the marine environment, the phase-out targets rinse-off products which are reasonably capable of entering the marine environment through normal use.    Source: Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.

AICIS compliance and enforcement

Follow these links:

Our approach to compliance and who we regulate

How we monitor compliance

Our powers and the enforcement measures we can take

Correction to chemical names

As of 22nd April, 31 substances have had their names on the Australian Inventory of Industrial Chemicals (AIIC) changed to align with the CAS names.    Source: AICIS

Pharmacovigilance Obligations - important reading, scroll down for full story

Changes to permitted ingredients list

This explains how often and why changes are made to the list. “High-moderate risk changes” have been made for Andrographis paniculata and caffeine.    Source: TGA

Consultation on proposed improvements to the Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code

The deadline for comments is close of business Friday 18th June. Full details on TGA site here and also on the consultation hub.

Unlawful advertising of a complementary medicine

Global Therapeutics has paid penalties of $119,880 in response to nine infringement notices issued by the TGA. The infringement notices related to five listed complementary medicines sponsored by Global Therapeutics. The advertising of these medicines was alleged to refer to serious conditions without approval or permission of the TGA, contravene requirements of the Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code, and include therapeutic uses that were not accepted as indications for the medicines.    Source: TGA

Peter Evans Chef Pty Ltd  fioned $79,920 for alleged unlawful advertising 

Fines were issued to the company for the alleged advertising of therapeutic goods that were not, at the time of advertising, included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. These include the 'BioCharger' device, hyperbaric oxygen therapy chambers and two oral medicines. This is in addition to two fines issued in 2020.    Source: TGA

Warning about unlawful advertising of listed medicines

This warning is particularly relevant to products that were cancelled in March 2021 for not transitioning to only include permitted indications.    Source: TGA

ACCC issues five infringement notices to Mosaic Brands for alleged false or misleading representations

Mosiac Brands has paid penalties totalling $630,000 advertising breaches related to hand sanitisers and face masks:

• Air Clean hand sanitiser sold on the NoniB website contained 70 per cent alcohol, when a sample tested by the ACCC was found to contain 17 per cent alcohol;
• Miaoyue hand sanitiser sold by Millers contained 75 per cent alcohol, when a sample tested by the ACCC was found to contain 58 per cent alcohol;
• Velcare-branded hand sanitiser products sold on its websites were ‘WHO-approved’, when they were not;
• KN95 Kids Safety Face Masks sold on its websites were ‘CE/FDA certified’, when they were not; and
• KN 95 Adult Face Masks were” non-refundable”, when in fact consumers have a statutory right to a refund under the consumer guarantee remedies.

Source: ACCC

Proposed amendments to the poisons schedule

Includes amygdalin and hydrocyanic acid, sodium nitrite and many other compounds.    Sources: TGA, TGA, TGA, TGA

Medicinal cannabis

TGA warns about some counterfeit products being sold online, and summarises how to legally obtain medicinal cannabis. It is illegal to advertise medicinal cannabis.    Source: TGA

Recall - Hydralyte Strawberry Kiwi Effervescent Electrolyte Tablets

Care Pharmaceuticals is recalling 10 batches of Hydralyte Strawberry Kiwi Effervescent Electrolyte Tablets due to the presence of Carthamus tinctorius flower (safflower flower) as an inactive ingredient. The level of exposure of Carthamus tinctorius flower in this product poses an unacceptable risk if used in pregnancy.    Source: TGA

‘Meeting Your Obligations’ workshop

The TGA is live streaming another ‘Meeting Your Obligations’ workshop on Wednesday 23 June 2021. This is a free event aimed at beginners unfamiliar with therapeutic goods regulation. Registration page is here.

Medical device regulation reforms

Some medical devices are to be re-classified to align, wherever possible, with the changes being introduced in European Union medical devices framework. Comprehensive summary on TGA site.

Guidance on regulation of exempt disinfectants, and regulation of listed disinfectants

Listed disinfectants may make more specific claims, but listed disinfectants must still meet certain regulation requirements even though they are not required to be included on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. TGA sources: listed disinfectants and exempt disinfectants.

Changes to regulation of nicotine e-cigarettes

From 1 October 2021 you will no longer be able to buy or import nicotine e-cigarettes or nicotine vaping products from overseas websites without a valid doctor's prescription. Child resistant closures for nicotine vaping products will also become mandatory to reduce the risk to children of accidental ingestion.    Source: TGA

Large number of N95 face masks ailing tests.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, one third of N95 face masks have failed testing. In the last 12 months, 48 defect alerts have been issued and 1,022 masks have had their registration cancelled.    Source: smh.com.au and TGA

Faecal microbiota transplant products (“poo transplants”)

A faecal microbiota transplant product (a) comprises, contains or is derived from human stool; and (b) is for introduction into a person for a therapeutic use. Most are regulated as biologicals. What are they used for? Refer to TGA

Pharmacovigilance Obligations

Sponsors of all medicines including complementary medicines, are obliged to notify the TGA who they have nominated to be their pharmacovigilance contact person. Pharmacovigilance is the science and activity related to detecting, assessing, understanding and preventing adverse effects and other medicine-related problems. As a sponsor of medicines you must:

• let the TGA know who your Australian pharmacovigilance contact person is
• have procedures in place to enable you to meet your pharmacovigilance obligations
• submit any serious adverse reaction reports to the TGA
• notify the TGA of any significant safety issues you identify
• keep records pertaining to the reporting requirements and safety for your medicine
• answer any request from the TGA for additional information within the specified timeframe.

Helpful information is on the TGA website here and in the links above. FAQ page is here.

Earlier this month the TGA announced it has issued an infringement notice for $13,320 to Arthropharm Pty Ltd for allegedly failing to provide information on a contact person responsible for medicine safety. Source: TGA

Training course in pharmacovigilance: RFA offers a training course which covers TGA pharmacovigilance obligations and the mandatory reporting requirements of sponsors who have complementary medicines (AUST L) included on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.  The course includes 1 hour of training and a comprehensive package of documents including SOPs and templates that you can use. The course is conducted by appointment via Zoom. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Review of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code

The review commenced in July 2020. The plan is to reform the bi-national food regulation system to ensure it remains strong, robust and agile into the future. Option 1 is the status quo (proposes no legislative changes to the FSANZ Act), while Option 2 and 3 present increasingly ambitious suites of measures that could be taken to amend the FSANZ Act. You can read about this and review the consultation here, and provide your comments here. The due date for comments is 18th May.

Formulated Supplementary Sports Foods - review

A proposal has been formally prepared to review Standard 2.9.4 – Formulated supplementary sports foods. Other standard that may been involved are Standard 2.6.2 - Non-alcoholic Beverages and Brewed Soft Drinks - regulates electrolyte drinks and bases – and Standard 2.9.3 - Formulated Meal replacements and Formulated Supplementary Foods - may regulate some products used for sport.    Source: FSNZ

Updated Guide to Allergen Management and Labelling

Managing the risks associated with food allergens is a major food safety challenge for food producers and suppliers. To help food businesses manage these risks the Allergen Bureau and the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) have just released an updated version of the Food Industry Guide to Allergen Management and Labelling. The update incorporates new requirements for the labelling of allergens in food arising from Proposal P1044 – Plain English Allergen Labelling­. A copy of the guide is available from the Allergen Bureau and the AFGC.    Source: Food Standards Newsletter

Failing food report for February 2021

This report lists food that has failed under the Imported Food Inspection Scheme during February 2021. Table 1 shows results of tests on risk foods. Five foods were rejected due to Salmonella (hulled sesame seeds), aflatoxin (two different peanut products) and histamine (two products – Maldive fish and fresh tuna). Table 2 lists other surveillance issues found with 21 different products. Five products contained vitamins not permitted in that type of food. A herbal syrup from India contained Borago officinalis (borage) which is prohibited in foods (but it is permitted in listed complementary medicines if the preparation is a fixed oil derived from the seeds).    Source: Dept Agriculture.

Failing food report for March 2021

Once again, “risk food test results” includes products with listeria, salmonella, E. coli, aflatoxins, hydrocyanic acid, and one containing the prohibited plant betel nut. “Surveillance food test results” includes foods with vitamins not permitted to be added to that type of food, and other additives exceeding maximum permitted limits.    Source: Dept Agriculture

Legislation update: statement of ingredients in food on labels

Standard 1.2.4: Information requirements – statement of ingredients - amended 25th Feb 2021.    Source: legislation.gov.au

Legislation update: infant formula products

Incorporates a change to the requirements for inulin-type fructans and galacto‑oligosaccharides.    Source: legislation.gov.au.

Approvals and amendments to the Food Standards Code

A1204 – Beta-amylase from soybean (Glycine max) as a processing aid (enzyme)

A1191 – Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (INS 471) as glazing agent for fruits and vegetables

A1202 – Food derived from herbicide-tolerant and insect-protected corn line DP23211.    Source: FSANZ

Call for comment on a new form of Vitamin B3 (niacin) 

FSANZ is calling for comment on the use of nicotinamide riboside chloride as a form of vitamin B3 in food for special medical purposes (FSMPs). If approved, nicotinamide riboside chloride would be added to the Code for use as a form of niacin in FSMPs.    Source: FSANZ

Consumer information about food regulations

Published by FSANZ, this is a helpful summary to additives, chemicals in food, food safety, genetically modified foods, labelling and nutrition.    Source: FSANZ

Information on food labelling

A useful guide to food labelling regulations. Topics include how to read a label, understanding claims, food production, stay safe, and labels and the law.    Source: NSW Food Authority.

Name and shame register of penalty notices

NSW Health has for some time maintained a register of penalty notices issued to food establishments, searchable by date, locality, and trading name.    Source: NSW Food Authority.

Recent food recalls

Include Bondi Protein Co Vegan Protein Bar (two flavours) – undeclared allergen (peanut), Naturally Good Super Paleo Breakfast Biscuits -  due to potential for an increase in moisture which may lead to microbial growth, and Byron Bay Pizza Co. BBQ Birdie frozen pizza -  presence of an undeclared allergen (fish), Xiang Hai Crab Flavour Crisp Chips - undeclared allergen (egg), Coles Tasmanian Smoked Salmon – incorrect Use By Date, Taylor Rd IGA Pork Chipolatas - undeclared allergens (gluten and soy).    Sources: FSANZ and NSW Food Authority.