Food Ministers' Meeting key outcomes

The Food Ministers’ Meeting (FMM) met on Friday 1 December via videoconference to consider food regulation and policy matters. Chaired by the Hon Ged Kearney MP, the FMM comprises Australian and New Zealand Ministers responsible for food, with the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Board Chair and CEO also attending to observe the meeting.

Key outcomes from the meeting included:

Defining added sugars for claims

In relation to FSANZ P1062 — Defining added sugars for claims, the FMM will not request a review of the draft standard that will incorporate a definition of added sugars into the Food Standards Code. This will support work on ensuring ‘no added sugar’ claims align with dietary guidelines. Following FSANZ gazettal, there will be a four-year transition period for the changes to claim conditions for ‘no added sugar(s)’ and ‘unsweetened’ nutrition content claims (and synonyms).

While some infant foods will be captured by changes made in Proposal P1062, issues remain in ensuring consumers have the information to make informed choices when buying infant foods and the composition of infant food is held to standards that meet public expectation.

Ministers have committed to undertake further work to address these issues and to consider them out-of-session.

Priority 3 System Modernisation update

Ministers agreed to the Project Plan for the next phase of work for modernising the Food Regulatory System, noting the forecast engagement and decision points to enable project completion.

In the first half of 2024, stakeholder consultation is anticipated.

Ministers will be provided an update on the progress of implementation in mid-2024.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 (FSANZ Act) Review — agreement to public consultation

Following earlier agreement from food ministers to explore 27 reform concepts for the FSANZ Act and FSANZ operations, ministers noted the Australian Government will undertake public consultation on a draft Impact Analysis to seek public feedback on these concepts before making final decisions in 2024 on a model of reform.

The public consultation is anticipated to take place in February/March 2024. Stakeholders will be invited to submit feedback on the Impact Analysis. Those subscribed to receive updates on food regulatory matters will be updated once consultation opens.

Health Star Rating (HSR): year 3 monitoring plan

Ministers were provided with the plan for monitoring the uptake for the HSR being displayed on intended products against targets set by ministers in 2020. The ministers will receive a report outlining the findings of the Year 3 monitoring in early 2024.

Ministers noted their previous decision that if uptake did not reach the 2025 target ministers would consider mandating the system.

Commercial foods for infants and young children

Ministers were presented an issues paper on the improvement of commercial foods for infants and toddlers and agreed to the Statement of the Problem outlined:

“Commercial foods for infants and young children are poorly aligned with some aspects of the Australian and New Zealand Infant and Toddler Feeding Guidelines. These commercial foods are often high in sugar (both infant and young child foods), sodium (young child foods only) and either do not contain iron-rich ingredients or are too low in iron to make a claim (both infant and young child foods). Labelling does not support carers to make informed choices for infants and young children due to product naming
not always accurately reflecting ingredients. There are also concerns the texture of commercial infant foods typically do not match developmental progression in feeding.”

The issues paper will be published on the Food Regulation website.

Ministers agreed that these are important issues to consider and asked officials to progress a consultation paper as a matter of priority on options to improve commercial foods for infants and children in Australia and New Zealand in the first quarter of 2024.

Alcohol labelling

Ministers were provided with an update on the progress of Proposals P1049 — Carbohydrate and sugar claims on alcoholic beverages and P1059 — Energy labelling on alcoholic beverages.

Ministers requested FSANZ undertake further consumer research to better understand whether carbohydrate and sugar claims on alcoholic beverages are misleading consumers and influencing purchasing decisions and to inform consideration of disqualifying criteria or other potential options.

The research will inform ministers to make a decision on a potential addendum to the Ministerial Policy Guidelines on Nutrition, Health and Related Claims, based on the available evidence.

Next meeting

Ministers with responsibility for food will meet again in the first half of 2024.

Image credit: iStock.com/adrian825