Search

Novel foods

Novel foods (June 2022) Novel foods are non-traditional foods that require assessment by FSANZ to establish their safety before they are added to the food supply.   In Australia and New Zealand, novel foods and novel food ingredients are regulated under Standards 1.1.1 and 1.5.1 in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code).  A novel food cannot be a food for retail sale or an ingredient in a food for retail sale unless it is listed in the table to section S25 - 2 (sale of novel foods) of the Code. The table lists permitted novel foods together with their conditions for use including use levels, restrictions on use and labelling requirements. Anyone wanting to sell a novel food or a food containing a novel food ingredient must apply to FSANZ for the Code to be amended to list the food or…

Published January 2024

Exclusivity of use for novel foods and nutritive substances

Exclusivity of use for novel foods and nutritive substances (February 2023) Applicants requesting approval of a novel food or nutritive substance may also apply for a period of 'exclusive' use to apply to a brand or class of food for up to 15 months.  Background Novel foods Exclusive permissions for novel foods were introduced in 2007 under Proposal P305 - Permission for Exclusivity of Use of Novel Foods. This followed requests from the food regulation ministers for FSANZ to consider:

• the capacity for including a specific provision for exclusivity of use for novel foods in Standard 1.5.1, and 
• a limit on the period of exclusive permission as a novel food for a particular brand of up to 15 months, after which any exclusive…

  Published December 2023

About the NPC

About the NPC The Nutrition Panel Calculator (NPC) can help you create a Nutrition Information Panel (NIP) for your food label. Learn about its history, foods and nutrients in the database, key terms and information about how the data is reported. Foods in the NPC The NPC is supported by a dataset of common foods which can be used as ingredients when creating an NIP. More details about the dataset is on the Foods in the NPC page. Nutrients in the NPC The NPC can be used to create an NIP which includes values for the seven mandatory components…

Published December 2023

Calculations in the NPC

Calculations in the NPC We describe how the Nutrition Panel Calculator (NPC) works out Nutrition Information Panels (NIP) with three steps:

• Step 1 - Create recipe by adding ingredients and amounts
• Step 2 - Enter recipe weights
• Step 3 - Generate Nutrition Information Panel

Published December 2023

Foods in the NPC

Foods in the NPC Here you'll find information about the foods that are in the Nutrition Panel Calculator (NPC) database and how we've identified, named and described them. On this page

• The NPC database
• Multi-ingredient foods
• Omitted foods
• Additional foods and ingredients
• Identifying, naming and describing foods in the NPC database

Published December 2023

Frequently asked questions (NPC)

Frequently asked questions (NPC) Here you'll find frequently asked questions about the Nutrition Panel Calculator (NPC) and how to create Nutrition Information Panels (NIP). On this page

• What are the requirements for an NIP?
• What do I do if I can't find my ingredient in the NPC database?
• Where can I find information on the foods in the NPC database?
• Where can I find information on the nutrients reported in the NPC?
• Who should I contact?

Published December 2023

Nutrients in the NPC

Nutrients in the NPC Learn about the nutrients included in the Nutrition Panel Calculator (NPC) and where the data is sourced from. On this page

• Nutrients reported in the NPC
• How carbohydrates are defined and calculated
• How energy is defined and calculated
• How fat and saturated fat data are derived
• How sodium data is derived
• How protein data is derived
• How sugars data is derived

Published December 2023

COVID-19 advice for food business general health and hygiene

COVID-19 advice for food business general health and hygiene The best ways to prevent the community spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are for everyone to maintain effective hygiene and follow social distancing rules. The Food Standards Code requires food businesses to take all practicable steps to prevent contamination of their food service or processing environment. Effective hygiene Maintaining effective hygiene includes:

• regular handwashing
• cleaning and sanitising facilities and equipment
• maintaining strict requirements around worker health and hygiene
• implementing social distancing.

…

Published December 2023

Staying up to date with COVID-19 requirements

Staying up to date with COVID-19 requirements It is important that businesses keep up to date with requirements, which vary between states and territories and may change regularly during the COVID-19 pandemic response. Some states and territories may have specific requirements such as completing a COVID-19 Food safety checklist. Food regulators have developed a voluntary tool to help food businesses. Download the Food safety checks for food businesses (such as cafes and restaurants) preparing to recommence pre-restriction operations  (PDF 215 KB).  State and territory web pages on COVID-19 and food business operations…

Published December 2023

Reducing acrylamide exposure in food

Reducing acrylamide exposure in food FSANZ is working with international food regulators and the food industry to look at ways to reduce consumer exposure to acrylamide. If you're a food manufacturer or producer it's important that you take steps to reduce the level of acrylamide in your food to as low as reasonably achievable. To help you do this, Food and Drink Europe has developed a toolkit with strategies to help reduce levels of acrylamide formation during the manufacturing process and in agriculture practices. Not all methods will apply to your industry, but the toolbox is a good way to help you evaluate your current production methods and recipes and which strategies can be best applied to your business. You can access the Acrylamide toolbox from the Food and Drink Europe…

Published December 2023