./.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/AUS/10
25 January 2002
(02-0377)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   AUSTRALIA
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA)
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:           
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Food and processed
foods.          
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:
• Proposal P240 – Labelling Statements on Reduced Fat and Condensed Milks (29 pages)
6. Description of content:   The assessment report for P240 contains the scientific and
regulatory impact assessments, the draft variations to the Australia New Zealand Food
Standards Code  and the recommendations of the Australia New Zealand Food Authority
resulting from the assessment of this proposal.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
ANZFA has reviewed labelling statements on reduced fat and condensed milk.  In the
existing Australian and New Zealand food regulations (the Food Standards Code, Volume 1
and the New Zealand Food Regulation, 1984)  warning statements are required on skim,
modified and condensed milks.  The warning statements, which vary between the Australian
and New Zealand regulations, have been retained and are included in Clause 3,
Standard 1.1.3, Transitional and Temporary Standa rds of Volume 2.  This clause will cease
operation upon repeal of Volume 1  and the New Zealand Food Regulations 1984 , and so is
being reviewed.
The purpose of the review is to address the inappropriateness of feeding milk,
condensed milk, evaporated milk, dried milk, soy and rice beverages with a reduced fat
content (less than 2.5%) to children under two years of age; and to determine if labelling
statements on these products are required.  It is clear from the Dietary Guidelines in
Australia and New Zealand that reduced fat milks and condensed milks are not suitable to
be fed to children under two years of age as the primary source of milk.  The consensusamongst public health groups is that feeding reduced fat milks to children under two years
of age in this manner could lead to growth and development problems and therefore it isG/TBT/N/AUS/10
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proposed an advisory statement be placed on these products.  It is also proposed that the
advisory statement be expanded to cover soy and rice beverages which are often fed to
children in place of cows milk.
8. Relevant documents:   Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code
9. Proposed date of adoption:
Proposed date of entry into force: }Recommendation to Government anticipatedto be made mid 2002.  Date of entry into force
to be determined.
10. Final date for comments:   28 February 2002
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [     ] or address, telephone and fax
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:  Documents are
available from the Australia New Zealand Food Authority website (www.anzfa.gov.au).
Also available from:
Australia New Zealand Food Authority
PO Box 7186Canberra Mail Centre  ACT 2610
Australia
Fax:  (+61) 2 62712278 Email:  info@anzfa.gov.au