Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of New Zealand concerning a Joint Food Standards System.

The Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of New Zealand concerning a Joint Food Standards System (Food Standards Treaty) is organised in 13 Articles and Annexes (A to F); Art. 4 specifies that the Annexes to the Agreement constitute integral parts of the Agreement. The Food Standards Treaty's objectives are: (a) to reduce unnecessary barriers to trade; (b) to adopt a joint system for the development and promulgation of food standards; (c) to provide for the timely development, adoption, and review of food standards appropriate for both Member States in accordance with the principles in Annex A of the Agreement; and (d) to facilitate the sharing of information between the Member States on matters relating to food.
Under the Food Standards Treaty Member States agrees that the Australia New Zealand Food Standards System will include the development and maintenance of joint food standards and may include any related guidelines, codes of practice, and any supporting material, that relate to any of the following: (a) the safety of food, including its microbiological status; (b) the composition of food, including the maximum or minimum amounts, where appropriate, of contaminants, residues, additives or other substances that may be present in the food; (c) the method of sampling and testing the food to determine its composition and safety; (d) the production, manufacture or preparation of food; (e) materials, containers, appliances or utensils used in relation to food; (f) the packaging, storage, carrying, delivery, or handling of food; (g) any information about food including labelling, promotion and advertising; (h) such other matters affecting food as may affect the health of persons consuming food; and (i) the interpretation of other standards.
Furthermore the Food Standards Treaty establishes the principles underpinning the development of food standards (Art. 4 and Annex A), the Essential elements of the System (Annex B) such as that the Australia New Zealand Food Standards System will be based on an extension of the existing Australian system to include New Zealand, that the Australian system comprises the system specified in the Food Regulation Agreement and in the Australian Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 and that the Australia New Zealand Food Standards System includes, in particular, the development of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.
Article 7 clarifies the relationship of the Food Standards Treaty to the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement; the Article states that Member States acknowledge their intention that the provisions of the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement apply to food, subject to any necessary exemptions determined in accordance with the procedures laid down in that Arrangement.