Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991

The functions of the Authority are:

in accordance with this Act, to develop standards and variations of standards, and to review standards and variations of standards; and

in accordance with this Act, to develop codes of practice and variations of codes of practice for industry and to review codes of practice; and

to develop guidelines to assist the interpretation of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code on its own initiative or in consultation with the States, the Territories and any other body or person that the Authority considers appropriate; and

to promote consistency between standards in Australia and New Zealand with those used internationally, based on the best available scientific evidence; and

in consultation with the States and Territories, or on its own initiative, to facilitate the harmonisation of State and Territory laws relating to food; and

in consultation with the States and Territories, or on its own initiative, to co‑ordinate the development of procedures required to implement requirements set out in standards; and

in consultation with the States and Territories, to co‑ordinate the monitoring, surveillance and enforcement of activities relating to food available in Australia; and

in consultation with the States and Territories, or on its own initiative, to conduct research and surveys in relation to any of the matters that may be included in a standard; and

in co‑operation with the States and Territories, to develop food education initiatives, including the publication of information to increase public awareness of food standards and food labels; and

to provide information, on request by a member of the public, about the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code; and

in co‑operation with the Department administered by the Minister administering Part 3‑3 of Schedule 2 to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, as that Part applies as a law of the Commonwealth, to co‑ordinate the recall of food under that Part; and

at the request of the States and Territories, to co‑ordinate action by the States and Territories to recall food under State and Territory laws; and

to develop assessment policies in relation to food imported into Australia; and

to provide advice to the Minister on matters relating to food; and

to participate in international, regional and bilateral negotiations on matters that may be included in standards; and

to make the Authority’s knowledge, expertise, equipment, facilities and intellectual property available to other persons on a commercial basis; and

at the request of New Zealand, to perform functions for New Zealand similar to the functions that the Authority may perform in relation to the States and Territories; and

at the request of New Zealand, to perform functions for New Zealand similar to the other functions that the Authority may perform; and

such other functions as are conferred on the Authority by this Act; and

any functions incidental to any of the foregoing functions.

The function conferred by paragraph (1)(o):

can only be exercised:

for a purpose for which the Parliament has power to make laws; or

to utilise the Authority’s spare capacity; and

does not authorise the Authority to do something that would impede the Authority’s capacity to perform its other functions.