Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991

If the Authority accepts an application, the Authority must assess the application.

In assessing the application, the Authority must have regard to the following matters:

whether costs that would arise from a food regulatory measure developed or varied as a result of the application outweigh the direct and indirect benefits to the community, Government or industry that would arise from the development or variation of the food regulatory measure;

whether other measures (available to the Authority or not) would be more cost‑effective than a food regulatory measure developed or varied as a result of the application;

any relevant New Zealand standards;

any other relevant matters.

See also section 18, which sets out the objectives of the Authority in developing food regulatory measures and variations of those measures.