Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991

Subject to section 56, if the Authority prepares a proposal, the Authority must assess the proposal.

Section 56 allows the Authority to abandon a proposal.

In assessing the proposal, 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 proposal 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 proposal;

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.