Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991

The Authority must assess the standard or variation.

In assessing the standard or variation, the Authority must have regard to the following matters:

whether costs that have arisen, or will arise, from the standard or variation outweigh the direct and indirect benefits to the community, Government or industry that have arisen, or will arise, from the standard or variation;

whether other measures (available to the Authority or not) would be more cost‑effective than the standard or variation;

all 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.