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senate committee transcript 2010
RURAL AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS AND TRANSPORT LEGISLATION COMMITTEE - 25/05/2010 - AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FORESTRY PORTFOLIO
Senator ?MILNE? -I have been wanting to ask a question in relation to raw milk cheese and I do not know which area of the department is best to ask it in. Are there any restrictions on the import of raw milk cheese into Australia, especially since New Zealand now, as of September last year, allows the production of raw milk cheese? Can you tell me if there are any restrictions on the import of raw milk cheese into Australia and why, if there are?
Dr Clegg -Yes. There are restrictions on the import of raw milk cheeses into Australia. The requirements of the Food Standards Code apply to food from all countries. In the case of New Zealand, soft cheeses are listed as risk cheeses, except for raw milk cheeses. If New Zealand had some establishments that were approved by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority for public sale in New Zealand, those soft cheeses of New Zealand origin could be imported into Australia under the current arrangements that we have. For cheese from any other country, it cannot be imported because it is treated as a risk food by AQIS and it will be required to be tested.
Senator ?MILNE? -How come you can buy roquefort and other cheeses in Australia then?
Dr Clegg -Because it would not fit into the definition of soft. There are standards within the Australian Food Standards Code that allow the import of roquefort cheese and also some of the Swiss grating cheeses.
Senator ?MILNE? -Just to clarify, at the moment you can import raw milk cheese into Australia if it is not a soft cheese.
Dr Clegg -Yes. In accordance with the standards that are in the Food Standards Code-and they apply to a very few number of specific cheeses that have detailed European origin and history of production.
Senator ?MILNE? -Are there any other countries in the world that are still restricting the import of raw milk cheese?
Dr Clegg -Other than us? I could not say.
Senator ?MILNE? -Okay. And there is a review, I understand, in relation to this matter at the moment.
Dr Clegg -Yes.
Senator ?MILNE? -Are you able to give me any insight into this so I can get ready?
Dr Clegg -No, I am sorry. FSANZ is developing a standard for raw milk cheeses, and that process is underway. It is just that New Zealand standard was finished ahead of Australia's in this case, but each country does its own food standard assessment.
Senator ?MILNE? -I am a little bit confused here. I thought we had standardised Australian and New Zealand food safety and labelling laws in relation to this. Why don't we have the same standard as New Zealand since they have adopted theirs last September?
Dr Clegg -New Zealand has the ability, under the treaty we have with New Zealand about food standards, to set its own standards. In Australia, similarly, we set our standards. There are a number of them that are joint, but there are others that each of us may choose to make. They are made, in our case, by FSANZ. We are not the food authority here, but in New Zealand they are the food authority and they are also the people that deal with a lot of the export and import of food as well.
Senator ?MILNE? -In terms of the Department of Agriculture and federally, who in your branch deals with the opportunities that might present themselves in terms of raw milk cheeses? I am just interested to know who is looking at this issue, in terms of opportunities and new markets if Australia were to change its laws in relation to the production of raw milk cheese.
Ms Mellor -It is probably in our Agricultural Productivity Group.
Senator ?MILNE? -I will wait for them then.
Mr Read -But the sequence on this would be that FSANZ will start a review developing that standard. There will be a committee that is established. We will probably have a representative on that: one of our scientists. In terms of market access, that really will be driven by the market. We will be informed where those opportunities lie in terms of export opportunities. We would need to liaise with both the countries that that export is going to as well as the conditions and requirements of the exporters themselves. The sequence will be the development of the standard, as I would see it. If there is some of our big national companies then wishing to progress the development of raw milk cheeses and exporting those to markets, then there will be the need for Mark Schipp's branch to be involved with that, look at what the access requirements to those markets will be, facilitate access where they need to, and align the Australian standard, plus any other conditions required to go to those markets.
Senator ?MILNE? -Considering the fact that there is a review currently on, when do we expect that process that has just been set out to be completed and a decision made?
Dr Clegg -I do not know when that will be. That is managed by FSANZ.
Ms Mellor -It is not just FSANZ undertaking the review.
Senator BACK -Can I just confirm that, in fact, the domestic producers are at a disadvantage now in the sense that we have a scenario where our domestic producers cannot make or sell cheeses from unpasteurised milk although those cheeses can be imported from countries like France and Switzerland subject to these safety requirements? Is that the position we are in at the moment?
Dr Clegg -Yes, it is, but the standards are quite specific. The roquefort cheese is like an appellation on a wine. It is only roquefort cheese made in a particular area of France that can be imported. Similarly, the grating cheeses are quite specific and particular cheeses; we could not reproduce them here.
Senator BACK -I guess that is the question, isn't it? Could a similar assessment be conducted on the domestic scenario, and in the event that we satisfied those standards, could the domestic producers not, in fact, produce those products?
Dr Clegg -Yes, it is a question for-
Senator BACK -Whether for domestic or export consumption?
Dr O'Connell -Yes, I agree with your point and I think it will be the subject of that review process, because you are clearly quite right. There is potentially some element of a competitive disadvantage.
Senator ?MILNE? -Yes. There is a big disadvantage for boutique cheeses in Australia. I wonder on what basis you say that roquefort meets the safety standards but a domestic producer would not just because you cannot in theory reproduce a roquefort cheese here.
Dr Clegg -The standards that apply include a certification arrangement we have with France to import the roquefort cheese into Australia-and it is a whole list of EU standards that apply to that cheese's manufacture. That is how we assure ourselves that it has met the European standard for the production of roquefort cheese, which can only be made in France.
Senator ?MILNE? -Whilst I hear what you are saying about the food standards, what about the issue of Australian producers being discriminated against? Is there no other mechanism to deal with this other than through FSANZ?
Dr O'Connell -It is a health benefit, yes. I think we can take it on notice. I do not need to say anything else, but there is essentially a health related barrier, so it does, I think, require that FSANZ work. If there is anything else, we can take that on notice and get back to you, but the basic point is what I understand.
Senator ?MILNE? -Okay. Thank you.
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