May 13/Canberra, Australia/FSANZ Release -- Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has approved an application to increase the maximum permitted levels of a high-intensity sweetener and an application to use a genetically modified soybean in food and notified the approvals to the Ministerial Council.

FSANZ chief executive officer Steve McCutcheon said three applications and a code maintenance proposal had been approved and the approvals notified to the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council.

“Once FSANZ has notified the council that it has approved an application, the council has 60 days to either ask FSANZ to review the application or inform FSANZ that it does not intend to request a review,” Mr McCutcheon said.

“FSANZ has approved an application from Cargill Inc. seeking approval to increase the allowed maximum permitted level (MPL) of steviol glycosides (expressed as steviol equivalents) in ice cream, water based beverages, brewed soft drinks, formulated beverages and flavored soy beverages up to 200mg/kg and in plain soy beverages up to 100mg/kg.

“FSANZ has also approved an application seeking permission for food derived from genetically modified soybean that has an improved fatty acid profile resulting in enhanced nutritional characteristics. The soybean has been developed to have an unsaturated fatty acid profile similar to olive oil and canola oil.”

 

From the May 13, 2011, Prepared Foods' Daily News.