A few months ago, Food Standards Australia New-Zealand (FSANZ) has made available a document outlining its approach in developing food standards, following a risk analysis approach.

The document entitled “Risk Analysis in Food Regulations” provides an excellent overview of FSANZ’s approach in addressing various food safety and nutrition hazards within the mandate of this bi-national food safety regulator, including the identification of food hazards and the associated risks, the assessment of these risks and the development of risk management measures and their implementation.

The reader of this document will rapidly note that FSANZ’s approach is very much aligned with the international food risk analysis principles adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

I was privileged to be given the opportunity to be one of the peer reviewers of this document, prior to its publication in January 2014. I consider this document as an excellent reference for food regulators and food stakeholders alike.

FSANZ is to be commanded for its enhanced transparency efforts and its leadership in making such a reference document available to all of us.