The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Council (ANZFSC) has set new rules stipulating that foods containing even a trace of “novel” DNA or protein must be labeled, as must foods with altered characteristics. However, the Council has allowed some exemptions: highly refined foods, such as sugars and oils; foods prepared using GM processing aids and food additives that are not present in the final product (for instance, cheese); food and beverages containing GM flavorings in concentrations of not more than 0.1%; and food prepared at the point of sale—such as in pubs and restaurants. The new standard will also allow a 1% threshold for accidental “contamination” of an ingredient in a product.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission is expected to set an international standard for labeling of GM foods in 2003. Meanwhile, the EU and Japan require labeling of foods containing over 1% and 5% GM ingredients, respectively, while the US and Canada require labeling only for GM foods with altered characteristics such as increased nutritional value or added allergenic compounds.