Evaluating the effectiveness of the joint Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code

The adoption of harmonised food regulatory requirements by Australia and New Zealand in December 2000 resulted in a less prescriptive regulatory environment that brings with it a greater need to evaluate the efficacy and veracity of the new food regulations. Information from surveillance and monitoring of the food supply and associated activities comprise an integral step in this evaluative process in being able to document the current baseline situation and the impact of the introduction of the new food regulatory measures. This paper outlines the process used to develop a strategy for 2001–2003 to undertake a scientific and technical evaluation of the impact of these changed regulatory requirements, with reference to key stakeholder groups. Specific evaluation activities are identified in the strategy that are intended to generate additional data to supplement ongoing data collections.