Lyn Allison (Victoria, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, you are quite right. The numbering system on my sheet has got that the wrong way around—so I will start again. Amendment (2) requires the full consultation process for proposals that involve the addition of vitamins and minerals. The consultation paper leading into this bill cites the addition of vitamins and minerals to food as an example of an application that would require only one round of public consultation because it would merely be a change to an existing table. This ignores the considerable debate amongst industry, public health and medical professionals about the fortification of food with vitamins and minerals—they have the potential for significant implications for public health—and the marketing of these products may result in misleading and deceptive conduct. We argue, therefore, that it should be subject to the full consultation process.