Published
On 2 September 2025, changes to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code) were gazetted to update definitions for genetically modified (GM) food.
The new definitions maintain strong food safety protections while ensuring regulatory oversight remains proportionate to risk and supports safe innovation. They have been developed with input from stakeholders and the public to provide clarity and certainty for food businesses, regulators and consumers.
The definitions apply across the Code and are designed to support consistent application of GM food assessment and labelling requirements.
What’s changed?
- New definitions: The outdated, process-based definition for ‘food produced using gene technology’ has been replaced with an outcome-based definition for ‘genetically modified food’. This will make it easier to determine what is a GM food.
- Novel DNA: The new definition is based on the introduction of ‘novel DNA’ in an organism or cells. Genetic changes that occur naturally or from conventional breeding are not captured as GM.
- New Breeding Techniques: Foods made using new breeding techniques, like genome editing, are not classified as GM food if the genetic change doesn’t introduce novel DNA.
What hasn't changed?
- Approval of GM foods: Foods that are GM still require an application to FSANZ for pre-market safety assessment and approval before they can be sold.
- Labelling requirements: Approved GM foods remain subject to GM labelling provisions in the Code.
Why this matters
- Clarity and coverage: The outdated process-based definition did not adequately address modern gene technologies, with potential for gaps in coverage or overregulation.
- Fairness and certainty: Food businesses and enforcement agencies now have clearer rules to follow.
- Public health and safety: Only GM foods that are assessed as safe can be sold.
- Global alignment: The updated definitions better align with international regulatory approaches, including those in Canada, Japan and England.
More information
Consultation and assessment
You can read our full assessment and the approved changes in the Approval Report.
Approval report
Second call for submissions
First call for submissions
- Call for submissions - 7 October 2021 (PDF 290 kb)
- Supporting document 3 - Regulatory approaches and definitions (PDF 171 kb)
Submissions
- Businesses, Groups, Organisations (ZIP 35.7 kb)
- Private Individuals (ZIP 77.4 mb)
- Campaign letter (PDF 65.1 kb)
- Stakeholder Feedback Summary Report (PDF 476 kb)
Consumer research on new breeding techniques
To supplement the information gained through the consultation process, the following work was produced on consumer attitudes towards NBTs:
- Consumer Responses to the Use of NBTs in the Production of Food: A Systematic Literature Review (PDF 3.53 MB)
- Focus groups on consumers' responses to the use of New Breeding Techniques (NBTs) in food production (PDF 1.41 MB)
- Consumer Survey Report: consumers' perceptions of and attitudes towards genetically modified foods.
Background to the Proposal
Expert Advisory Group
FSANZ established an Expert Advisory Group to provide expert technical advice to inform our assessment of this proposal.
Members
- Dr Goetz Laible - AgResearch, New Zealand
- Associate Prof. Rob Lanfear - Australian National University, Australia
- Prof. Brian Priestly - Monash University, Australia
- Prof. Joanna Putterill - The University of Auckland, New Zealand
- Dr Mark Tizard - CSIRO Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness Australia
Former members
- Dr Sally Symes - Victorian Dept. of Health & Human Services, Australia