The food and grocery manufacturing sector pays wages and salaries of $13.56 billion.
The industry’s workforce accounts for about 3 per cent of the population.
The food and grocery manufacturing industry consists of 30,104 businesses.
The industry provides around 24 million nutritious, affordable meals to Australians every day.
312,000 Australians are employed in the food, beverage and manufacturing industries, including half in rural and regional areas.
Australia’s $108 billion food and grocery manufacturing industry is the nation’s largest manufacturing sector.
Industry spends on average 0.5 per cent of turn-over on R&D – about $368 million a year.

Media Centre

No evidence to ban Bisphenol A, says WHO

Friday, 12 November 2010 14:18

An international panel of 30 World Health Organisation (WHO) experts has found there is no scientific evidence indicating that Bisphenol A (BPA) should be banned from food products as a public health measure.

The leading WHO experts concluded on November 10 that BPA was mostly “eliminated” and doesn't accumulate in the body. The WHO panel, who met in Canada, also said that introducing public health measures – such as a ban on BPA – would be “premature”.

“A few recent experimental and epidemiological studies found associations between low BPA exposure levels and some adverse health outcomes. The meeting concluded that, at this stage, it is difficult to interpret the relevance of these studies in the light of current knowledge of this compound,” the WHO said.

These findings back up the position of Australia’s $102 billion food and grocery manufacturing industry, the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) said today. (November 12)

The outcome was also in line with a new BPA study by Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) – released last Wednesday – which concluded that there were no health risks to consumers from consuming packaged food and beverages.

AFGC Chief Executive Kate Carnell said the FSANZ study also showed levels of exposure to BPA in Australian diets were within safety limits.

“There’s little definitive scientific evidence internationally and in Australia that has shown any dangers to humans from BPA in canned food products or bottles,” Ms Carnell said.

“Products containing BPA have been subject to significant, rigorous investigations by leading world authorities and, in recent years, food regulators in the United States, UK and the EU have examined the latest findings and determined that the use of BPA continues to be safe.

“Industry will continue to monitor this important issue.”

To find out more on the WHO findings, visit: www.who.int/foodsafety/chem/chemicals/bisphenol_release/en/index.html

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More information: Brad Watts AFGC Media Manager (02) 6270 9021 or 0437 379 818.

Download a PDF of this Media Release here:

No evidence to ban Bisphenol A, says WHO