Australia Works on Organic Standards

"The OFA called for the implementation of the national standards to ensure consumer faith in organic products, by acting as a basis for domestic regulation in the country, after consultation with authorities in the country.

"It was the Australian Government that proposed that an Australian Standard was the correct way to get domestic regulation," Leu told AP-Foodtechnology.com.

"It took a lot of consultation and investigation before we decided that this was the only option."

A similar standard is already in place for the country's exports of organic food, and the OFA is keen that domestic market for organic foods is finally following suite.

He added that the standards, which would be used by the industry to define organic production techniques, allowable inputs and prohibited practices, could conceivably be in place by the end of the year."

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