Support for native food industry

The Australian native food industry will be better placed to take advantage of its large potential with the formation of a new peak industry body.

Recognising a need for the industry to become more cohesive, a group of native food industry experts has formed a 'steering group' to develop a draft constitution for an incorporated peak body.

The group has developed draft policies for the new peak industry body, which would deal with:

• The requirements of Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ), particularly the novel foods regime;
• The need for accepted standards of production and food safety;
• The identification and promotion of the attributes of native food products;
• The need to have systems for plant naming, which respect indigenous knowledge and optimise the advantages of Australian enterprises for their products;
• International food authorities and regulations;
• The need for all people and groups in the industry to have a means of coordination and communication, and a consolidated voice to government.

An online directory of the native foods industry is jointly supported by CSIRO and the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation.