{"id":"F2015L00408","name":"Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code – Standard 1.4.1 – Contaminants and natural toxicants","slug":"f2015l00408","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":315758,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2015L00408-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-08","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code – Standard 1.4.1 – Contaminants and natural toxicants","content":"Standard 1.4.1 Contaminants and natural toxicants\n\nNote 1 This instrument is a standard under the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 (Cth). The standards together make up the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. See also section 1.1.1—3.\n\nNote 2 The provisions of the Code that apply in New Zealand are incorporated in, or adopted under, the Food Act 2014 (NZ). See also section 1.1.1—3.\n\nNote 3 Subsection 1.1.1—10(6) provides that a food for sale must comply with any provisions of this Code relating to the composition of, or the presence of specified substances in, food of that kind. This Standard contains provisions relating to the presence of other substances in food.\n\nNote 4 Limits have been set under this Standard when it has been determined that there is a potential risk to public health and safety if the prescribed limits are exceeded, that should be managed by a standard. This Standard is to be read in the context of the requirements imposed in the application Acts that food must be safe and suitable for human consumption. For example, the concentration of contaminants and natural toxicants should be kept as low as reasonably achievable.\n\n1.4.1—1 Name\n\nThis Standard is Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code – Standard 1.4.1 – Contaminants and natural toxicants.\n\nNote Commencement:  \nThis Standard commences on 1 March 2016, being the date specified as the commencement date in notices in the Gazette and the New Zealand Gazette under section 92 of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 (Cth). See also section 93 of that Act.\n\n1.4.1—2 Interpretation\n\n(1) The limits prescribed by this Standard apply to the portion of foods that is ordinarily consumed.\n\n(2) In this Standard and Schedule 19, a reference to:\n\n(a) vegetables is to:\n\n(i) a vegetable described in Schedule 22; and\n\n(ii) sweet corns described in Schedule 22; and\n\n(b) any other particular food is to the food as described in Schedule 22.\n\n1.4.1—3 Levels of contaminants and natural toxicants in food\n\n(1) The level of a contaminant or natural toxicant listed in section S19—4, S19—5 or S19—6 in a food listed in relation to that contaminant or toxicant must not be greater than the corresponding amount listed in that Schedule.\n\nNote Schedule 19 sets out maximum levels of:\n\n metal contaminants;\n\n non-metal contaminants;\n\n natural toxicants; and\n\n average and maximum levels of mercury in fish.\n\n(2) The level of mercury in fish and fish products, calculated in accordance with section S19—7, must comply with the requirements of subsection S19—7(1) or S19—7(2), as appropriate.\n\n(3) For a food for sale with 2 or more ingredients, 1 or more of which is listed in Schedule 19, the level of a contaminant or toxicant listed in Schedule 19 in the food for sale must not be greater than the amount, ML, given by the following equation:\n\n![C:\\Users\\humphc\\Desktop\\Scan-to-Me from 172.17.0.226 2016-01-21 112004-0001.jpeg](image.001.jpeg)\n\nwhere:\n\nN is the number of ingredients of the food for sale for which a maximum level of a contaminant or toxicant is specified in Schedule 19.\n\nMLj is: (a) in the case of mercury—the mean level of mercury that is permitted under section S19—7; or\n\n(b) otherwise—the maximum level of the contaminant or toxicant that is permitted, in accordance with subsection (1);\n\nin a particular ingredient (the jth ingredient) of the food for sale.\n\nTotalj is the total weight of the jth ingredient of the food for sale (in g).\n\nCF is:\n\n(a) in the case of lead—0.01 mg/kg; and\n\n(b) in the case of cadmium—0.005 mg/kg; and\n\n(c) for other substances—0 mg/kg.\n\nNote CF is the background calculation factor, and allows for a representative contaminant level for those foods for which a maximum level is not specified in Schedule 19. The contaminants occur at low levels in such foods.\n\nTotal is the total weight of the food for sale (in g).\n\n1.4.1—4 Exception relating to honey and comb honey\n\n(1) Section 1.1.1—9 does not apply to honey and comb honey for the purposes of section 1.4.1—3.\n\n(2) Despite section 1.4.1—3, honey and comb honey that was packaged for retail sale before the commencement of the Food Standards (Proposal P1029 – Maximum Level for Tutin in Honey) Variation is taken to comply with the level of Tutin listed in the table to section S19—6 if the product otherwise complied with the Code before that variation commenced.\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\n  \n\nAmendment History\n\nThe Amendment History provides information about each amendment to the Standard. The information includes commencement or cessation information for relevant amendments.\n\nThese amendments are made under section 92 of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 unless otherwise indicated. Amendments do not have a specific date for cessation unless indicated as such.\n\nAbout this compilation\n\nThis is compilation No. 2 of Standard 1.4.1 as in force on 1 September 2022 (up to Amendment No. 211). It includes any commenced amendment affecting the compilation to that date.\n\nPrepared by Food Standards Australia New Zealand on 1 September 20.\n\nUncommenced amendments or provisions ceasing to have effect\n\nTo assist stakeholders, the effect of any uncommenced amendments or provisions which will cease to have effect, may be reflected in the Standard as shaded boxed text with the relevant commencement or cessation date. These amendments will be reflected in a compilation registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments including or omitting those amendments and provided in the Amendment History once the date is passed.\n\nThe following abbreviations may be used in the table below:\n\nad = added or inserted am = amended\n\nexp = expired or ceased to have effect rep = repealed\n\nrs = repealed and substituted\n\nStandard 1.4.1 was published in the Food Standards Gazette No. FSC96 on 10 April 2015 as part of Amendment 154 (F2015L00408 –- 31 March 2015) and has since been amended as follows:\n\n| Section affected | A’ment No. | FRLI registrationGazette                | Commencement(Cessation) | How affected | Description of amendment                                                                 |\n| ---------------- | ---------- | --------------------------------------- | ----------------------- | ------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| 1.3.1—3(3)       | 161        | F2016L0012018 Feb 2016FSC10322 Feb 2016 | 1 March 2016            | am           | Correction of typographical error in formula.                                            |\n| 1.4.1—4          | 157        | F2015L013741 Sept 2015FSC993 Sept 2015  | 1 March 2016            | ad           | New section relating to tutin in honey previously included in the Code as part of P1029. |\n| 1.4.1—2(2)       | 211        | F2022L0111826 Aug 2022FSC1511 Sept 2022 | 1 September 2022        | rs           | New subsection relating to a reference to vegetables                                     |","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Standard appears to maintain its original scope as a contaminants and natural toxicants regulation. The amendment history shows only technical updates: a typographical correction in a formula (Amendment 161), addition of a specific honey/tutin provision (Amendment 157), and a definitional update for vegetables (Amendment 211). These are refinements within the original public health safety purpose rather than scope creep."},"complexity_factors":["Heavy reliance on external schedules: The actual regulatory substance (the maximum levels) is contained in Schedule 19, Schedule 22, and section S19-7, which are not included in this excerpt – the Standard is essentially a shell referencing other documents","Mathematical formula with multiple variables: Section 1.4.1—3(3) contains a complex equation for calculating compliance in multi-ingredient foods involving variables (ML, N, MLj, Totalj, CF, Total) with conditional definitions for different contaminants","Conditional definitions: The calculation factor 'CF' has three different values depending on whether the contaminant is lead, cadmium, or something else; 'MLj' has different calculation methods for mercury versus other substances","Cross-referencing maze: References to section 1.1.1—9, section 1.1.1—10(6), Schedule 19, Schedule 22, section S19-4 through S19-7, and the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991","Transitional provisions: Section 1.4.1—4 contains a time-limited exception for honey products packaged before a specific regulatory change (Proposal P1029), creating a temporary compliance pathway","Dual-jurisdictional application: The Standard operates across two countries with different incorporation mechanisms (Australia via the FSANZ Act, New Zealand via the Food Act 2014), requiring notes about different legal contexts"],"plain_english_summary":"This Standard sets enforceable maximum safe limits for metal and non‑metal contaminants and natural toxicants in food sold in Australia and New Zealand, protecting consumers from acute poisoning and long‑term bioaccumulation. It affects food manufacturers, importers and primary producers by requiring testing and compliance so foods remain safe and suitable.\n\nDetailed limits are listed in Schedule 19, with particular rules for mercury in fish, a calculation method for multi‑ingredient foods, and a temporary tutin exception for certain honey."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The Standard's scope has been adjusted by amendments: section 1.4.1—4 was added to provide an exception for honey and comb honey packaged before the tutin maximum (amendment 157), and subsection 1.4.1—2(2) was revised to reference vegetables in Schedule 22 (amendment 211). A typographical correction to the composite-food formula was also made (amendment 161). These changes add a temporal exception and clarify food references, affecting which products and packaging dates must comply."},"complexity_factors":["Multiple schedules with numeric limits (Schedule 19: S19—4, S19—5, S19—6) require cross-referencing and numeric compliance checks.","Special mercury rules for fish (section S19—7) add a separate calculation method and compliance path.","Composite-food calculation in 1.4.1—3(3) requires weighted averaging across N ingredients and use of a background calculation factor (CF), increasing analytical complexity for multi-ingredient products.","Fixed CF numeric values for lead (0.01 mg/kg) and cadmium (0.005 mg/kg) and zero for others introduce asymmetric treatment of contaminants.","Interpretive cross-references to Schedule 22 for definitions of 'vegetables' and other foods (1.4.1—2(2)) mean compliance depends on multiple schedules.","Portion-based application (1.4.1—2(1)) requires determining the 'portion ordinarily consumed' for testing and labelling.","An exception for pre-existing retail-packaged honey and tutin (1.4.1—4) creates a temporal compliance carve-out that must be tracked.","Frequent amendments and commencement notes (Amendment History) create administrative and transitional complexity for affected businesses and regulators."],"plain_english_summary":"This Standard sets numeric maximum levels for contaminants and natural toxicants in foods sold in Australia and New Zealand, using limits listed in Schedule 19. It requires mercury in fish to meet special calculation rules and gives a formula for composite foods that averages ingredient limits while allowing a background factor for unspecified ingredients. A specific exception deals with honey and comb honey packaged before a new tutin limit. The rules impose testing, composition and record-keeping duties on food producers, importers, retailers and regulators."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/f2015l00408","history":"/api/acts/f2015l00408/history","analysis":"/api/acts/f2015l00408/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/f2015l00408/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/f2015l00408/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/f2015l00408/documents"}}