{"id":"F2015L00461","name":"Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code – Standard 2.4.2 – Edible oil spreads","slug":"f2015l00461","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":315820,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2015L00461-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 2.4.2 – Edible oil spreads","content":"Standard 2.4.2 Edible oil spreads\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\n2.4.2—1 Name\n\nThis Standard is Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code – Standard 2.4.2 – Edible oil spreads.\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\n2.4.2—2 Definitions\n\nNote In this Code (see section 1.1.2—3):\n\nedible oil means the triglycerides, diglycerides, or both the triglycerides and diglycerides of fatty acids of plant or animal origin, including aquatic plants and aquatic animals, with incidental amounts of free fatty acids, unsaponifiable constituents and other lipids including naturally occurring gums, waxes and phosphatides.\n\nedible oil spread means:\n\n(a) a spreadable food composed of edible oils and water in the form of an emulsion of the type water-in-oil; or\n\n(b) such a food with any of the following added:\n\n    (i) water;\n    (ii) edible proteins;\n    (iii) salt;\n    (iv) lactic acid producing microorganisms;\n    (v) flavour producing microorganisms;\n    (vi) milk products;\n    (vii) no more than 82 g/kg of total plant sterol equivalents content.\n\nmargarine means an edible oil spread containing no less than 800g/kg of edible oils.\n\n2.4.2—3 Requirements for sale as edible oil spread or margarine\n\nApplication of section to New Zealand\n\n(1) Subsections (3) and (5) do not apply to edible oil spread or margarine produced in, or imported into, New Zealand.\n\nRequirement for food sold as edible oil spread\n\n(2) A food that is sold as an edible oil spread must be edible oil spread.\n\nRequirement for food sold as table edible oil spread\n\n(3) A food that is sold as a ‘table’ edible oil spread must be edible oil spread containing no less than 55 μg/kg of vitamin D.\n\nRequirement for food sold as margarine\n\n(4) A food that is sold as ‘margarine’ must be margarine.\n\nRequirement for food sold as table margarine\n\n(5) A food that is sold as ‘table margarine’ must be margarine containing no less than 55 μg/kg of vitamin D.\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 a compilation of Standard 2.4.2 as in force on 1 March 2016 (up to Amendment No. 161). It includes any commenced amendment affecting the compilation to that date.\n\nPrepared by Food Standards Australia New Zealand on 1 March 2016.\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 2.4.2 was published in the Food Standards Gazette No. FSC96 on 10 April 2015 as part of Amendment 154 (F2015L00461 –- 1 April 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| 2.4.2—2          | 161        | F2016L0012018 Feb 2016FSC10322 Feb 2016 | 1 March 2016            | am           | Correction of formatting error in Note. |","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose: setting compositional standards for edible oil spreads and margarine. The scope has not expanded beyond defining product categories, mandatory vitamin D fortification requirements for the Australian market, and permitted additives."},"complexity_factors":["Very short document (approximately 500 words)","Only 3 defined terms in the interpretation section","Minimal cross-referencing (only references to the parent Act and general Code provisions)","Simple conditional structure with clear geographic carve-out for New Zealand","No nested exceptions or complex logical operators","Straightforward numerical thresholds (800g/kg for margarine, 55 μg/kg for vitamin D, 82 g/kg for plant sterols)"],"plain_english_summary":"This law sets the rules for selling edible oil spreads (like margarine and butter alternatives) in Australia and New Zealand. It defines what counts as an 'edible oil spread'—basically a spreadable mix of oil and water—and what counts as 'margarine' (a spread with at least 80% oil). The law requires that if you sell something labeled as 'margarine,' it must actually meet that definition. It also has special rules for products sold as 'table' spreads: in Australia, these must contain added vitamin D (at least 55 micrograms per kilogram). However, these vitamin D rules don't apply to products made in or imported into New Zealand. The standard also allows manufacturers to add certain ingredients like salt, milk products, or plant sterols (cholesterol-lowering compounds) and still call the product an edible oil spread."},"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"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"No substantive scope change is indicated in the compilation. The recorded amendment (Amendment 161) corrected a formatting error; the Standard continues to set definitions and compositional/fortification requirements for edible oil spreads and margarine as described."},"complexity_factors":["Technical compositional definitions (edible oil as triglycerides/diglycerides and incidental constituents).","Numeric product thresholds: margarine ≥ 800 g/kg edible oils; 'table' products ≥ 55 μg/kg vitamin D.","Two-tier product taxonomy (edible oil spread versus margarine, and ‘table’ variants) that drives different requirements.","Application exception for New Zealand producers/imports (subsections excluded for New Zealand).","Cross-references to the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 and other Code sections for commencement and application.","Amendment and commencement details recorded in an amendment history (administrative tracking for compliance timing)."],"plain_english_summary":"This Standard defines “edible oil”, “edible oil spread” and “margarine” and requires that products sold using those names meet the compositional definitions. It also mandates a minimum vitamin D level (55 μg/kg) for products labelled as “table” edible oil spread or “table margarine”. The Standard operates under the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 and therefore affects manufacturers, importers and retailers who must ensure product composition and labelling comply from the commencement date."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/f2015l00461","history":"/api/acts/f2015l00461/history","analysis":"/api/acts/f2015l00461/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/f2015l00461/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/f2015l00461/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/f2015l00461/documents"}}