Australia has introduced new country of origin food labelling to provide more clarity for consumers about the source of the food they buy.
Consumers will now be able to look to the kangaroo symbol for clear information on if the food was made, grown, produced or packed in Australia, or in another country, with the new labelling requirements for food now mandatory.
All businesses – including manufacturers, processors and importers that offer food for retail sale in Australia – will need to comply with the labelling rules, which specifies how claims can be made about the origin of food products.
The new requirements will apply to most food offered for retail sale in Australia, including food sold in stores or markets, online or from a vending machine. It does, however, exclude food sold in restaurants, cafes, takeaway shops or schools.
Food labelling reforms commenced in July 2016 after consultation with Australian consumers and businesses. The Australian government said that consumers made it known that they wanted clearer and more meaningful food labelling.
Businesses were given two years to transition to the new arrangements. The transition period ended on 1 July.
Mick Keogh, deputy chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), said: “We have people on the ground to carry out these inspections and will initially focus on fresh or short shelf products sold by supermarkets, both large and small. We will raise concerns with businesses where we believe there is an issue with country of origin labelling. As always, we are able to escalate cases which warrant stronger action.
“Some consumers are willing to pay extra for products grown, produced or made in Australia, and producers and importers should be aware that any claim which is likely to mislead consumers will also be a breach of the law. We just want to ensure that consumers can make informed choices and businesses have a level playing field to compete fairly in relation to these claims.” More
Country of Origin Food Labelling - Factsheet
This Factsheet includes :-
What foods will the new Information Standard for food apply to?
What do the new labels look like and what information do they include?
What do ‘Grown in’, ‘Produced in’ and ‘Made in’ Australia mean?
Flexibility in label design
Country of Origin Food Labelling Information Standard 2016
This guide is current as of 24 April 2017. View the document here
- will help businesses to identify whether they need to comply with the Standard
- sets out the labelling requirements for priority and non-priority foods
- explains how businesses must work out the percentage, by weight, of Australian ingredients in a food
- outlines the basic principles for how labels should look on food products
- outlines the ACL’s requirements regarding making clear and accurate origin claims.
Country of Origin Claims
Consumers may be influenced by a number of factors when buying goods, including claims about where a product was grown, produced or made. If you choose to make a country of origin claim, or are legally required to do so, it must be clear, accurate and truthful.
Details about these issues available here :-
The Australian Consumer Law (ACL)
The Australian Consumer Law (ACL)
Food Labelling
Country of Origin Labelling for Other Products
Fines and Penalties
Country of Origin Food Labelling Style Guide
If you sell food in retail stores in Australia, new country of origin food labelling laws will apply to your products from 1 July 2016. Your business will have two years until the new labels are mandatory, but you can start designing and applying your new labels from today.
Watch the video here