State and territory governments recently reached agreement to reform Australia’s current country of origin food labelling system.
Whilst not imposing an overly onerous burden on businesses, the new food labelling system will provide Australian consumers with more clarity on whether the product/s they are purchasing are made, produced or grown in Australia.
The new system will include a bar chart indicating the proportion of Australian ingredients, as well as including a kangaroo in a triangle logo to indicate if the food is made, produced or grown in Australia. The reforms will be introduced from 1 July 2016, with labels expected to appear in retail outlets later this year.
With the introduction of these reforms, the new country of origin labelling requirements will move from the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code to Australian Consumer Law.
Click here for more information about the new country of origin food labelling system.