This month Australia had introduced mandatory country of origin food labeling. The new requirements 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, take-away shops, and schools.
The Australia Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will now conduct market surveillance checks on 10,000 food products to ensure businesses are correctly displaying the new labels. All businesses—including manufacturers, processors, and importers that offer food for retail sale in Australia—will need to comply with the Country of Origin Food Labelling Information Standard, which specifies how claims can be made about the origin of food products.
To claim that a food with imported ingredients was “made in” a particular country, processing in that country must have created a product that is fundamentally different in nature, identity, or essential character from the imported ingredients that went into it. Minor processing which only changes the form or appearance of imported goods (e.g. crumbing an imported prawn or reconstituting an imported juice concentrate) will no longer be enough to justify a “made in” claim. The labeling requirements will vary depending on whether the food is a priority or non-priority food or was grown, produced, made, or packed in Australia or another country.
“Consumers should look out for the new labels if they want to find out where their food is grown, produced, made, or packed, so they can make an informed decision about the food they buy,” said Mick Keogh, deputy chair of the ACCC.
