Australian state and territory consumer affairs ministers have signed off on country of origin labelling reforms for food sold at retailers, with changes to apply from 1 July 2016.
Businesses will then have two years to change to the new labels with the ‘kangaroo in a triangle’ logo, which will indicate where in the product was produced, and also indicate what portion of ingredients were produced in Australia.
“Australian consumers should be able to trust that claims such as ‘Made in’ and ‘Product of’ are applied consistently – and the new system will ensure that’s the case,” Barnaby Joyce, Australian deputy prime minister and agriculture ministersaid in a government release. “Australians want to know whether the product is from our nation or another, and if a mix of the two, what proportion is from our nation.”
The reforms are part of the Australian government’s A$4bn Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper.
“The Government has provided the [Australian Competition and Consumer Commission] with additional funding of A$4.2m over five years to undertake compliance and enforcement activities in relation to the new requirements,” MP Kelly O’Dwyer said. 'These changes will give consumers a clear understanding of where their food comes from, while ensuring Australian businesses receive information and support as they transition to the new rules.'
The reforms will also see the country of origin labelling system moved from the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code to Australian Consumer Law.
