Country of Origin (CoO) labelling could be simplified to just three claims – Product of or Grown in Australia; Manufactured in Australia; and Packaged in Australia – under a revised bill introduced to federal parliament by the Australian Greens.
The Greens' new Competition and Consumer Amendment (Australian Country of Origin Food Labelling) Bill extends country of origin labelling to all food for retail sale.
The new bill follows the rejection earlier this year of a previous Greens proposal to rationalise the country's CoO food labelling laws.
That earlier proposal was rejected by a Senate committee on the grounds it did not go far enough to help consumers choose between home-grown and imported raw products.
Greens leader Christine Milne said the revised bill, introduced to the Senate yesterday, was drafted after significant consultation with consumers and stakeholders in the food and retail sectors.
"We know consumers want to support Australian farmers and producers but the current food labelling rules are just too confusing," Senator Milne said.
"The changes would mean consumers will be able to identify whether products are Australian grown or manufactured, and the misleading claims like 'made from local and imported ingredients' would be prohibited.
"The changes would also encourage companies to highlight local ingredients in their labels.
"My labelling proposals are the result of extensive consultation with consumer groups, manufacturers and farmers. I particularly want to thank CHOICE for their input which is strongly reflected in the bill," Senator Milne said.
The new bill got speedy backing from peak vegetable growers body, AUSVEG.
“The present food labelling laws are a farce and Australian vegetable and potato growers would welcome any improvements aimed at making it easier for Australian consumers to confidently choose locally grown food, something which is currently very difficult to do,” AUSVEG spokesperson Hugh Gurney said.
“Senator Milne highlighted that consumers want to support Australian farmers. Recent research conducted has shown that 80 per cent of consumers want to purchase Australian produce to support farmers and for our nation to have a viable food industry."
He said current labelling laws allowed products from any country to travel to New Zealand for processing and then be sent on to Australia under the claim ‘Made in New Zealand from Local and Imported Ingredients’.
“Current labelling claims, including the downright baffling ‘Made in New Zealand from Local and Imported ingredients’, provide consumers with no certainty whatsoever that the food they choose has been produced to the incredibly high standards of quality and safety as those seen in Australia,” Gurney said.
Senator Milne: the Greens' new labelling bill was drafted after extensive consultation with consumers, manufacturers and food growers.
