After consultation with industry, the government has created a series of options for clearer country of origin labelling. Now it wants consumers to take a look.
Australians can share their views through an online survey, the results of which will be used to help design a new labelling system that will give consumers information on the country of origin of their products in a way that's easy to read and understand.
The concepts laid out by the government include a bar, pie chart or a map of Australia coloured to identify the proportion of ingredients that are Australian, as well as text indicating both whether the product was ‘Made in’ Australia and whether the ingredients are ‘more than’ or ‘less than 50 per cent local ingredients’ (see below).
A variation of the iconic green-and-gold kangaroo logo is also one of six graphics consumers are being asked to choose from, and the Australian Made Campaign, the not-for-profit organisation that administers and promotes the kangaroo logo, is calling on consumers to 'remember the roo' and back the symbol.
Horticultural body Ausveg, meanwhile, says while it supports the implementation of diagrams to display the proportion of ingredients that are grown in Australia, it believes that it is also vitally important to specifically outline the country of origin of the main ingredients.
Consumer advocacy organisation Choice also believes the new system must highlight where the product’s main ingredient comes from, not just how much of it was made or grown locally.
The call for labelling reform follows on from the Nanna's frozen berries scare, and the government says it has completed its consultations industry, including growers, processors and retailers.
The government says it is now seeking feedback from the shoppers who will make use of the new labels, with a view to finding a balance for industry and the consumer.
“Based on our consultation sessions in major capital and regional cities, we have valuable industry information on how we can implement a system that is fair and transparent for consumers without adding extra costs to business,” Minister for Industry and Science Ian Macfarlane said.
“Consumers have told us loud and clear that they want more useful food labelling, and now we want to hear from them about which options they prefer.”
Minister for Agriculture Barnaby Joyce said many consumers and food producers felt strongly about the need for clearer country of origin labelling.
“Australians have asked for simpler food labelling and the Government has listened; now is the chance for people to have their say on simpler and more logical ways to present the information.”
