The Australian Made Campaign has spoken out against a Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) decision to keep country-of-origin labelling optional for some unpackaged foods.
According to the FSANZ decision, country-of-origin labelling will not be extended to unpackaged foods not already covered by the standard, including game meats, poultry (other than chicken), eggs and cheese.
The Australian Made Campaign has, in response, renewed its call for mandatory labelling for all food products.
FSANZ was originally instructed to develop a proposal to extend country-of-origin labelling across all primary food products for retail sale as part of the government’s response to the Review of Food Labelling Law and Policy in 2011, according to the organisation.
Australian Made Campaign chief executive, Ian Harrison, said he was disappointed that the proposal had been scrapped, arguing that extending the country-of-origin labelling requirements to all foods would have reduced consumer confusion and promoted confidence in the system.
“Food labelling requirements should be clear, straightforward and above all consistent – all food, packaged or unpackaged, should be required to carry a country-of-origin label,” Harrison said.
“Why should fresh chicken, for example, have to carry a country-of-origin label, but not duck or quail? Why should sliced ham have to carry a country-of-origin label, but not sliced cheese?”
The Australian Made Campaign says it has called for mandatory country-of-origin labelling across all food products in numerous submissions, including to the current House of Representatives inquiry into food labelling.
