Changes to country of origin food labelling starting soon
On 1 July 2018, businesses must meet the Origin Food Labelling Information Standard 2016, made under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL).
The new standard applies to food offered for retail sale in Australia, including:
- in stores or markets
- online
- from vending machine.
The law does not apply to food sold in places such as restaurants, cafes, take-away shops and schools, or to food provided by caterers.
Under the new system, most foods produced, grown or made in Australia must display a label with:
- the kangaroo in a triangle system to help consumers easily and quickly identify the food’s Australian origin
- a text statement indicating that the food was grown, produced, or made in Australia
- a bar chart showing the minimum proportion of Australian ingredients by ingoing weight, shown as a percentage amount.
Imported food
Imported food is grown, produced, made or packaged in a country other than Australia. The label should specify the country of origin in a clearly defined box.
For more information, visit the Australian Government’s food labelling website.
Related information
- ACCC Country of origin food labelling
- ACCC Factsheet - Country of origin food labelling
- ACCC Guide - Country of origin food labelling
- ACCC Guide - How to display the Standard marks
- ACCC webinar - Country of origin food labelling
- ACCC Factsheet - Country of origin claims and the dairy industry
- ACCC - Country of origin claims and the Australian Consumer Law (ACL)