Free Subscription

  • Access daily briefings and unlimited news articles

Premium

Only $39.95 per year
  • Quarterly magazine and digital
  • Indepth executive interviews
  • Unlimited news and insights
  • Expert opinion and analysis

Choice launches food labelling petition

choiceChoice is calling on Australians to tell the Federal Government it’s time for better country of origin labelling in Australia following mass recalls of contaminated Nanna’s frozen berries ranges.

Twelve cases of Hepatitis A have been confirmed this week across the country, with Australians still being urged not to consume Nanna’s Raspberries 1kg packs, Nanna’s Frozen Mixed Berries 1kg packs, and 300g and 500g packs of Creative Gourmet Mixed Berries.

The consumer advocacy group has launched an online petition calling on the Minister for Agriculture, Barnaby Joyce, to take action on country of origin labelling.

Choice spokesperson, Tom Godfrey, said Australian consumers deserve to know where their food comes from.

“We are mobilising consumers to put pressure on the government to fix our country of origin labelling laws. The latest frozen food farce highlights how difficult it is under the current system for consumers to make informed choices in the supermarket,” Godfrey said.

He said confused claims such as ‘Packed in Australia using imported fruit’ or ‘Made in Australia using local and imported ingredients’ offer very little information about a product’s origin and are largely meaningless to consumers.

“We’ve had inquiry after inquiry on this issue. Year after year it rates as a top concern for Australian consumers. It’s time for action. Australians want to know where their food is from and where it was manufactured. They want simple, clear country of origin labelling,” Godfrey said.

“The best way to create labels for consumers is to test the language to find phrases that most people understand. Consumer research must be undertaken before making any changes to the current labelling framework.

“Consumers should be able to make informed decisions about the food they are purchasing and while country of origin labelling isn’t a proxy for food safety, the information is sought after by many shoppers.”

You have 3 free articles.