Your Guide to the New Country of Origin Labelling
New Country of Origin Labels
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) have changed the way foods need to be labelled in Australia, and it affects nearly every kind of food we buy.
June 30th 2018 marks the end of the two-year transition to an improved country of origin labelling system. All food packaged in and imported to Australia from July 1st 2018 are required to comply with the Country of Origin Food Labelling Information Standard 2016.
You might be wondering why this is only being done now?
Australia has had the country of origin labels for years, but it allowed statements like "Made with Australian and Imported Ingredients". These statements could confuse customers, leaving them wondering where exactly their food is from and the new country of origin labelling system is designed to increase transparency.
Why has it changed?
Basically, the changes have been made to better disclose to consumers where their food is grown, sourced, packed and made with easy to read labels.
New Country of Origin Labels will contain a statement about where the food was produced, grown, made or packaged, and Australian food will carry the kangaroo symbol and an indication of the proportion of Australian ingredients by weight through a statement and a bar graph.
"Consumers should look out for the new labels if they want to find out where their food is grown, produced, made or packed, so they can make an informed decision about the food they buy,"
...said Deputy Chair of the ACCC Mick Keogh.
Do the new laws affect how Bulk Nutrients' products are made?
In a nutshell, they don't!
All our products are still blended and packed in our custom facility in southern Tasmania and we continue to use the same high-quality ingredients we always have. These are sourced through the same sustained relationships we've had with our suppliers for 8 years and counting.
The only change is a new label included on our packaging which informs you of where ingredients are sourced and tells you that each of your favourite products are packed right here in Australia.
As a local Aussie owned and operated company we choose local wherever possible. Blue Lake Millings in South Australia still supply our Fine Powdered Oats and we love to use flavours from a team of flavouring specialists in Victoria. Throughout our history, our whey proteins have been sourced from Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and the USA.
Then there's our manufacturing and dispatch teams, marketing and customer service staff, research & development and the many support staff who all live and work locally in Tasmania!
Moving forward with the new labelling laws
As the legislation rolls out, more and more companies will be making the switch to new Country of Origin labels. You'll find them on all packaging, including everything you buy at the supermarket and sports and nutritional supplements you buy elsewhere.
As always you can contact our fantastic customer service team with any questions about our products.
Not all companies are compliant as of yet, and we expect to see a few companies that are claiming 'Made In' when by the new law they should say 'Packed In'. However, the ACCC has stated they'll be conducting market surveillance checks on 10,000 food products to ensure businesses are correctly displaying the new labels.
There you go, consider yourself fully updated! We hope you feel better informed of the new Country of Origin labels on our products. For more info, head to the ACCC website.
Ryan Bevan works hard to ensure strict TGA compliance, coordinating with external consultants, and managing intricate documentation - all while drawing strength from Bulk Nutrients' exceptional Quality Assurance team.
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