The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is now monitoring 10,000 food products to ensure businesses correctly display the new labels.
All businesses including manufacturers, processors and importers offering food for retail sale must comply with the rules specifying how claims can be made about the origins of food products.
The rules apply to all fresh or processed foods sold in shops, markets, online and from vending machines but not to food sold in restaurants, cafes, takeaway shops and schools.
The labels must tell shoppers where their food is grown, produced, made and packed.
“We are now entering the compliance phase where we are making sure businesses are presenting accurate information about country of origin to their customers,” commission deputy-chairman Mick Keogh said.
“Any claim which is likely to mislead consumers will also be a breach of the law.”
The rules vary for goods classed as priority, non-priority and imported foods.
Non-priority goods include seasonings, confectionary, biscuits, snack foods, bottled water, soft and sports drinks, tea, coffee and alcoholic beverages. All other foods including meat, seafood, fruit, vegetables, most dairy products, cereal, bread, nuts, honey and non-carbonated fruit drinks are priority foods.
Priority foods must carry a three-part mark showing the country of origin, a bar chart showing the proportion of Australian ingredients and descriptive text. Imported and non-priority foods must show the country of origin in text but imported goods containing Australian grown or produced ingredients can also use a label with a shaded chart.
The Ministry of Primary Industries has information about the new rules on its New Zealand Food Safety website to help exporters and importers comply with the now different rules in NZ and Australia.
It has information about what exporters need to know, what importers of Australian food need to know and what Australian consumers want to see.
The ministry also suggests adding a health star rating to the labels.
It also provides links to relevant Australian websites and to a tool to help exporters design compliant labels.
Food packaged or labelled on or before June 30 does not have to comply.
Any other words, logos, symbols or pictures on food packaging must also be clear, truthful and accurate in any representations they make.
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