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Labelling review recommendation 40 - country of origin labelling
Labelling review recommendation 40 - country of origin labelling In 2011, an independent review of food labelling recommended that Australia's existing mandatory country of origin labelling (CoOL) requirements for food be maintained and be extended to cover all primary food products for retail sale (recommendation 40). In response, ministers responsible for food regulation asked FSANZ to continue an existing proposal that would extend CoOL requirements to unpackaged beef, veal, lamb, hogget, mutton and chicken and to develop a further proposal to extend CoOL to all…
Published 12 May 2017
Labelling review recommendations 6 and 47
Labelling review recommendations 6 and 47 (May 2017) In 2011, an independent review of food labelling included two recommendations relating to food safety labelling elements and the labelling of food allergens. Recommendation 6 was that the food safety elements on the food label be reviewed with the aim to maximise the effectiveness of food safety communication. Recommendation 47 was that warning and advisory statements be emboldened and allergens emboldened both in the ingredients list and in a separate list. In response to recommendation 6, ministers asked FSANZ to undertake a technical evaluation…
Published 12 May 2017
Technical evaluation for recommendation 13 (trans fatty acids)
Technical evaluation for recommendation 13 (trans fatty acids) (May 2017) In December 2014 FSANZ completed an evaluation of a labelling review recommendation on trans fatty acids (TFAs) and provided advice to ministers. Ministers considered the FSANZ advice at a meeting on January 30 2015. The labelling review had recommended that: mandatory declaration of all trans fatty acids above an agreed threshold be introduced in the Nutrition Information Panel if manufactured trans fatty acids have not been phased out of the food supply by January 2013. In their response to the recommendation,…
Published 29 April 2019
Truth in labelling, weights and measures and legibility
Truth in labelling, weights and measures and legibility Truth in labelling Fair trading laws and food laws in Australia and New Zealand require that labels do not misinform consumers through false, misleading or deceptive representations. In Australia, this legislation includes the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) contained in the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, and state and territory Fair Trading Acts and Food Acts. In New Zealand, this legislation includes the Food Act 2014 and Fair Trading Act 1986. In Australia, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) enforces the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. In New Zealand, the Commerce Commission is responsible for enforcing the Fair Trading Act 1986. Name or description of the food Foods must be labelled with an accurate name or description…
Published 6 October 2020
Folic acid fortification
Folic acid fortification Australian and New Zealand millers are required to add folic acid (a form of the B vitamin folate) to wheat flour for bread-making purposes. Folate, which occurs naturally in foods like green leafy vegetables, is necessary for healthy growth and development. Folic acid is particularly important to the healthy development of babies in early pregnancy. A baby’s growth is the most rapid in the first weeks of life, often before a woman is aware she is pregnant. The neural tube closes and fuses very early in pregnancy. If it doesn’t close, the result is a neural tube defect (NTD) such as spina bifida. Folic acid taken at recommended levels for at least one month before and three months after conception can prevent most NTDs. FSANZ has prepared…
Published 12 May 2020
Folic acid - monitoring folic acid fortification
Folic acid - monitoring folic acid fortification Page last updated: 25 February 2025
Published 22 March 2013
Iodine fortification
Iodine fortification Iodine is a naturally occurring mineral and an essential nutrient for life. It is found in the food we eat and the water we drink. Adequate intakes of dietary iodine by Australians, particularly females of child-bearing age and breast-feeding mothers is important for health and to reduce possible iodine-deficiency health problems such as impaired neurological function in babies and young children. Mandatory iodine fortification was implemented in Australia in 2009 through Standard 2.1.1 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code which required the replacement of non-iodised salt with iodised salt for making all breads except organic bread and bread mixes for making bread at home. Mandatory iodine…
Published 1 April 2019
Iodine requirements and sensitivities
Iodine requirements and sensitivities Some individuals are sensitive to high levels of iodine. These people are sensitive to both high levels of iodine in food and iodine used in x-ray procedures and iodine-based antiseptics. Iodine sensitive people only react to very high doses of iodine that far exceed the amount of iodine that people would receive from their normal diet, even with mandatory fortification. The addition of iodine to bread (mandatory iodine fortification) is unlikely to cause harm even in the majority of iodine sensitive individuals. Iodine sensitive individuals may be advised to avoid foods high in iodine such as kelp, seaweed and seafood which may contain hundreds of micrograms or several milligrams of iodine. In…
Published 24 August 2016
Diet quality and processed foods
Diet quality and processed foods Last reviewed 11 September 2020 A nutritious diet is important to the health and wellbeing of Australian and New Zealand consumers. Large studies around the world have reported that diets of lower quality (e.g. high in sugar, salt, and saturated fats) are associated with an increased risk of early death from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Diet scoring systems There is extensive research on ways to measure how nutritious your diet is. Diet scoring systems, also known as diet quality indices, typically rate the quality of your diet based on the different types of foods you eat - such as fruit, vegetables, cereals, meat and fish, and some also look at the nutrients we get from these foods such as sodium, sugars, protein, fibre and fats. For…
Published 30 September 2020