The Department of Industry, Innovation and Science (DIIS) is currently calling for submissions from food industry stakeholders in response to a consultation paper which has the potential to change significantly the framework governing food labeling requirements in Australia.
This update discusses possible changes to food regulation, including through the introduction of a requirement for labels which set out the proportion of ingredients sourced from Australia, or labels which incorporate an index of countries where key ingredients are sourced. The update also comments on the potential effect of such changes on current safe harbor defenses, the importance of education in the context and how best to deal with regulations for imported foods.
Food industry businesses should be alive to the potential for industry changes, and should consider responding to the DIIS paper before the 29 January 2016 deadline.
Read the full article here.