New food labelling initiatives in Australia and New Zealand

A key element of the review of food standards in Australia and New Zealand was the review of labelling provisions. This review resulted in a number of new labelling initiatives, three of which––percentage labelling of key or characterising ingredients, mandatory nutrition information panels and mandatory labelling of certain substances in foods that may cause severe adverse reactions––are discussed in this paper. These labelling initiatives exemplify the shift globally towards the provision of greater consumer information. The new food labelling standards in the joint Australia/New Zealand Food Standards Code were developed specifically to address two main regulatory objectives: the protection of public health and safety; and the provision of adequate information to consumers to enable them to make informed choices. The new provisions have been phased in over a period of two years which has enabled manufacturers to re-label their products as part of their scheduled periodic review of products.