The national body representing Australia’s vegetable and potato growers, AUSVEG, says changes to the nation’s country-of-origin labelling system will help consumers feel confident about the source of their food.
Under the reforms, the definition of ‘substantial transformation’ as it applies to country-of-origin labelling has been changed to make it clear that minor processes are excluded. The new definition is a product that is “fundamentally different in identity, nature or essential character from all of their ingredients”.
“These changes will help to protect Australians from importers who mask their products’ country of origin by making superficial changes to the ingredients and claiming that this changes where the food was made,” AUSVEG National Manager of Public Affairs Jordan Brooke-Barnett said.
“By clarifying the requirements of the ‘made-in’ label claim, these reforms will benefit Australian consumers, who deserve to know where their food comes from – not where some ingredients were frozen or chopped up.”