Imported food must be labelled correctly - NSW Food Authority

Imported food must be labelled correctlyArticle submitted to The Australian Chinese Daily, May 2012All food sold in Australia–whether by importers, distributors, manufacturers, wholesalers or retailers–must be labelled correctly and list the ingredients. This is a requirement under the Australia and NewZealand Food Standards Code (Food Standards Code).Food labels must not be altered, removed or obscured, unless permitted by the NSW Food Authority orwhere a package of food may require relabelling with the correct information to meet Australianrequirements. For example, where a label is not in English, or the Nutrition Information Panel (NIP) isnot compliant, the package can be relabelled with the correct information.Compositional requirements‘Product composition’ refers to the ingredients (or additives) in a food. Ingredients need to be listed onthe label in descending order, from greatest to smallest, according to how much they weigh when addedto the product.A ‘composite ingredient’ may be one of several main ingredients in a product. If a composite ingredientcontains small amounts of other ingredients (

Declaration of allergenic substancesEight foods cause around 90% of food allergic reactions. They are peanuts, tree nuts (eg almonds andcashews), eggs, milk, fish, crustacean (eg prawns, lobster), sesame and soy. Importers must, by law,declare these foods, and the products that include them, in the ingredients list on labels. Gluten andsulphites must also be declared on labels.Country of origin informationA statement on the package must clearly identify where the food was made or produced, or packagedfor retail sale. It must also state whether the packaged food contains imported ingredients or localingredients, or a mixture of both.Lot identificationA ‘lot’ is when food is prepared or packed under the same conditions, usually a certain preparation orpacking unit, and for a set time (not exceeding 24 hours).‘Lot identification’ refers to the information on the label that identifies the premises where the food wasprepared or packed, and the relevant lot of food.Failure to include lot identification is an increasingly common breach among importers trying to sellfoods in Australia that have been manufactured for sale in another country and often do not meetAustralian labelling requirements. Generally, an importer can add new lot identification provided theaddition occurs with the permission of the NSW Food Authority or as a result of relabelling of anincorrect label, and the new lot identification indicates the premises where the food was packed orprepared and the ‘lot’ of the food in question.Fines can be imposed for incorrect labellingIf food is sold that does not comply with the requirements of the Food Standards Code, an individualcan be fined $55,000 and a corporation can be fined $275,000.Where to find more information1. FSANZ, Food Standards Code• Part 1.2 – Labelling• Part 1.3 – Permitted additives and nutritive substances• Part 1.4 – Prohibited and restricted plants and fungi• Part 1.5 – Novel foods2. FSANZ, Code Interpretation Service (CIS)3. NSW Food Authority• Website: www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au• Helpline: 1300 552 406Page 2 of 2