A new, user-friendly food labelling guide to help food and grocery companies comply with labelling, packaging and advertising regulations in Australia has been welcomed by the Australian Food and Grocery Council.
Developed by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the Food Labelling Guide was released this week to educate food and grocery manufacturers about the laws as well as the correct guidelines for making claims or representations on food or beverage labels, packages or advertisements.
AFGC Chief Executive Kate Carnell says it is vital that food manufacturers understand their obligations and comply with both the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code and the Trade Practices Act.
“It’s essential that food and grocery manufacturers understand their legal obligations to consumers when labelling, packaging and promoting their products,” Carnell says.
“There are some subtle differences between the requirement of the Code and the Act so just complying strictly with the Food Standards Code doesn’t mean manufacturers have met the obligations of the Trade Practices Act.”
The easy-to-follow 17-page guide spells out the penalties for breaches and highlights some of the manufacturers’ obligations under Australian law as well as a useful checklist to help companies avoid breaching the Act.
Carnell says it is important that all food and beverage manufacturers in Australia follow a regulatory compliance program.
The new guideline also explains the different roles of two key agencies that regulate the food and beverage industry—Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
Download the guide
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