Monday 17 September 2012

Greens push on food label laws


A Greens bid to tighten food labelling laws went before the Federal Parliament for the third time this year on Monday.

The bill seeks to change current laws which allow some foods to be labelled "Made in Australia" when the food was grown overseas and re-packaged here.

Greens MP Adam Bandt read the bill in the House of Representatives. It is due for a second reading on Tuesday.

"The language (on food labels) is unnecessarily confusing," he said.

"We can have clear labelling that lets Australians know if they are buying Australian-grown food, and if that product has been processed in Australia."

While the 2008 Blewett Review recommended changes to food labelling laws and the government response said it would take action within two years, little has been done.

Various government ministers have said the issue requires the agreement of the states and that the government was working with the states, but no resolutions have been reached in the four years since the review was completed.

On the same day Mr Bandt again raised the issue, food labelling campaign group Australian Made Australia Grown released survey results revealing 40% of consumers surveyed found it hard to decipher the language on food labels.

The survey results also said the vast majority of consumers had a strong preference to buy Australian-made or grown food.

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