The Committee recommends that the Federal Government use the results of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand food labelling review to create a set of standard guidelines to ensure that food labels provide consistent nutritional information. Using these guidelines the Federal Government should work with industry to develop and implement these standardised food labels within a reasonable timeframe.
Agreed.
The Review of Food Labelling Law and Policy was commissioned by the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council (ANZFRMC) on behalf of the Council of Australian Governments. The Review was conducted by an expert panel chaired by Dr Neal Blewett AC, and had broad terms of reference covering all aspects of food labelling, including front-of-pack labelling. The final report, Labelling Logic: Review of Food Labelling Law and Policy (2011), makes a number of recommendations relating to the provision of nutritional information and the use of front-of-pack labels.
On 9 December 2011 the Legislative and Governance Forum on Food Regulation (that replaced the ANZFRMC), agreed to a response to the Labelling Logic report, including the development of an easily understood, interpretive front-of-pack food labelling system. The system will be developed in consultation with industry, public health and consumer stakeholders. The aim of the system will be to avoid proliferation of different front-of-pack labelling systems and the potential for consumer confusion from conflicting or inconsistent messages.
In addition to this, the Food Regulation Forum also agreed to:
- a framework to guide food labelling decisions, prioritising (in order), food safety, preventive health and consumer values;
- the development of a comprehensive National Nutrition Policy; and
- the development of guidelines for the role of food standards in supporting public health objectives.