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Labelling requirements The following is only a guide to the • mandatory warning and advisory requirements under labelling laws. You statements and declarations. must check the FSANZ Food Standards Code which covers in detail the labelling General labelling requirements laws that apply to both food for retail sale The label on a package of food for retail sale and to food for catering purposes. For exact or for catering purposes generally MUST details of the requirements please contact include the following essential information: FSANZ or refer to the FSANZ web site 1. Prescribed name www.foodstandards.gov.au where you can access the Food Standards Code and ‘User Name of the food product or where no name Guides’. is known, a name or description of the food How are packaging and labelling that clearly states the true nature of the food. Labels must tell the truth. requirements checked? 2. Legibility requirements Your Environmental Health Officer (EHO) Labels must be clear, in full view and in will check whether you are meeting these English. The type size of warning statements requirements as part of the regular visits to must be no less than 3mm high or not less your business. than 1.5mm for small packages. Also on a random basis, samples of different 3. Food recall information foods are purchased to check that they meet In the event of a food recall labels must have with the labelling and packaging the name and business address in Australia requirements for that food. or New Zealand, or the manufacturer or importer. Also, the lot and batch number of Under the Food Act it is an offence not to the food, and where the food was packed or meet the labelling requirements. This can prepared. lead to Council taking legal action and fines of up to $200,000. 4. Ingredient listing Ingredients, additives and compound Labelling requirements ingredients used in the manufacture of the The NEW labelling requirements allow food must be listed from greatest to smallest consumers to make informed choices about order of ingoing weight. the food they buy. Changes such as; 5. Date marking allergen labelling which is vital to those with Packaged foods that have a shelf life of two allergies to foods and mandatory nutrition years or less must have a ‘use by’ or ‘best information which provides important before’ date. ‘Best before’ may still be safe to nutritional information to consumers. The eat though may have lost quality and customer has the right to know what the nutritional value. Foods that must be ingredients are in a particular food. consumed within a certain time for health and safety reasons must have a ‘use by’ The main general labelling requirements date. Food labelled with a ‘use by’ date cover: cannot be sold after the given date. • prescribed name; • legibility requirements; 6. Nutrition labelling • food recall information; Nutrition labelling is generally required and • ingredient listing; must be displayed as a nutrition information • date marking; panel, in a certain format, that sets out the • nutrition labelling; energy, protein, fat, saturated fat, • percentage labelling; carbohydrate, sugars and sodium content of • direction for use and storage; the food. • country of origin; Please turn over LabellingRequirementsFactSheet.DOC 02/06 7. Percentage labelling Warning statements are required on: Packaged foods will require labels that show • condensed milk, modified milk and the percentages of the main or key skim milk; ingredients of the food product. ie the • kava; amount of meat in a meat pie. • infant formula products; 8. Direction for use and storage • food for infants; • formulated supplementary sports Where, due to the nature of the food and foods; and reasons of health or safety, consumers need • royal jelly presented as a food and directions about the use or storage of the food containing royal jelly. food. This information is mandatory for the product to remain safe until its ‘use by date’. Examples eg refrigerate after opening or store away Kava -‘Use in moderation’ from sunlight. Food for infants - ‘Not recommended for 9. Country of origin infants under the age of 4 months’. A statement is required that identifies the Genetically modified foods require a country in which the food was made or prescribed statement on the label that the produced. food or ingredient is ‘genetically modified’. 10. Mandatory warning and advisory These statements must always be written on statements and declarations the food label or, in the case of foods exempt from having a label, on the food package or in connection with the display of the food. For reasons of health and safety, the new Code requires that certain information is mandatory and MUST be provided to Mandatory advisory statements consumers. This requirement applies to all Where there is a possible health risk caused foods, even those exempt from having a by certain foods or substances found in food label. that people may be unaware of, a mandatory advisory statement must be This information may be in the form of: placed on the label to let people know. a mandatory prescribed statement (which Mandatory Advisory statements are includes warning statements); required for foods or substances present in a mandatory advisory statement; or foods such as: a mandatory declaration. • irradiated foods; The type of statement will depend on the • formulated meal replacements; degree of risk to the health and safety of • formulated supplementary foods; consumers. • formulated supplementary sports foods; • unpasteurised milk and liquid milk Prescribed statements products; Prescribed statements are specific Please turn over labelling statements that must be written in • food containing aspartame; the exact words and format stated in the • unpasteurised egg products; Code and includes: • food containing quinine; • warning statements, and • kola beverages containing added • statements on food produced using caffeine gene technology. • food containing guarana or extracts of guarana; LabellingRequirementsFactSheet.DOC 02/06 • foods containing polyols or • milk and milk products; polydextrose above certain levels • nuts and sesame seeds and their (sweeteners). products; Examples • peanuts and soybeans and their Unpasteurised products - Statement to the products; effect that the product has not been • added sulphites in concentrations of pasteurised. 10mg/kg or more; Kola beverages containing added caffeine - • royal jelly presented as a food or Statement to the effect that the product royal jelly present in a food; contains caffeine. • bee pollen; and • propolis (bee products). In the case where foods are exempt from having a label and require mandatory Example advisory statements, the information may Peanut oil is used as an ingredient in a stir- be provided either: • by a sign displayed on or in fry and therefore needs to be declared as an connection with the display of the ingredient. food, or In the case where foods are exempt from • verbally or in writing if requested by having a label and require mandatory the purchaser. declarations, the information may be provided either: This means that in a restaurant situation the • by a sign displayed on or in information provided to the customer could connection with the display of the be verbal, or written on the menu. food, or • verbally or in writing if requested by Mandatory declarations the purchaser. The most common foods, ingredients or main part of an ingredient that can cause This means that in a restaurant situation the some people serious harmful reactions must information provided to the customer could be declared on the label however small the be verbal, or written on the menu. amount. This declaration is usually in the Additional general information ingredient list. requirements Mandatory declarations are required when certain substances are present in food as: In addition to the core requirements there • an ingredient; are requirements that cover the following: • part of a compound ingredient; • health claims; • food additive or main part of a food • nutrition claims; additive; or • labelling in relation to the vitamin • processing aid or main part of a and mineral content; processing aid. • labelling of irradiated food or food containing ingredients that have And includes: been irradiated; and • cereals and cereal products • novel foods. containing gluten namely; wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt and their Commodity specific labelling hybridised strains; requirements require that specific • crustacea (shellfish) and their information be provided on the label of products; certain classes/types of food such as: • egg and egg products; • meat and meat products; • fish and fish products; • fish and fish products; Please turn over LabellingRequirementsFactSheet.DOC 02/06 • edible oils; Small packages • fruit juice and vegetable juice; Small packages are defined as packages 2 • non alcoholic beverages and with a surface area of less than 100cm . brewed soft drinks; Packages of this size have labelling and • kava; other information requirements applied • labelling of alcoholic beverages and differently and are exempt from certain food containing alcohol; requirements. • wine and wine product; • spirits; For further information refer to the Packaging • honey; and Labelling fact sheet and the FSANZ • infant formula products; web site www.foodstandards.gov.au. • foods for infants; • formulated meal replacements and Important. The information that is provided formulated supplementary foods; in this fact sheet is only a guide to the • formulated supplementary sports labelling requirements. You must check the foods; and FSANZ Food Standards Code for exact • salt and salt products. details. Exemptions from labelling requirements Some foods are generally exempt from some of the labelling requirements and these include: • food that is not packaged; • food in an inner package that is sold in an outer package, except individual portion packs, which contain substances that must be declared; • food made and packaged from the premises from which it is sold; • food packaged in front of the purchaser; • whole or cut fresh fruit and vegetables, (except sprouting seeds eg alfalfa), where the nature and quality can still be seen through the packaging; • food delivered packaged, and ready to eat, as ordered by the customer; • food sold at a fundraising event. Please note; even when exempt from displaying a label certain information about a food MUST be available to the consumer. Eg Information covered by Mandatory warning and advisory statements and declarations. LabellingRequirementsFactSheet.DOC 02/06
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