Australia

Food product and safety regulation

Basic labeling requirements

Food identification

The Food Standards Code requires that, unless expressly exempt, all food must include
on the label:

the prescribed name of the food (where the name of the food is declared under the
Food Code to be a prescribed name) or, in any other case, a name or description
sufficient to indicate the true nature of the food;
the lot identification; and
the name and business address of the supplier in Australia or New Zealand. The
"supplier" includes the packer, manufacturer or importer.

In addition, the Australian Commerce (Imports) Regulations 1940 (Cth) prohibits the
importation of articles used for food or drink by man unless they bear a trade
description that complies with the requirements of the Regulation. In the case of
imported pre-packed foods, the trade description must:

a) contain in prominent and legible characters the name of the country in which the
goods were made or produced and a true description of the goods;

b) specify whether any stated weight or quantity is gross or net; and

c) be in the English language.

Labelling of ingredients

The Food Standards Code requires that all packaged foods must, unless expressly
exempt, include a statement of ingredients using either the common name of the
ingredient, or a name that describes the true nature of the ingredient or, where
applicable, a generic name. Ingredients should be listed in descending order of ingoing
weight, except where a concentrated or dehydrated ingredient is reconstituted during
the preparation of the product or is intended to be reconstituted according to
instructions on the product. In that case, only the weight of the reconstituted ingredient
must be taken into account.

Where additives are permitted to be used, they must be listed in the ingredients list on
the food label by using the additive's appropriate class name (e.g. sweetener) followed
by its prescribed name or code number.

Where a processing aid is permitted to be added to a food, it is not required to be listed

in the ingredients list.

Where vitamins and minerals are permitted to be added to a food, they should be
declared in the same way as food additives using the class name "vitamin" or "mineral".