Food labelling

This page gives businesses information about food labelling requirements.

Requirements for food labelling

The Food Standards Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (FSANZ) outlines food labelling and information requirements.

All food products are required to be labelled unless the product is:

• unpackaged
• sold from premises where the product is made and packaged
• packaged in the presence of the customer
• cut fruit or vegetables
• sold at a fundraising event.

Food identification

When labelling foods you must include the name of the food, the lot identification of the food and your business name and address as the supplier of the food. Figure 1 (3,9).

Nutritional information panel

The nutritional information panel must include the average amount of energy, protein, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates, sugar and sodium in a quantity per serving and 100g of food. If a nutritional content or health claim is being made about a particular nutrient or substance in the food, the amount must also be shown. Figure 1 (1).

FSANZ’s Nutrition Panel Calculator (NPC) helps food manufacturers calculate the average nutrient content of their food products and prepare a nutrition information panel.

Ingredients list

The ingredients must be listed in descending order (by ingoing weight). Food must show the percentage of key ingredients. For example, chocolate chip biscuits which contain 42% chocolate. Figure 1 (2,6).

Allergen information

The following ingredients must be declared or listed if present in the food:

• peanut
• tree nuts (the type/s of nuts must be declared)
• crustacean
• fish
• mollusc
• milk
• egg
• sesame
• soy
• wheat
• lupin
• Sulphites (if added at 10mg or more per kg of food)
• cereals containing gluten (wheat, oats, barley, rye and spelt) also are required to be declared. Figure 1 (4).

Date marking

Food that must be consumed before a certain date for safety reasons must be labelled with a use by date. A best before date is required for foods which have a shelf life of less than two years. Figure 1 (5).

Food additives

Food additives must be noted in the ingredient list by their class (thickener or colour) followed by the food additive name or number. Figure 1 (8)

Directions for use and storage

Where specific storage conditions are required to ensure the safety of the food, these conditions must be included on the label. For example, ice cream must be stored below -18 degrees Celsius. Figure 1 (9).

Legibility

All labels must be truthful, in English and prominent. Figure 1.

Declarations

A food product that contains 1.15% alcohol by volume must include a statement about the alcohol content. This does not apply to products that contain less than 0.5% alcohol by volume.

Health claims on food labels

Health claims are claims which state, suggest or imply that a food or property of a food has or may have a health effect. Claims cannot be therapeutic in nature, and must not refer to prevention, diagnosis, cure or alleviation of a disease, disorder or condition. The following are two types of permitted health claims:

• High level health claims refer to a nutrient or substance in a food and its relationship to a serious disease or to a biomarker of a serious disease.
• General level health claims refer to a nutrient or substance in a food, or the food itself and its effect on health. A list of approved general level claims can be found on the FSANZ website.

Best before and use by dates

A food marked with a 'best before' date can be sold past the date listed provided it is still safe for consumption. 'Best before' dates generally refer to food quality. Items with 'best before' dates include shelf stable items such as jams, confectionary and canned foods.

A 'use by' date is different from a best before date. If a manufacturer believes that for food safety reasons a food should not be consumed past a certain date a 'use by' date mark is required. Foods Labelled with 'use by' must not be sold past the date displayed.

Including your food business address

Contact details including your manufacturer address and phone number are required in the case of a food recall.

If a consumer finds a problem with a product, they can contact your business to alert you.

A full business address is required to be placed on a label, including the street number, street name, town or suburb and state. A post office box, email address or similar is not sufficient.

Country of origin

Country of origin labelling requirements applies to most food offered for retail sale in Australia if it is:

• in a package
• unpackaged seafood, particular meats, fruit and vegetables, nuts, spices, herbs, fungi, legumes, seeds or a mix of these foods
• fresh fruit and vegetables in transparent packaging

Country of origin labelling will feature a kangaroo in a triangle logo to help you quickly identify that the food is of Australian origin and/or a bar chart and text identifying the proportion of Australian content in the food (if any). These foods can only claim to be produced or grown in Australia if they contain 100% Australian ingredients.