The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union has called for clear Country-of-Origin Labeling laws (CoOL) for food products to be adopted at a meeting of Federal and State Ministers on Friday.
AMWU Food and Confectionery National Secretary, Jennifer Dowell, said the Legislative and Governance Forum on Food Regulation meeting on Friday should ensure customers have clear information so they can choose to buy local and support Australian jobs if they wish.
“The recent government report written by Neil Blewett on Food Labeling laws has made practical recommendations which should be adopted. They would go a considerable way to informing consumers about food quality, safety, as well as supporting Australian jobs and communities.
“Our current country-of-origin labeling laws are simply not user friendly enough for people walking through supermarkets at the end of a long day with their kids in tow.”
“The current laws and practices in labeling make it a difficult exercise for consumers to make informed decisions about their purchases. We need clear, accessible, stand out labeling about where our food is sourced and processed.”
“Australian’s like buying Australian made and Australian sourced products both from a food quality and safety point of view as well from a desire to support local jobs and communities.”
“The Blewett Report shows that 59.1% of Australian shoppers look for country of origin when they purchase a product for the first time. But once they have made the initial purchase they don’t continue to read the fine print each and every subsequent purchase, despite the fact that the manufacturer may have switched to an overseas supplier.”
“Getting this right will benefit consumers, producers, manufacturers and the Australian community. That’s what Ministers should be agreeing to do at this Friday’s forum” said Ms. Dowell.
To read the AMWU Submission: "Issues paper to inform development of a national food plan, August/September 2011," click here.
To read the AMWU Submission to the Select Committee on Australia's Food Processing Sector, October 2011, click here.