Almost all packaged food sold in Australia with limited exceptions (as specified in FSANZ Standard 1.2.1) is required to bear a label. The labelling requirements are product specific and therefore it is vital to possess adequate knowledge and skills to get it right from the get-go.

There are number of requirements a label must meet such as:

• manufacturer or importer;
• date marking – such as Use By date or Best Before date;
• direction for use and storage – is the food supposed to be cooked before eating, stored under certain conditions etc.;
• ingredients list – list of all ingredients in the product in descending order by weight;
• nutritional panel – information on the average amount of energy (in kilojoules or both in kilojoules and kilocalories), protein, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugars and sodium (a component of salt) in the food, as well as any other claim that requires nutrition information (FSANZ);
• warning statements and declarations – e.g. allergens and others;
• health claims.

Ensuring that food for sale bears the correct label is vital for the success of a food business. Safety of the product they sell and prevention of possible recall due to misleading or incomplete information provided on the label is paramount to any food service business.

We at Absolute Food Safety have helped numerous businesses to develop and maintain correct labelling and successful marketing of their products. If you are not sure if your product requires a label and what information you should include on the label, contact us today.