WWW.GEELONGAUSTRALIA.COM.AU
CITY OF GREATER GEELONG
HEALTH SERVICES
FOOD LABELLING REQUIREMENTS
- Summary
SUMMARY OF FOOD LABELLING REQUIREMENTS
Under the labelling requirements, the following information is required on all
packaged foods for retail sale or for catering purposes except exempted foods,
and where the food is made and packaged on the premises from where it is sold.
Detailed information can be located within the Food Standards Australia and New
Zealand (FSANZ) website.
Is the food in a package?
Yes
Is the food made and
packaged on the premises
from where it is sold?
No
Is the food packaged or
assembled in the presence
of the purchaser?
No
Is the food sold at a
fundraising event by a not
for profit organisation?
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Food is exempt
from the labelling
requirement,
however,
information on
ingredients must
be available to
the consumer
upon request
(see 1.2.2)
Yes
No
Is the food delivered for
immediate consumption at
the express order of the
purchaser?
No
Food must be labelled in
accordance with the Food
Standards Code
The points listed above as well as the following list are also exempt from having to
declare the percentage of characterising ingredients and characterising components on
the label:
 Food for catering purposes
 Food in packages less than 100cm2
 Cured dried meat flesh

Single ingredient foods
Food Identification Requirements
 Name of food. This should be the prescribed name of the food, or where
none is declared a name or description of the food sufficient to indicate the
true nature of the food.
 Lot Identification.
 Name and address of the supplier (manufacturer/packer/importer/vendor).
This must include the name and business address in Australia. A post
office box or a telephone number (without an address) is not sufficient.
Mandatory Warning and Advisory Statements and Declarations




Mandatory advisory statements and declarations (eg: for guarana
products a statement to the effect that the product contains caffeine).
Mandatory warning statements and declarations.
Mandatory declaration of certain substances in food (eg contain nuts).
Advisory statement in relation to foods containing polyols or polydextrose.
Please note that this is a complex area that requires careful and detailed
consideration.
Labelling of Ingredients







The label on a package of food must include a statement of ingredients
unless specifically exempt.
The ingredients are to be listed by common, descriptive, or generic name.
Ingredients are to be listed in the descending order of ingoing weight.
Declaration of compound ingredients eg the ingredients for canned
spaghetti might read; spaghetti (flour, egg, water), meat, sugar, water or
may read flour, meat egg, sugar, water. The threshold for declaring
compound ingredients is 5%.
Declaration of alternative ingredients (eg the ingredient list for a biscuit
may read; flour safflower oil or sunflower oil, sugar, water).
Declaration of food additives.
Declaration of vitamins and minerals.
Date Marking of Packaged Food





Food must be date marked with either baked for date, baked on date,
best before date, or use by date, unless exempt from the requirement.
Use by date is only to be used if product must not be consumed after this
date because of health and safety reasons, eg: sandwiches).
Prohibition on sale of food after the use by date.
Prescribed form of date mark eg: 3 Dec or 3 12 and 3 Dec 11 or 3 12 11.
Statement of storage conditions.
This standard does not preclude the addition of the manufacturer’s /
packer’s code.
Directions for Use and Storage

Food must be labelled with directions for use and storage where the food
is of a nature as to warrant such directions for reasons of health or safety.
Nutrition Information Requirements




The label on a package of food must include a nutrition information panel
unless specifically exempt.
Where a nutrition claim is made in relation to the food, a nutrition
information panel must be included on the label on the package of food.
A nutrition information panel must include the following particulars and be
set out in the following format unless otherwise prescribed in the Food
Standards Code.
Refer to the Food Standards Code for other specific details in relation to
nutritional panels.
Nutrition Information
Servings per package: (insert number of servings)
Serving size: g (or ml or other units as appropriate)
Quantity per Serving
Quantity per 100 g
(or 100 ml)
Energy
KJ (Cal)
KJ (Cal)
Protein
g
g
Fat, total
- saturated
g
g
g
g
Carbohydrate
-sugars
Sodium
g
g
mg (mmol)
g
g
mg (mmol)
Insert any other nutrient or
biologically active substance to
be declared)
g, mg, ug (or other units
as appropriate)
g, mg, ug (or other units
as appropriate)
The nutritional information can be determined from several sources
1)
Nutrition Panel Calculator –
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/industry/npc/Pages/Nutrition-PanelCalculator-introduction.aspx
2)
Food composition tables/ databases eg: Calorie King Australia
3)
Laboratory analysis.
Other sites that provide food labelling information are:
www.health.vic.gov.au/foodsafety/downloads/guide_foodlabelling.pdf
and
www.foodstandards.gov.au/whatsinfood/foodlabelling.cfm
Legibility Requirements


The information contained in the label must be legible, prominent and in
English.
Warning statements must be in a size of type not less than 3mm or not
less than 1.5mm for small packages.
Characterising Ingredients and Components of Foods




The label on a package of food must include a declaration of the
proportion of characterising ingredients / components of the food.
Characterising components include the likes of milk fat in ice cream, or
cocoa solids in chocolate.
Characterising ingredients, for example, would list the amount of
strawberries in a product labelled strawberry yogurt
The proportion of the characterising components/ingredients of the food
must be declared as a percentage.
Weight of Packaged Food


A statement of content weight (or volume, if liquid) must be contained
within the label attached to the package in accordance with Trade
Measurement requirements.
For further information refer to the trade measurement information on the
National Measurements Institute website
Country of Origin

Packaged food must state the country where the food was made or
processed. If the product is made in Australia and some of the
ingredients are imported, a statement that the food is made from local and
imported ingredients must be included.
If you require any further information or assistance you may contact the
Health Services at the City of Greater Geelong on  (03) 5272 4411 or
via email at [email protected]