The Australian Made Campaign is encouraging consumers to vote for the iconic green-and-gold kangaroo to be used as the mandatory country-of-origin symbol for all Australian food products.
The not-for-profit organisation says the 'roo' is one of six graphics consumers have been asked to choose from as part of a national consultation process involving industry, business and consumers to deliver clearer and more consistent country of origin food labelling (CoOL).
The five-minute survey was opened by Federal Ministers for Industry and Agriculture Ian Macfarlane and Barnaby Joyce today. Other graphics consumers are asked to select from include a map of Australia, bar chart, full circle, pie chart, and text-only image. Each – except the text-only version – would be used on food and beverage labels to communicate that the product was made, grown or manufactured in Australia, with the percentage, shown in increments, of ingredients which are locally grown.
Australian Made Campaign chief executive Ian Harrison said his group had been lobbying for clarity and consistency in food labelling for years, and had worked with the government on the current proposal.
“We strongly support action on food labelling and welcome the opportunity for consumers to have their say on the best system moving forward,” he said.
“There are three decades of understanding behind the Australian Made, Australian Grown logo, which is recognised by 98 per cent of Australians, and trusted by 88 per cent to identify genuine Aussie products and produce. We hope consumers will remember the roo and take a common-sense approach to voting.”
The rules for using the Australian Made, Australian Grown logo on food products are currently more stringent than the rules for making country-of-origin claims under Australian Consumer Law. The Australian Made Campaign has been lobbying for that gap to be closed, and has planned an education program aimed at increasing understanding of country-of-origin claims and the value proposition of buying Australian-made and Australian-grown products.
