Regulations

Food Standards Code

The Food Standards Code is a collection of individual food standards which apply to food supply in Australia and New Zealand. All food supplied to consumers must comply with these food standards.

The food standards exist to protect public health and safety, and to provide information about food which helps consumers to make informed choices about the food they buy and eat.

Over 100 000 food products are available on supermarket shelves. The way food is processed and they kinds of food we eat has changed enormously in the last 50 years. With so much choice, and so much processed food, the only way to know exactly what it is we are eating is through food labelling. It is important that we know not only which ingredients are in a food product, but also the way food has been prepared and processed, for example irradiation, a food preservation process.

Food Labels: What do they mean?

Food labels show information about the nutritional content of food, the percentage of characterising ingredients of the food (that is the amount of the main ingredients contained in the food), and also indicate the presence of possible allergens such as nuts.

Genetically modified food is labelled as such. So is irradiated food.

A best before date is included and the label should tell you how best to store the food.

A nutrition information panel lists ingredients in order of weight from the greatest amount to the smallest, per serve or 100g. Information on energy (kilojoules), protein, total fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates, sugar, sodium (salt) and any other nutrient about which a claim is made must be included, for example “contains added iron”.

Food additives are shown, usually represented by numbers which can be looked up in an additive code book. The origin of the food is also shown, such as the country or region from which it originates.

Food labels are essential guidelines for consumers with allergies, food intolerance, preferences such as vegetarianism, religious restrictions such as kosher or halal rules, or those who are health conscious, for example people who want to reduce their weight or keep their cholesterol in check.

Not all food is labelled. Fruit, vegetables, nuts, food sold in restaurants, take-aways, bakeries and so forth do not require labelling by law, although as the consumer you always have the right to ask about the contents of any processed food being served or sold. Food packaged in front of you, for example at a delicatessen or a bakery, does not have to be labelled either.

Plant & Food Research has a website (that gives access through the legacy Crop & Food Research website) which allows you to view the seven key nutrients plus total dietary fibre for over 2470 foods and food ingredients. You can search the database for foods matching specific keywords. You can then use the food nutrition data on this website as it is, or in conjunction with your own systems, to calculate Nutrition Information Panel (NIP) information for your product. The website is NOT a NIP calculator but does provide some information about calculating NIP information.