[Greens-Media] NZ & Aust Greens to improve food labelling laws together

[Hollo, Tim (Sen C. Milne)]

NZ & Aust Greens to improve food labelling laws together

The Australian and New Zealand Green Parties announced today they will
work together to improve food labelling laws in New Zealand and
Australia over the next three years, by seeking to introduce parallel
legislation in both countries, and other initiatives. 

Senator Bob Brown, leader of the Australian Green Party, said food
labelling was a unique area for trans-Tasman Green cooperation because
both countries share joint food labelling standards, which are developed
by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) based in Canberra. 

"It's time we made food labelling more effective and truthful. At
present a lot of food labels are misleading and deceptive and don't tell
consumers a lot of information they want to know," Senator Brown said. 

"New Zealand doesn't even have mandatory country of origin labelling
regulations, and I can't understand why Governments would oppose
something as basic as consumer's right to know where their food comes
from.

"Consumers want to know which foods are sustainably produced, and it's
time we developed carbon footprint labels, as they have in the United
Kingdom."

Green Party Food Spokesperson Sue Kedgley said: "Consumers are
increasingly interested in food - they want to know where it comes from
as well as what's in it. Consumers are annoyed that a lot of basic
information is missing on labels, and that some labels are deceptive.
It's time we cleaned up our labelling and improved its quality.

"I know from taking supermarket tours around New Zealand that most
consumers can't understand our complex nutrition labelling and would
prefer a simpler 'see at a glance' label, such as a traffic light labels
which can help consumers identify quickly which foods are healthy and
which are unhealthy.

Senator Brown and Ms Kedgley will work together over the next three
years to develop clear, mandatory, country of origin labelling, and
other food labelling so that consumers can make informed purchasing
decisions.

"We will seek to introduce parallel legislation in our two Parliaments,
and develop joint consumer based campaigns on both sides of the Tasman.
This will be an example of Trans-Tasman cooperation in action."

For more information:
Sue Kedgley, 021 270 9088
Megan Hubscher, Media officer, 021 682 952
Tim Hollo, for Senator Brown, +61 (0)437 587 562

Tim Hollo
Media Adviser
Senator Christine Milne
ph: (02) 6277 3588
mob: 0437 587 562

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