The dairy industry wants the current food labelling system maintained, despite calls for change.
A Federal Parliamentary inquiry is investigating whether existing country of origin labelling laws work.
At present, dairy products labelled ‘Made in Australia’ or ‘Product of Australia’ can contain minor imported ingredients, like flavourings and cultures, that are not always available locally.
Dr Peter Stahle, of the Australian Dairy Products Federation, says applying those labels to 100 per cent Australian content and production, would mean only a few white milks could continue to be branded as local.
“We maintain that the current arrangement, where Australian-made means substantially transformed and more than 50 per cent of the cost of production is incurred here, or the definition as it is for Product of Australia, they work well for the industry currently and there is no market failure that indicates we actually really need to change them.”
Source: ABC Rural
