Two big food safety changes – are you ready?

Lupin now has to be shown as an allergen in Australia, if it is in a food.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) CEO Mark Booth said; “In Australia, lupin has not typically been used in food, however, due to its high protein and fibre content we are seeing an increase in its use. In 2017, lupin was added to the list of allergens that must be declared on food labels. Food businesses were given 12 months to meet these requirements. Any foods that contain lupin must declare it on the label from 26 May 2018 – even if it’s already on the shelf. Correct allergen labelling can mean the difference between life and death for people with food allergies so it is vital that food businesses get it right. Even if the food is not in a package (for example, food prepared at and sold from a takeaway shop), allergen information must be displayed in connection with the food or provided to the purchaser if requested.”

If a food contains Lupin and it is not declared on the label, a food recall may be the result. This is potentially a big change for all food businesses.

The other big change rapidly approaching is the new Country of Origin Labelling (CoOL)

All packaged food from 01 July 2018 will have to include the correct new CoOL logos and meet all the requirements associated with it.

To find out what you need to do, and what it should all look like, go to https://www.business.gov.au/info/run/goods-and-services/selling-goods-and-services/selling-goods/country-of-origin-food-labelling