Food labels on show

A food labelling workshop to help business reveal the truth about food will be held in Warragul next month as part of the Small Business Festival.

Consumers rely on labels as a way of finding out more about their food. But it’s not always easy to get the label right.

There are many different regulations to consider and significant consequences of getting it wrong.

To help local businesses get their labels right, Mérieux NutriSciences is presenting a free food labelling workshop on August 9.

Mérieux NutriSciences technical services director Jane Lovell said businesses often struggled to get access to critical information.

“There is no denying the importance of getting product labels right. An error with allergen labelling can seriously affect consumer health.

“In 2016 there were 71 food recalls in Australia, the most common reason was undeclared allergens, and the consequences of leaving out an allergen can be fatal.”

“Our market surveys are also finding lots of incorrect trade measurements statements, failures to include the business address, mistakes with country of origin claims, missing ingredients and errors with nutritional information,” she said.

Ms Lovell said the workshop was an opportunity for local food businesses to take along their labels and learn more about common labelling errors and new regulations such as country of origin.

The workshop will be held at the Warragul Library on August 9 from 11am to 1pm. To register for this free event visit: www.merieuxnutrisciences.com/au/event/small-business-festival-victoria