Food labelling: Consumers have right to know
Kiwifruit ‘‘fresh from Opotiki’’. At least, that’s what the sign in the supermarket said. The label on the side of the box revealed a different story: the fruit was a ‘‘product of Italy’’.
It’s one of several examples of bad country of origin labelling we found in a single trip to the supermarket. The New Zealand asparagus turned out to be from the United States and the New Zealand grapes from Chile.
The prize for the worst labelling: The sign boasting a pack of fruit slices was a New Zealand product. The label on the bottom of the pack declared the fruit was ‘‘packed in New Zealand from imported ingredients’’.
In other words, they could be from anywhere.
The raft of confusing – and sometimes outright misleading – labels confronting consumers makes it no surprise that 71 per cent want mandatory country of origin labelling (CoOL) for fruit and vegetables.
Consumer NZ’s recent survey with Horticulture New Zealand found seven out of 10 Kiwis wanted to know where their fruit and veges came from.
Why don’t we have mandatory labelling? In 2005, the Government opted out of joining Australia in mandating CoOL under the Food Standards Code. Instead, it backed a voluntary system.
But this approach isn’t living up to expectations.
Sixty-five per cent of shoppers say they look for labelling information when they buy fresh fruit. But fewer than a third (32 per cent) always find it.
Complicating choices further, when information is provided it may not tell you anything useful.
When we last checked origin statements on packets of frozen berries and veges, 21 per cent had vague statements that the product was made or packed in New Zealand ‘‘from local and/or imported ingredients’’, or ‘‘packed in New Zealand from imported ingredients’’.
Parliament has an opportunity to fix this state of affairs. The Consumers’ Right to Know (Country of Origin of Food) Bill proposes mandating country of origin labelling for fruit and veges, as well as other single component foods.
It’s a private member’s bill, put forward by Green MP Steffan Browning, and is expected to come up for its first reading this month. But it will need majority support to be voted through to select committee.
We’re calling on political parties to support it because we think consumers have a right to know where their food comes from.
Country of origin labelling is already required on clothing and wine. Why not food?
Sue Chetwin is the chief executive of Consumer NZ. For information on country of origin labelling as well as thousands of independent test results and research on a range of products and services, go to consumer.org.nz.
Parliament has an opportunity to fix this state of affairs.