Food label rules on hold

As potato growers warn of an influx of cheap frozen fries, changes designed to make it easier for Kiwis to identify where their food comes from have been put on ice. The Government has been consulting on country-of-origin labelling regulations after laws designed to give consumers clarity around the origin of food products were passed in 2018. However, due to disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment announced a 12-month delay in recommending the regulations. They are now due to come into effect in December 2021. Potatoes New Zealand has warned a surplus of potatoes in Europe could trigger a ‘‘tsunami’’ of cheap frozen chips, putting hundreds of local growing and processing jobs at risk.