Getting your Food product labels right can feel like an overwhelming obstacle to starting your business, but actually, it’s more straight forward than it seems. Follow these 6 steps and you’ll have everything you need for the perfect food product label.

Whether or not your product itself needs labelling depends on one simple question: is it sold in a sealed package, bottle, jar or can? If so, you’re going to have to put quite a few labels on it. If it is sold out of a cake box or a paper bag, your food product labelling requirements can be centralised into a folder or the like, but should still be easily accessible by your customers (at your market stall or on your website, for instance).

As soon as you package a food item in this way, whether you are selling direct to the public or through a wholesaler selling it on your behalf, it must carry all of the following information:

1. Who made the product and where was it made
2. A list of ingredients
3. A nutritional information panel
4. Mandatory declarations
5. A date mark
6. Storage conditions

1. Who made the product and where was it made

Why do you need to put your business info on your food product label?

Of course, you want to tell everyone you made it! You want the world and their friends to be able to find you online (via our Small Batch Directory for example) and for everyone to be able to get a sense of your branding from the way you label your food product. And from a legal standpoint – as the manufacturer, packer, vendor and/or importer – you must provide your business name and manufacturing address for food recall and contact purposes (see 5.1.2 and 5.1.3 on page 5 of Qld Health’s Label Buster).

BNE Soda Co’s Pink Grapefruit and Rosemary soda syrup

2. A list of ingredients

Ingredients are defined as ‘any substance used to make a food’. This includes everything you put in, so, if your product contains any compound ingredients (this is an ingredient that is made up of more than one ingredient), and, if it contributes to 5% or more of your food product, then all of its ingredients and additives must be declared on the labelling. If the compound ingredient contributes less than 5% to your final product, then only additives performing a technological function must be declared. For example: The ingredients for canned spaghetti might read ‘spaghetti (flour, egg, water), sugar, water’.

Ingredients must be listed in descending order of ingoing weight. You can name your list: “Ingredients”, “Made from”, “Consists of”, “Contains” or other things, it doesn’t really matter.

Cultured Belly’s amazing Ruby Sauerkraut

3. A nutritional information panel

All packaged food products must have a Nutritional Information Panel (NIP for short). The only cases where one isn’t required is where the product has little nutritional value, for example: bottled water, tea, coffee, packets of herbs or spices.

Your Nutritional Information Panel (NIP) must show these values, in this order:

• Energy
• Protein
• Fat
  • Saturated fats
• Carbs
  • Sugars
• Sodium

Any additions to the above list (eg. fibre) are “nutritional claims” rather than nutritional information, and can only be listed if you have independent testing carried out. Likewise, any claims of ‘Fat or Sugar Free’ must be independently verified. For more in depth information go to the Australian Food Standards Nutrition Information Panels Quick Start Guide.

To create your own NIP, you can use: Nutrition Panel Calculator. It’s free!

4. Mandatory declarations on food product labels

Allergens

Allergic reactions to certain foods can be fatal, so you must declare them as ingredients, or, if there is any chance traces of that allergen may be present in your product because of where it has been made, this must also be declared. (eg. “made in a kitchen that also services nut product makers”). Even if your raw ingredients may have been processed alongside known allergens (and your raw ingredient suppliers are legally required to disclose this information to you), you must state ‘may contain traces of …’ etc. See: Food Allergies and Intolerances for more detailed guidance.

Indie Treats’ Cloud Bar

Country of origin

New legislation has just been passed (and will be phased in) that requires tighter “country of origin” labelling on food products. It requires manufacturers to stipulate what proportion of ingredients are Australian. This will address the issue of manufacturer’s claiming “Made in Australia from local and imported ingredients” when the only local ingredient is the salt! Go to Australian Food Standards Country of Origin Labelling information for the full lowdown.

5. A date mark

“Use By” – it is illegal to sell your product beyond the “use by” date mark, as any of the ingredients could have become toxic and therefore hazardous to health.

Calculating what your “use by” date should be is not a definitive process, and depends on the nature of your product. For example, meat and dairy products will spoil quickly and would present a health risk if consumed once spoilt where as a granola bar won’t kill you (probably) if it’s a couple of years passed “use by”. You will need to carry out your own tests to establish how long your food product will keep.

“Best Before” – is your quality assurance date mark, as your product could be ‘stale’ beyond this date, but has not yet become hazardous to health.

Your Date Mark can also be used as your Batch or Lot Number and as such would be your means of tracking should you ever need to do a product recall. All manufacturers are legally required to have a Product Recall Plan so ensure you read up on that and create your plan.

Indie Treats’ Cloud Bar

6. Storage conditions

This provides your customers, and or your wholesalers/retailers with clear instruction on how to store your product/s to ensure it does not spoil, and to maximize its shelf life. Some products have very specific storage and service temperature instructions if you are to enjoy them at their best, so do consider these factors when providing storage conditions for your food product label.

MYK’s FFF Kefir Lime & Chilli

More information on food product labels:

For full and detailed information on labelling your product, go to Qld Healths Label Buster website and the Australian Food Standards’ User Guide.

You can also contact your Local Council and speak with an Environmental Health Officer to clarify any particular questions or queries relating to:

• licensing of food businesses (both making and selling of food)
• mobile food premises
• complaints about food safety and hygiene matters in food premises
• food safety programs (except those in Queensland Government facilities)

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