Aussie food growers hurt by poor labelling

Misleading labels on supermarket shelves are hurting Australian food manufacturers, inquiry told. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIAN food growers and producers are being hurt by confusing food labelling crowding supermarket shelves, an inquiry has heard.

REPRESENTATIVES from SPC Ardmona, which sources 97 per cent of its produce from Australian growers, say consumers want to buy locally grown and processed foods but unclear or misleading labelling is making it difficult.

SPC's sales jumped after reports that the company's future was under threat put its Victorian cannery workers on the front page of newspapers, an inquiry into food labelling heard on Friday.But the company says increasingly complicated chains of production were difficult to represent simply on food packaging, to the detriment of genuine local producers."'Australian Made', it just doesn't mean anything to people any more," SPC strategy manager Shalini Valecha told the hearing in Melbourne.SPC sales manager Steve Mickan said those who wanted to make choices based on their food's country of origin faced a sea of labels, including "Product of Australia", "Proudly Australian" and "Manufactured in Australia"."Most people and consumers want to know where their food is manufactured," Mr Mickan said."Consumers are being misled by the use of iconic Australian symbols and images that give consumers a false impression a product is Australian when in fact it's not."Australian Manufacturing Workers Union division secretary Tom Hale said the value of locally made and produced food was so potent, the publicity surrounding SPC prompted major supermarkets to emphasise their local credentials in their advertising."Woolworths and Coles, particularly since SPC, have been making a big deal about the fact 'we sell Australian products'," Mr Hale said."The labelling gives these manufacturers who are genuinely producing in Australia an advantage in the marketplace."He said those that weren't using Australian labour and produce shouldn't be given that advantage.The House of Representatives standing committee on agriculture and industry is investigating country-of-origin food labelling.Mr Hale said SPC sales had jumped by as much as 50 per cent after the publicity surrounding the threat to local jobs.The company confirmed sales growth."We've seen categories that were either in decline or static go into growth and in some retailers significant growth," Mr Mickan said.

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