Judi Moylan (Pearce, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When you pick up a jar of gherkins and read ‘Made in Australia’, you think the food which you have purchased is Australian grown, but in truth, when more than 50 per cent of the cost of production or manufacture was incurred in Australia, ‘Made in Australia’ on the label can actually mean ‘substantially transformed in Australia’. In reality, these gherkins could actually have been grown anywhere in the world but warrant this label because the current government’s current country of origin food labelling system is not clear. Confused? You would not be the only one.

The issue of country of origin labelling has been bubbling in the background of the federal government farm lobby group’s media discussion for some time now, but last year, rather dramatically, it was thrust back into the national spotlight with the melamine in food tragedy. Food Standards Australia New Zealand began an investigation into international media reports which indicated a possible contamination of vegetables imported from China, including mushrooms, dried and frozen vegetables and garlic believed to be contaminated by melamine, a chemical linked to the poisoning of thousands of babies in China.

In the thick of this debate and sometimes overlooked are growers, the people who supply the fresh, clean healthy produce our country is known and respected for. However, they are the ones being sold out due to lack of food accountability and truth in labelling. Many of these growers reside in the electorate of Pearce. Personally, I share the views of growers and grower bodies that this potentially dangerous situation, which has been going on since last year, could have been avoided if the government had approved clearer and simpler country of origin labelling for processed food and enforced the compliance of these labels for fresh food.

I am also amazed that when potential poisonous threats are identified, like the recent melamine scare, there is a lag between pinpointing contaminated products, testing them and removing them from sale. If Australians had strong trace-back and trace-forward mechanisms for food, questionable produce would be removed from shelves faster and consumers would not have to wait weeks and even months to feel confident that their groceries are safe for consumption.

Months ago the federal government promised an overhaul of its country of origin labelling laws. We are yet to see any action. Once again, the government has proved that it is all about spin rather than substance. Today I call on the government to immediately act to ensure that all food products can be traced back to their origin. In addition, it should move to label all food products correctly and ensure that retailers are forced to comply with those rules.