New South Wales Retailers Must Label Prepared Foods

Mandatory labeling requires that kilojoule (calorie) counts must be included on all ready-to-eat meals.

March 06, 2013

NEW SOUTH WALES, Australia - Shoppers, long used to seeing calorie data on most supermarket products, will now see that information on ready-to-eat foods, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. The mandatory labeling is courtesy of New South Wales (NSW) Premier Barry O??Farrell and the government??s 8,700 kilojoule (calorie) campaign.

"It is my view that people who want to lose weight and get healthier need to take personal responsibility for their food and lifestyle choices," said O??Farrell. "But I believe it is essential consumers are equipped with nutritional information to encourage them to make balanced food choices."

The campaign ?" named for the target number of kilojoules to be consumed in a day ?" also comes with an app. Some grocery stores are embracing the new labeling. "At a glance customers can now see the energy value of many popular ready-to-eat items and make a decision on how those products can fit into their daily energy needs," said Andrew Hall, Woolworths director of public affairs.

Australian fast-food chains with 20 or more 20 NSW locations or 50 or more units nationally have to label all menu items with the kilojoule count since February 2012.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement