Have your say

A consultation paper entitled Consultation Regulation Impact Statement: Policy Guidance: Menu Labelling in Australia and New Zealand has been released in Australia and New Zealand for submissions.

Menu labelling provides content information about ready-to-eat food and drinks at their point of ordering. This information can be displayed in print, online, or on digital platforms, and is distinct from advertising and labels on pre-packaged foods.

The paper outlines options to inform the development of policy guidance for consistent menu labelling in the bi-national food regulation system. These options are for feedback purposes only and do not imply the endorsement of either the Australian or New Zealand Governments.

Any option chosen would be considered for further development.

We encourage New Zealand stakeholders to have their say and help shape any future menu labelling proposals. Feedback will help us to:

- understand the costs and benefits of the menu labelling options

- identify what is appropriate for New Zealand.

It is important that any bi-national approach to menu labelling is fit-for-purpose for both Australia and New Zealand.

Making your submission

Submissions are open for 8 weeks from 8 April 2021 to 3 June 2021.

Information on making submissions is on the Australian Government Department of Health website.

Background to the consultation

New Zealand and Australia have a shared food regulatory system that sees us jointly developing food composition and labelling policy and standards. This is based on the 1995 Food Standards Treaty between Australia and New Zealand, and overseen by Australia and New Zealand Food Ministers.

New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory currently regulate menu labelling. In 2018 Australian stakeholders were consulted about problems for fast food menu labelling regulation and possible solutions.

Find out about the 2018 review of fast food menu labelling schemes

Menu labelling is currently voluntary in New Zealand and in other Australian jurisdictions.

In August 2019 the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation (now referred to as the Food Ministers’ Meeting) agreed that consistent menu labelling is desirable in Australia. The Forum agreed that the most effective way to achieve consistency would be to develop a food regulatory measure under the Australia and New Zealand Food Standards Code, that could apply to both countries. As a first step, a policy guideline was to be developed.