So, what’s in a label?

The labelling standards for food in Australia are meant to make it easier for the average person to make a quick decision on what is a healthy and nutritious choice for their family. However, one of my recent trips to the supermarket has left me disillusioned about how effective these standards may be.

According to Woolworths’ website: “Every label should provide a product name, or an overview of what the food is. The label must include a name or description of the food sufficient to indicate the true nature of the food and to be specific enough to distinguish this product from other foods.”

This sounds pretty simple and reasonable doesn’t it? I always thought so. I thought labels had to meet the legal requirements laid down by the government and communicate clearly what the product is.

I recently purchased a vacuum-sealed ‘Black pepper and thyme beef roast’ that included a large splash on the packaging with the words 100% Australian Beef. You need to put this purchase in context - I am on my way home from work, in a hurry and have four adults to feed. Being old(ish) I can’t read the ingredients panel on the product without glasses - I simply grab the beef roast take it home and put it straight into the oven.

Sadly, the product tastes awful and nobody will eat it. I rescue the wrapping from the bin to prove to the disbelieving husband and children that the product really is beef. “See the 100% Australian Beef splash, see the decorative strip around the product saying ‘Australian beef’, see the product title ‘black pepper & thyme beef roast’.”

But then the ingredients panel lists the main ingredient as Beef 81%. OK so what is the rest of the product? Water, principally, then salts and flavours.

On enquiry, Woolworths informed me that the beef roast was a “moisture infused product”, but there was no way I could deduce this from the front-of-package labelling.

When this issue was raised with Woolworths, their spokesperson said: “Woolworths takes its role as a responsible retailer very seriously. The 100% Australian Beef logo is used as a tool to indicate to customers that the beef is not imported, but 100% Australian sourced.” The spokesperson went on to say that the product’s labelling met both Woolworths policy (in paragraph 1) and also regulated labelling standards.

Is this the best the food industry can do? Surely consumers can expect front-of-package labels to “include a name or description of the food sufficient to indicate the true nature of the food and to be specific enough to distinguish this product from other foods”. Also, consumers should not have to become experts in semantics in order to avoid being misled by labels.

What do you think? Please send me details of any labels that you have found misleading so we can create a dictionary of label meanings.

Janette Woodhouse

jwoodhouse@westwick-farrow.com.au