Country of origin food information soon to be mandatory
Te Whanganui-a-Tara - New regulations, taking effect this weekend, will give consumers more information about where their food comes from.
Businesses must comply with the new consumer information standards (origin of food) regulations that apply to certain fresh and thawed foods: fruit, vegetables, finfish, shellfish, and cured pork such as ham, bacon, and prosciutto. If these foods are frozen, they must state the country of origin from May 12, 2023.
Mandatory country of origin information will let consumers know where certain food comes from and help them make informed decisions when they are buying those products, the Commerce Commission says.
Foods covered by the regulations will need to state the country of origin on the packaging or on a sign nearby.
For example, bananas from Ecuador will need to be clearly identified as being from Ecuador, either on packaging, labels or signage placed on or next to the shelf.
Lisa was born in Auckland at the start of the 1970s, living in a small campsite community on the North Shore called Browns Bay. She spent a significant part of her life with her grandparents, often hanging out at the beaches. Lisa has many happy memories from those days at Browns Bay beach, where fish were plentiful on the point and the ocean was rich in seaweed. She played in the water for hours, going home totally “sun-kissed.” “An adorable time to grow up,” Lisa tells me.
Lisa enjoyed many sports; she was a keen tennis player and netballer, playing in the top teams for her age right up until the family moved to Wellington. Lisa was fifteen years old, which unfortunately marked the end of her sporting career. Local teams were well established in Wellington, and her attention was drawn elsewhere.