New labelling rules upset cider industry’s apple cart

CIDER producers say they are losing out under new country of origin labelling rules which do not back local growers.

Cider

CIDER producers say they are losing out under new country of origin labelling rules which do not back local growers.

Industry body Cider Australia is concerned cider is excluded from the Federal Government’s proposed new country of origin food labelling scheme leaving consumers with no certainty about the origin of the juice content.

Willie Smith’s co-founder and Cider Australia president Sam Reid said not including cider in the labelling rules would be a devastating blow to an industry that supports local growers and regional development.

The Government has announced that from next year it will omit alcoholic beverages from the obligation to declare on the label whether the contents were grown in Australia or overseas.

“Removing cider from the scheme altogether does nothing for the Australian cider industry, growers or consumers,” Mr Reid said.

“Cider and perry are traditional beverages made by fermenting the juice of apples and pears and the quality and origin of the juice has a huge bearing on the quality of the end product,” Mr Reid.

“New labels will highlight all the imported concentrate that goes into apple juice, but Australian consumers need to be aware that the same thing happens in cider.”

Cider, like wine, is made from fruit.

“Australia has clear and enforceable rules to ensure claims about country of origin on wine labels are truthful — consumers of cider also need this assurance,” Mr Reid said.