Bega faces calls for labelling reform over American cheese in Dairy Farmers brand
Bega has confirmed it uses American mozzarella in its Dairy Farmers hospitality range, sparking calls from farmer leaders for clearer country-of-origin labelling.
Bega is selling American mozzarella for the Australian hospitality sector under its Dairy Farmers branding, leading farmer leaders to call for labelling reform.
Dairy Farmers Hospitality Shredded is sold to cafes, restaurants, hotels and other hospitality providers with the tagline ‘nourishing since 1900’, with the brand’s Australian heritage frequently mentioned in marketing material.
However, Bega management has confirmed the use of American mozzarella is intentional because they were “responding to market demand” for the US-sourced cheese, particularly for pizza toppings.
Australian Dairy Farmers president Ben Bennett said Bega and other processors were entitled to sell American or other foreign produce but they needed to improve their transparency.
“This is just the latest example of selling foreign product but using the goodwill Australians have for Australian produce,” he said.
“We’re just asking for fairness in labelling — nothing more, nothing less.
“What we say to Bega or whoever else is packaging foreign dairy is — own it. Just say in bold lettering ‘American cheese’. Let the consumer decide. Don’t blur the lines and attempt to fool people that it’s Australian when it isn’t.”
Bega group acquired the Dairy Farmers brand from Japanese-owned Lion Food and Drinks in 2020. The Illawarra-based Dairy Farmers Co-operative was formed in January 1900, and expanded outside NSW in the 1990s by acquiring Victoria’s Midland Dairy Group.
It ceased being a farmer co-operative in November 2008 when it was purchased by Kirin-backed National Foods.
Australian Dairy Products Federation was contacted by The Weekly Times but did not respond in time for deadline.
Bega retail and marketing general manager Darryn Wallace said the American mozzarella “complements our broader Dairy Farmers food service portfolio, which is predominantly Australian-sourced”.
“To meet the specific requirements of our food service customers, we intentionally source an American-style mozzarella for our Dairy Farmers food service range,” Mr Wallace said.
“This product is designed exclusively for the hospitality industry and is used in specialised applications such as pizza.
“We are committed to listening to our industry partners and responding to market demand for specific cheese types and functionality.
“Hospitality businesses have unique performance requirements across their differing kitchen environments.”
The Bega revelation comes as Woolworths defended a decision to sell American butter wrapped in green-and-gold Hillview labelling.
Woolworths indicated they would revert to using Australian butter for its discount dairy range, the latest controversy surrounding the Hillview brand after New Zealand cheese was wrapped in green-and-gold packaging last year.
“Woolies call themselves the Fresh Food People but there’s little that’s fresh about American butter,” Mr Bennett said.
