Sanitarium, SPC, Norco, Sunshine Sugar rally for Australian owned awareness

A newly-formed group of Australian-owned food brands are pushing for new labelling and logo laws.

A singular ‘Australian owned’ logo and labelling law changes are being canvassed by a newly-formed group of Australian-owned food brands.

Norco, SPC, Sanitarium, Mayvers Foods and Sunshine Sugar have surveyed shoppers nationally over their support for food produced by Australian-owned companies, not just locally-made produce owned by foreign entities.

The survey found 66 per cent of shoppers claim they would buy more Australian made and owned products if the information was readily available, but claim it’s hard to tell.

More than 73 per cent of respondents supported ‘country of ownership’ information being included on all food labels.

Norco chief executive Michael Hampson said the Australian dairy industry had transformed in the past decade, with most processors now owned by foreign corporations.

He said the Australian made logo — familiar since the 1980s with its gold kangaroo in a green-and-gold triangle — didn’t cover local ownership.

“You only have to look at Victoria’s dairy scene — go back two decades and you had Murray Goulburn, Warrnambool Cheese and Butter as well as Bonlac, all Australian owned,” Mr Hampson said.

“Now in its place you have Fonterra, Saputo and even Bega with a significant portion of foreign investment.

“Farmers know this already but many shoppers aren’t aware that many long-term Australian brands, not just in dairy but in cereal, fruit and so on, are now foreign owned.”

Sanitarium general manager Todd Saunders said as part of the Australian-owned campaign, the

group were encouraging consumers to download the Bring Back Australia App.

Todd Saunders, Sanitarium General Manager. Picture: Supplied

The mobile phone application is designed to identify Australian-owned brands with a simple scan of a barcode.

“Including ‘country of ownership’ labelling information is an idea we strongly support,” Mr Saunders said. “The survey results show that a majority of Australians support the idea too.

“If you buy a product made by an Australian-owned business, customers know that more of their money is staying locally, generating more and more local jobs. There’s less of that revenue leaking overseas.

“The current Australian-made labelling can be a bit confusing and doesn’t cover ownership to a degree that many customers would expect.”

SPC chief marketing officer Peta Allsopp said better informing shoppers over what produce was both Australian made and owned would be welcomed by farmers and manufacturers alike.

“At times, (consumers) are either knowingly or unknowingly choosing imported options from lower cost producing countries such as China and South Africa.

“So if a small labelling update to include ‘country of ownership’ information can help better inform consumer choice, while protecting our iconic brands, industries and farmers alike, then that is something we fully support.”