National vegetable industry body AUSVEG has welcomed the commencement of Australia’s new Country of Origin Labelling welcomes labelling laws, saying consumers will be more aware of where their food comes from.

Under the new system, packaging for food products will include a label indicating the proportion of Australian ingredients by weight, displayed in both a statement and a bar graph to ensure quick comprehension.

The new welcomes labelling laws kicked into effect on July 1, but businesses have a two-year transitional period in which to design new packaging and apply the labels.