Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is seeking feedback on the potential introduction of an annual common commencement date for future FSANZ-initiated food labelling changes.
Following initial targeted consultation with industry stakeholders, FSANZ is suggesting 30 May to be an appropriate annual common commencement date, as it is generally understood to be the least disruptive time of year for the food sector.
Protecting public health and safety remains FSANZ's priority. FSANZ would retain the ability to implement changes outside the annual common commencement date where appropriate.
This is an early-stage consultation. No decision has been made to introduce an annual common commencement date. If adopted, it would apply only to future FSANZ-initiated labelling changes. It would not affect implementation timeframes for decisions that have already been made.
What information is being sought?
FSANZ welcomes feedback on:
- whether an annual common commencement date should be established for future FSANZ-initiated food labelling changes
- whether 30 May is an appropriate annual common commencement date
- the potential benefits and concerns associated with an annual common commencement date
- alternative commencement dates that should be considered and why.
Where possible, stakeholders are encouraged to support their responses with evidence, examples or data.
Call for information
To make a submission, please visit the consultation page on the FSANZ Consultation Hub. Submissions close at 11.59pm (AEST) 18 August 2026. The document for this consultation is:
What happens next?
Feedback received through this call for information will help inform FSANZ's consideration of the potential risks and benefits of this approach, including whether an annual common commencement date should be introduced and, if so, the preferred commencement date.
An annual common commencement date would apply only to future FSANZ-initiated food labelling changes. It would not affect implementation timeframes for FSANZ decisions that have already been made or changes required by other government agencies with responsibility for food labelling.