What if future FSANZ-initiated food labelling changes happened at the same time every year? That's the question we’re putting to stakeholders as part of our latest call for information.
An annual common commencement date could provide greater planning certainty for food businesses by allowing labelling changes to be implemented on a set date each year, reducing label redesign costs and minimising operational disruption.
A move to this approach would need to balance the practical benefits with FSANZ's core responsibility to protect public health and safety. That's why any future labelling change would continue to be assessed on a case-by-case basis, with the flexibility to implement changes outside the annual commencement date when needed.
If adopted, an annual common commencement date would apply only to future FSANZ-initiated labelling changes and would not affect implementation timeframes for decisions already made or labelling changes introduced by other government agencies.
If you have a view, now is the time to have your say. Feedback will help shape whether this approach could work and, if so, what the common commencement date should be.