Country of Origin Labelling Australia Guide

What Is Country of Origin Labelling in Australia? Country of Origin Labelling (CoOL) is a mandatory labelling scheme requiring most food sold at retail in Australia to state where it was grown, produced, made or packed. For food made or grown in Australia, that usually means a three-part label — a text statement, the kangaroo logo where eligible, and a bar chart showing the percentage of Australian ingredients. The rules sit under the Australian Consumer Law and the Country of Origin Food Labelling Information Standard 2016, administered by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) . This guide explains who must comply, what the label looks like, and how the rules apply to hospitality. Who Needs to Comply? CoOL applies to most food offered for retail sale in Australia — food sold in stores, markets, online for home delivery, and from vending machines. It covers packaged and many unpackaged retail foods such as fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and seafood displayed for sale. The exact label required depends on whether the food is a priority or non-priority food, and whether it was grown, produced, made or packed in Australia or overseas. Some foods are exempt or have modified requirements, and food sold for immediate consumption in restaurants, cafes and similar settings is treated differently — covered in the hospitality section below. The Three-Part Label Explained Most priority foods grown, produced or made in Australia must carry a standardised three-part label inside a clearly defined box. Origin text: A standardised statement such as "Made in Australia from at least 75% Australian ingredients" or "Grown in Australia". Kangaroo logo: The stylised kangaroo in a triangle, used where the food is eligible, signalling Australian origin at a glance. Bar chart: A visual bar showing the proportion of Australian ingredients by weight, giving consumers a quick sense of local content. The percentage shown in the bar chart and text must be substantiated. Businesses need records that support the Australian-content claim, which is where supplier documentation becomes essential. How Are Imported Foods Labelled? Imported food must carry a clear country-of-origin statement, such as "Product of [country]" or "Made in [country]", typically inside the standard mark box but without the kangaroo logo, which is reserved for Australian food. Where an imported product also contains some Australian ingredients, a bar chart may still be used to show that proportion. The key requirement is that the statement of origin is accurate and not misleading to the consumer. How CoOL Applies to Hospitality Restaurants, cafes and caterers selling food for immediate consumption generally are not required to apply a CoOL label to each dish. However, any origin claim you do make — "100% Australian beef", "local produce", "New Zealand green-lipped mussels" — must be truthful and substantiated. False or misleading origin claims can breach the Australian Consumer Law and attract ACCC penalties, regardless of whether formal labelling was required. If your venue also sells packaged retail items — bottled sauces, retail packs, produce boxes — those products fall under the full CoOL requirements. Keeping supplier origin declarations on file lets you back up menu claims and label any retail lines correctly. Our supplier and document tools keep that paperwork organised, and the guides library covers related labelling topics. Keeping the Records to Back Up Claims An origin claim is only as good as the evidence behind it. Keep current supplier declarations stating where each ingredient was grown or produced, and update them when you change suppliers. If a regulator or customer questions a claim, dated documentation is what protects you. Store these alongside your other compliance records so nothing is lost when a menu or supplier changes. Priority vs Non-Priority Foods The Country of Origin Food Labelling Information Standard divides food into two groups, which determines how much labelling is required. Priority foods carry the full requirements — the standard mark with origin text, the kangaroo logo where eligible, and the bar chart. Most foods people buy for the pantry and fridge are priority foods. Non-priority foods have lighter requirements and generally need only a statement of the country of origin, without the kangaroo logo or bar chart. Non-priority foods include items such as seasonings, confectionery, biscuits, snack foods, bottled water, tea and coffee, and alcoholic beverages. If you manufacture or pack food for retail, confirming whether your product is a priority or non-priority food is the first step in deciding which label applies. When in doubt, the ACCC and the Department of Agriculture provide guidance and an online label-generator tool to help businesses produce compliant marks. Common Country of Origin Mistakes Origin labelling trips up many businesses in predictable ways. Avoiding these errors keeps you compliant and your customers correctly informed. Overstating Australian content — the percentage in the bar chart must be substantiated by records, not estimated optimistically. Confusing "made in" with "product of" — "product of Australia" requires nearly all ingredients and processing to be Australian, a higher bar than "made in Australia". Using the kangaroo logo on ineligible or imported food , which misleads consumers. Making menu origin claims you cannot prove , such as "local" or "Australian", without supplier evidence. Failing to update labels or claims when a supplier or ingredient source changes. Because these are consumer-law matters, the consequences of getting them wrong go beyond a labelling correction — misleading origin claims can attract regulator action. Keeping supplier declarations current and reviewing claims whenever sourcing changes is the simplest way to stay on the right side of the rules. Frequently Asked Questions Who administers Country of Origin Labelling in Australia? CoO