FSANZ Call for information: Common commencement date for labelling changes

20 August 2026

The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) and its members appreciate the opportunity to respond to the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Call for information: Common commencement date for labelling changes.

AFGC supports, in principle, FSANZ introducing an annual common commencement date for food labelling changes. AFGC considers this would improve regulatory certainty, help businesses plan packaging and production changes more efficiently, and potentially reduce compliance costs and minimise packaging waste.

AFGC generally supports 30 May as a practical annual commencement date, noting that it avoids key holiday and production pressure periods. However, the submission stresses that adequate transition periods must continue to apply, stock-in-trade provisions should be retained, and FSANZ should maintain flexibility to respond quickly where public health or safety issues arise.