Government backs off labelling foreign food

The Government has rejected mandatory country of origin labelling on imported food - a system Australia is adopting.

The move has outraged the Greens who claimed yesterday that it would shock consumers and hit the Buy NZ Made campaign agreed with Labour as part of the Government's formation.

Food Safety Minister Annette King said there was no link between food safety and country of origin labelling and it should be a commercial decision rather than a Government matter.

Mandatory labelling was also potentially an unnecessary barrier to international trade. The decision would not impact on the Government's commitment to supporting a Buy NZ Made campaign, which the Greens negotiated after the election in exchange for its abstention on confidence and supply votes.

The campaign, to be headed by Green MP Sue Bradford following the sudden death of co-leader Rod Donald, has yet to get under way.

But Green MP Sue Kedgley, who has fought for mandatory labelling, scoffed at Ms King's suggestion the Buy NZ Made campaign would be unaffected, although there was no suggestion the Greens would pull out.

"It's frankly bizarre that on the one hand the Government has promised to work on a Buy New Zealand Made programme and on the other it's denying consumers the ability to find out via a label whether food is being introduced locally or imported."

She said it was farcical that food going to Australia would have to be labelled as being made here, but food coming the other way would not.

Food for thought

Why the Government rejected mandatory country of origin food labelling:

* Cost to consumers and industry.

* Flexibility for exporters.

* NZ processed foods often include ingredients from other countries.

Why Greens want mandatory labelling:

* Consumers have the right to know where their food originates.

* Mandatory labels would let consumers make decisions about buying locally.

* Produce imports are not tested for illegal pesticides or other residues.