Activity type:
Priority: reduce chronic disease related to overweight and obesity
Status:
Active
Aim
Menu board labelling that is nationally consistent.
Leads
The lead for this activity is Queensland Health.
Authorisation
The food ministers agreed at their August 2019 meeting that nationally consistent menu labelling is desirable for:
- the food industry
- public health organisations
- governments.
They agreed:
- the most effective way for this to occur would be to develop a food regulatory measure under the Food Standards Code
- developing a policy guideline should be the first step.
Status
This activity is now at Step H (selected option put in place) of the Food Regulation Policy Framework.
The Food Regulation Standing Committee will:
- develop comprehensive, sustained consumer education to support the implementation of menu labelling
- undertake a coordinated, bi-national evaluation of menu labelling.
Approved policy guideline and food standards work
In November 2022, food ministers approved the policy guideline on menu labelling.
They also requested Food Standards Australia New Zealand:
- raise a proposal to develop a food regulatory measure for menu labelling in the Food Standards Code
- incorporate evaluation findings from existing menu labelling schemes in Australian jurisdictions.
Completed work
As part of this activity, we:
- developed a regulation impact statement with 4 different policy options
- invited stakeholders to respond to the statement from April to June 2021 – see consultation on policy guidance for menu labelling
- developed a decision regulatory impact statement and a preferred option, based on the submissions and an economic evaluation.
Related information
View all the activities to reduce chronic disease related to overweight and obesity.
Date last updated: