In the wake of the hepatitis A outbreak in Australia, the government has supported plans for the introduction of country-of-origin labeling.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott had asked his cabinet members to draft a legislation which would provide customers with greater transparency even though he had said earlier that such legislation would lead to an increase in the cost of food.
Till now, about 18 cases linked to the consumption of berries sold by Patties Foods have tested positive for hepatitis A following which the company recalled its products.
Poor hygiene and water supplies in a Chinese packaging plant are said to be the reason of the outbreak.
As per current rules, companies can display labels stating the origin of product if is made from local and imported ingredients without mentioning the quantity grown in Australia.
In 2014 US had also introduced its own country-of-origin labeling laws for beef products. However, Australia was among plaintiffs against the move at that time.
US' legislation, however, had been ruled against by the WTO in October which argued that such labeling provided an incentive to favor domestic livestock.
Reuters quoted Gerard McManus, a spokesman for Australia's agricultural minister as saying that the prime minister had asked his ministers to make sure that the proposed legislation adhered to WTO's requirements.
Abbott told reporters in Canberra: "We don't want to add needlessly to the burdens of business but we do want to ensure that consumers get the information that they need and the public is protected. So we will do it in the most business-friendly way."
Image: 18 cases of hepatitis A linked to berry contamination have been reported in Australia. Photo: courtesy of adamr/freedigitalphotos.net.
