Do I need a food label?

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Start the quiz below to find out if your product needs a label.

The answer will depend on how you sell your product.

If you sell in more than one way, such as retail and wholesale, make sure you repeat the process for each method.

The quiz takes about 2 to 5 minutes.

How do you sell your food?
Selling or providing direct to a consumer (includes cafes, restaurants, supermarkets, canteens, schools, caterers, market stalls, fundraising events, and self-catering institutions such as retirement villages)
Selling or providing to a food business (includes donating food to a charity to sell)
Is the food sold at a fundraising event?

A fundraising event is an event used to raise funds solely for a community or charitable cause and not for personal financial gain. For example:

  • a cake stall
  • a sausage sizzle
Is the food sold in a package?

A package is any container or wrapper where the food is wholly or partly covered. For example:

  • jam or pickled vegetables in a glass jar
  • pre-made sandwiches covered with plastic wrap
  • takeaway food wrapped in paper or placed in a container
  • meat pie or baked goods placed in a paper bag
  • protein balls in a cellophane bag
Is the food made and packaged on the premises from which it is sold?

For example:

  • sandwiches made and sold pre-packaged from a sandwich bar
  • coleslaw made and sold pre-packaged from a takeaway shop
  • Turkish delight made and sold pre-packaged from a kebab shop
Is the food packaged in the presence of the customer?

For example:

  • cheese and meats from a delicatessen
  • bread, cakes, pies and pastries from a bakery
  • meat from a butcher
  • chocolate from a confectionary shop
Is the food ready-to-eat and made to order for a customer?

For example:

  • fish and chips
  • sandwich made to order at a sandwich bar
  • baked potato from a food truck
  • ice cream scooped into a cone
Is the food packaged and displayed in an assisted service display cabinet?

For example:

  • whole cake purchased by a cafe, cut into portions, wrapped in clear plastic food wrap and displayed in a cabinet, and handed to a customer on request
  • sandwiches pre-made by a cafe before the lunch rush, and handed to a customer on request
Is the food whole or cut fresh fruit and vegetables in a package that shows the nature or quality of the food? (Does not include seed sprouts or similar products)

For example:

  • individual fruit and vegetables for sale at a fruit shop
  • bulk packs of fruit or vegetables sold in a mesh bag
  • whole or cut fruit or vegetables sold in clear plastic packaging, such as ready-to-eat vegetables and fruit salads
Is the food sold in individual portion packages?

Individual portion packages are food that is:

  • intended to be used separately
  • not designed for individual sale
  • sold in a package with a surface area that is less than 30cm2

For example:

  • sachets of sauce sold in a box of 100 sachets
  • small packets of snack food sold as a 10 pack of snacks
What type of business do you sell your food to?

Food for catering purposes is food for use in restaurants, canteens, schools, caterers or self-catering institutions, where food is offered for immediate consumption.
Is the food sold in a package?

A package is any container or wrapper where the food is wholly or partly covered.  For example:

  • whole cakes or desserts boxed and sold to a café to be sliced and served to customers
  • flour, milk, eggs, etc. sold to a restaurant to prepare meals
Is the food sold in a package?

A package is any container or wrapper where the food is wholly or partly covered. For example:

  • bulk flour sold to a bakery to make bread and other baked goods
  • peanuts and sultanas sold to a food manufacturer to make protein balls
Is the food whole or cut fresh fruit and vegetables (other than seed sprouts or similar products) in a package that shows the nature or quality of the food?

For example:

  • bulk packs of fruit or vegetables sold in a mesh bag
  • whole or cut fruit or vegetables sold in clear plastic packaging, such as ready-to-eat vegetables and fruit salads


If you sell in more than one way such as retail and wholesale, restart Do I need a food label? as the answer may change.


More information

Read more about food labelling requirements in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code Standard 1.2.1 - Requirements to have labels or otherwise provide information (Opens in new window)

 

More information

Read about food labelling on the NSW Food Authority website.

Read more about food labelling requirements in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code Standard 1.2.1 - Requirements to have labels or otherwise provide information (Opens in new window)

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