What’s been proposed, why it’s bad, and what you need to do

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has proposed Federal, State and Territory Governments adopt a mandatory pregnancy warning label that will impose significant costs on your business for little to no public health benefit. Many in the sector see this proposal as the first step towards a future defined by anti-alcohol labelling.

The sector needs every grape and wine business to let federal, state and territory politicians know why this matters, and why the Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation needs to make a decision that balances public health objectives with the commercial realities of grape and wine businesses.

ATTACHMENT A (click to download) provides a summary of what FSANZ is proposing to ministers, Australian Grape & Wine’s assessment of the proposal, and what a better alternative might look like.

ATTACHMENT B (click to download Word document) provides a template for you if you are able to write to your local parliamentarians and federal, state and territory ministers.

This issue will be considered by the Ministerial Forum before the end of March. The Ministerial Forum has two options:

  1. It can accept the FSANZ recommendations; or
  2. It can reject them and request a review.

State and Federal Ministers have already decided to mandate a pregnancy warning label, so we must recognise that will not change. However, if we can get enough small winemakers and grape growers to raise their concerns with their State and Federal Minsters and Parliamentarians, the power of many voices will provide a greater chance of convincing members of the Forum to call for a review of the FSANZ recommendations. In turn, this could lead to removing the most egregious elements.

This is our last chance to make our voices heard, so please do not hesitate to contact your local parliamentarians. Decisions are being made within governments right now, so time is of the essence.

It is critical that we reach local members of parliament (at Federal, State/Territory level).  So please make them your first port of call. 

It would also be helpful to contact Ministers for Health, Agriculture, Tourism and the Premier in your State.  State Ministers will be critical in determining the outcome of the Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation’s consideration of this issue.

Australia (Federal Government)

Western Australia

Please feel free to call Lee McLean, General Manager, Government Relations and External Affairs on 0418 998 749 or email [email protected] if you would like any further information.