The kangaroo triangle has for many years been subject to qualifications, which could be in tiny print, under the image.
‘Product of Australia’, ‘Made in Australia’, ‘Made in Australia and Australian owned’.
Now we have this barcode thing that indicates percentage of what?
It is unfortunate that you do need to examine in detail everything on labels front and back.
If you want to buy Australian made Peanut Butter from the major supermarkets, made with Australian peanuts - Bega Simply Nuts range - Made in Australia from 100% Australian Ingredients
I bought a jar of that some weeks ago with high expectations but my wife and I did not like it at all.
It tasted like no other peanut paste we have ever eaten. Very disappointing.
We gave it away and bought a normal jar of Bega peanut paste.which contains 85% peanuts, vegetable oil, sugar and salt.
And the jar even has a very timely warning.
“Allergen Statement: Contains Peanuts”.
Who would have thought?
As they say, “If it aint broken, then don’t fix it”.
It must be a matter of taste, we buy all the time and love it. Plenty of variety, everything from “No Added Salt” to various degrees of crunchy.
That’s the one and there are a few variants within Simply Nuts.
so Mr. PhilT, you are saying that this kind of labeling is perfectly okay? have in BIG letters what the company wants you to see and the not so attractive truth in small print… oh, so convenient, isn’t it, because its all legal…
Tts interesting. I have Bega Crunchy peanut butter this time round and its label says its proudly made in Port Melbourne from “less than 10% Australian ingredients”. I reckon that must be the jar and label.
Reading the full content of a post can be worthwhile.
Under rules of law issues consumers have problems with are rightly changed by activism and modifications, changes, and introduction of relevant laws.
Criticising companies for operating within the laws such as they are seems overbearing although consumers are free to purchase their goods or not for whatever reason they choose, to make their points.
Thank you for adding your voice asking for change and posting about your displeasure with the Law as it stands.
No @PhilT isn’t saying that it is OK. Is it lawful, yes it is. His post is not giving approval to the labelling, it is pointing out it is legal and compliant.
CHOICE have certainly advocated for better labelling laws. I have signed petitions and provided comment as I’m sure @PhilT has (I’ve seen his commentary on this site in support of changes). Again, if you haven’t already done so I strongly encourage you to contact the relevant Govt authorities who are responsible for the Laws (ACCC at least), and advise them of your objections to current Labelling Laws. Another way to add your displeasure to current labelling requirements is to provide your voice to surveys, petitions and CHOICE campaigns when they arise, about the Laws that govern the requirements. You should also contact the Company of any product where you have concerns with how they label. Personal feedback to businesses is an important tool in getting them to change their habits.
Shonky that a Company is compliant with the Law and that many others have similar sized and compliant placement seems to me a bit arbitrary. Perhaps a Shonky worthy issue is the entire Law not an individual product which is complying with a Shonkily worded Law.
I heard on the radio some weeks age that the peanut growing areas of Queensland have much lower crops being harvested due to the poor weather so it’s probably for reasons such as this but we are an international world these days. I try to buy Australian even paying more and support local wherever possible as should all economically able people but that’s not to say that I wouldn’t buy something from another country if Australian wasn’t available.
Another option to buying premade peanut butter, is to make your own. It costs about $9-10/kg to make using Australian peanuts. There are heaps of recipes online and a homemade recipe can be tailor made to your taste (e.g no salt, no sugar, no or little added oil etc).
It can also be made on demand so it is fresh. All you need is an appliance which can make it…or a mortar and pestle if you want some exercise.
Possibly best to look on line to find suppliers in your local area.
One guide to price, from $6.50 per kg for the nuts.
https://www.royalnutcompany.com.au/nuts/peanuts/australian-raw-peanuts
Welcome to the community @AllanM.
Certainly an issue with production in the traditional Kingaroy growing area. Attributed to a changing climate and a lack of reliable rainfall.
While knickers are being knotted over Sanitarium’s ‘less than 10% Australian ingredients’ label, why not go for the full bunching over their natural peanut butter that has 100% peanuts and absolutely nothing else!
As someone else pointed out you can make your own if it bothers you that much. All you need is a food processor and peanuts (locally sourced if you like).
At least both Sanitarium and Bega are not lying to anyone (e.g. passing off Asian fish as New Zealand) and if you are a label reader it will be quite clear both where the ingredients are sourced (here or overseas) and where the product is actually made. Making the product in Australia at least provides Australians with jobs and the revenue stays here (less the cost of the peanuts sourced overseas).
Or how about making macadamia nut butter yourself. Australia being the biggest producer of macadamia nuts in the world!
Not any more.
Yes it pays to read the small print; if you can!
71 and I use a magnifying glass.
Yes Cestrian, absolutely. Bega Simply Nuts IS 100% australian Nuts - “grown in Sunny Queensland” We found this one, a bit dearer than most others BUT, it is Australian. Go Buy This One Everyone. Mix in the natural oil, put in the frig, it never hardens, add a bit of salt if you wish as it doesn’t have enough for me!!! Enjoy!