2010-2011-2012-2013 

 

The Parliament of the 

Commonwealth of Australia 

 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

 

 

 

 

Presented and read a first time 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Imported Food Warning Labels Bill 2013 

 

No.      , 2013 

 

(Mr Katter) 

 

 

 

A Bill for an Act to provide for warning labels in 

relation to imported food, and for related purposes 

   

   

   

 

 

i       Imported Food Warning Labels Bill 2013       No.      , 2013 

Contents 

1 

Short title ........................................................................................... 1

 

2 

Commencement ................................................................................. 1

 

3 

Definitions ......................................................................................... 2

 

4 

Imported food warning label .............................................................. 4

 

5 

Warning label requirements ............................................................... 4

 

6 

Offence: failure to comply for regulated packaged food ................... 5

 

7 

Offence: failure to comply for regulated unpackaged food ............... 5

 

8 

Offence: failure to comply for regulated minimally-packaged 

food .................................................................................................... 5

 

9 

Application of Crimes Act 1914 ........................................................ 6

 

10 

Legislative instruments ...................................................................... 6

 

 

 

 

Imported Food Warning Labels Bill 2013       No.      , 2013       1 

A Bill for an Act to provide for warning labels in 

1 

relation to imported food, and for related purposes 

2 

The Parliament of Australia enacts: 

3 

   

4 

   

5 

1  Short title 

6 

 

  This Act may be cited as the Imported Food Warning Labels Act 

7 

2013. 

8 

2  Commencement 

9 

 

(1)  Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table 

10 

commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with 

11 

   

   

   

 

Section 3 

 

2            Imported Food Warning Labels Bill 2013       No.      , 2013 

column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect 

1 

according to its terms. 

2 

 

3 

Commencement information 

Column 1 

Column 2 

Column 3 

Provision(s) 

Commencement 

Date/Details 

1.  Sections 1 to 3 

and anything in 

this Act not 

elsewhere covered 

by this table 

The day this Act receives the Royal Assent. 

 

2.  Sections 4 to 

10 

The day after the end of the period of 6 

months beginning on the day this Act 

receives the Royal Assent. 

 

Note:  

This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally 

4 

enacted. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of 

5 

this Act. 

6 

 

(2)  Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this Act. 

7 

Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it 

8 

may be edited, in any published version of this Act. 

9 

3  Definitions 

10 

 

  In this Act: 

11 

constitutional corporation means a corporation to which 

12 

paragraph 51(xx) of the Constitution applies. 

13 

constitutional trade or commerce means trade or commerce: 

14 

 

(a)  between Australia and places outside Australia; or 

15 

 

(b)  among the States; or 

16 

 

(c)  within a Territory, between a State and Territory or between 

17 

2 Territories. 

18 

food includes: 

19 

 

(a)  any substance or thing of a kind used or capable of being 

20 

used as food or drink by human beings; or 

21 

   

   

   

 

Section 3 

 

Imported Food Warning Labels Bill 2013       No.      , 2013            3 

 

(b)  any substance or thing of a kind used or capable of being 

1 

used as an ingredient or additive in, or substance used in the 

2 

preparation of, a substance or thing referred to in 

3 

paragraph (a); or 

4 

 

(c)  any other substance or thing that is prescribed; 

5 

whether or not it is in a condition fit for human consumption, but 

6 

does not include a therapeutic good within the meaning of the 

7 

Therapeutic Goods Act 1989. 

8 

imported food warning label: see section 4. 

9 

operator, of a regulated retail food business, means the person who 

10 

operates the business. 

11 

regulated food means food imported into Australia other than: 

12 

 

(a)  food that is imported for private consumption; or 

13 

 

(b)  food that is ship's stores or aircraft's stores, within the 

14 

meaning of section 130C of the Customs Act 1901; or 

15 

 

(c)  food that is imported as a trade sample. 

16 

regulated minimally-packaged food means regulated food that is 

17 

displayed for retail sale in a package that does not obscure the 

18 

nature or quality of the food. 

19 

regulated packaged food means regulated food that is packaged 

20 

(other than regulated minimally-packaged food). 

21 

regulated retail food business means a retail business of selling 

22 

regulated food (whether or not the business also sells other food) to 

23 

consumers, if: 

24 

 

(a)  at least one of the following applies: 

25 

 

(i)  the operator of the business is a constitutional 

26 

corporation; 

27 

 

(ii)  the business is engaged in constitutional trade or 

28 

commerce; and 

29 

 

(b)  the food is not offered for immediate consumption on the 

30 

business's premises. 

31 

regulated unpackaged food means regulated food that is 

32 

unpackaged. 

33 

   

   

   

 

Section 4 

 

4            Imported Food Warning Labels Bill 2013       No.      , 2013 

retail unit, of regulated packaged food, means an individual unit of 

1 

the packaged food offered for retail sale. 

2 

4  Imported food warning label 

3 

 

(1)  The imported food warning label is as follows: 

4 

WARNING: IMPORTED FOOD. THIS FOOD HAS NOT BEEN 

5 

GROWN OR PROCESSED UNDER AUSTRALIAN HEALTH 

6 

AND HYGIENE STANDARDS AND MAY BE INJURIOUS TO 

7 

YOUR HEALTH. 

8 

 

(2)  A legislative instrument made under this Act may prescribe 

9 

standards that apply in relation to any or all of the following: 

10 

 

(a)  the size of the label; 

11 

 

(b)  any other matters relating to display of the label. 

12 

5  Warning label requirements 

13 

Regulated packaged food 

14 

 

(1)  Every retail unit of regulated packaged food imported into 

15 

Australia must carry the imported food warning label. 

16 

Regulated unpackaged food 

17 

 

(2)  Every item of regulated unpackaged food displayed for retail sale 

18 

must have the imported food warning label: 

19 

 

(a)  fixed to the item; or 

20 

 

(b)  prominently displayed so close to the item that a person 

21 

considering buying the item could not avoid seeing the label. 

22 

Regulated minimally-packaged food 

23 

 

(3)  Regulated minimally-packaged food displayed for retail sale must 

24 

have the imported food warning label: 

25 

 

(a)  fixed to each item of the food; or 

26 

 

(b)  fixed to each retail unit of the food; or 

27 

   

   

   

 

Section 6 

 

Imported Food Warning Labels Bill 2013       No.      , 2013            5 

 

(c)  prominently displayed so close to each display of retail units 

1 

of the food that a person considering buying a retail unit of 

2 

the food could not avoid seeing the label. 

3 

6  Offence: failure to comply for regulated packaged food 

4 

 

  A person commits an offence if: 

5 

 

(a)  the person imports food into Australia; and 

6 

 

(b)  the food is regulated packaged food; and 

7 

 

(c)  subsection 5(1) is contravened in relation to a retail unit of 

8 

the food. 

9 

Penalty:  $500,000. 

10 

7  Offence: failure to comply for regulated unpackaged food 

11 

 

  A person commits an offence if: 

12 

 

(a)  the person is the operator of a regulated retail food business; 

13 

and 

14 

 

(b)  the business displays food for sale; and 

15 

 

(c)  the food is regulated unpackaged food; and 

16 

 

(d)  subsection 5(2) is contravened in relation to an item of the 

17 

food. 

18 

Penalty:  $500,000. 

19 

8  Offence: failure to comply for regulated minimally-packaged food 

20 

 

  A person commits an offence if: 

21 

 

(a)  the person is the operator of a regulated retail food business; 

22 

and 

23 

 

(b)  the business displays food for sale; and 

24 

 

(c)  the food is regulated minimally-packaged food; and 

25 

 

(d)  subsection 5(3) is contravened in relation to a retail unit of 

26 

the food. 

27 

Penalty:  $500,000. 

28 

   

   

   

 

Section 9 

 

6            Imported Food Warning Labels Bill 2013       No.      , 2013 

9  Application of Crimes Act 1914 

1 

 

  Section 4AB of the Crimes Act 1914 does not apply to this Act. 

2 

Note: 

Section 4AB of the Crimes Act 1914 has the effect of converting 

3 

penalties expressed in dollars into a number of penalty units. 

4 

10  Legislative instruments 

5 

 

  The Minister may make legislative instruments prescribing 

6 

matters: 

7 

 

(a)  required or permitted by this Act to be prescribed; or 

8 

 

(b)  necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out or 

9 

giving effect to this Act. 

10