Consumers more likely to look for 'Australian made'

'Australian made' information on food is almost as important as price, according to market research agency Colmar Brunton.

Its latest findings revealed that ‘Australian made’ has moved to the 'third most looked for' statement on product labels, with the first two looked-for statements relating to price.

The Australian Made Campaign (AMCL) has welcomed the latest research as it shows Australian consumers want to buy genuine local produce.

AMCL chief executive Ian Harrison said the fact that finding an ‘Australian-made’ claim ranked second behind price factors showed consumers wanted to know where their food was coming from and where their products are made.

“Primarily, they want to buy Australian made and Australian grown,” Harrison said.

He said the Australian Made, Australian Grown logo provided an immediate connection which instilled trust in the origin of the produce.

Recent changes to country of origin food labelling in Australia has been designed to make discovery of provenance easier for shoppers.

The government system, which shows the Australian Made, Australian Grown kangaroo logo along with a bar chart and statement showing what proportion of ingredients come from Australia, will feature on most food products produced for sale in Australia.

Consumers will gradually start to see the new labels roll out over the two-year phase-in period.