New origin food labels to soon be law

The federal government has introduced legislation to force companies to place clearer labels on food products.

Minister for Small and Family Business, Workplace and Deregulation, Craig Laundy. Source: AAP

Consumers will soon know more about the origin of their food under draft laws that would force brands to detail how much of a product is made in Australia or overseas.

Assistant industry minister Craig Laundy, who introduced draft laws to parliament on Thursday, said many companies had already adopted the clearer labels.

"As Australians we want to know whether the food we buy is from the country we live in," he told parliament.