Selling US Food Products in Australia: The Label Conversion Checklist
A compliant US label is not a compliant Australian label. The 10-point conversion checklist: NIP per 100g in kilojoules, PEAL allergen rules, metric units, claims re-verification and more.
Last updated: 17 July 2026 · This guide is general information, not legal advice. Verify requirements against the FSANZ Food Standards Code or with a regulatory consultant before printing.
To sell US food products in Australia, the label must be converted, not just shipped: the US Nutrition Facts panel must become an Australian Nutrition Information Panel (per 100g, in kilojoules), allergens must follow Plain English Allergen Labelling, measurements must be metric, dates reformatted, claims re-checked against FSANZ rules, and an Australian supplier address added. A compliant US label is not a compliant Australian label.
Who regulates food labels in Australia?
Food labelling in Australia and New Zealand is set by the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, administered by FSANZ and enforced by state food authorities, with the ACCC covering broader consumer-law claims. Imported food is inspected under the Imported Food Inspection Scheme at the border — non-compliant labels are a common reason shipments are held.
The 10-point label conversion checklist
1. Nutrition Facts → Nutrition Information Panel (NIP)
The FDA Nutrition Facts panel is not acceptable in Australia. The NIP requires two columns — per serving and per 100 g (or 100 mL) — and energy expressed in kilojoules, not calories. Seven nutrients are mandatory: energy, protein, total fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugars and sodium. US-mandatory lines like added sugars, vitamin D and potassium are not required in the Australian format.
2. Allergens → Plain English Allergen Labelling (PEAL)
Australia's PEAL rules are fully in force — the transition period ended in February 2026. Allergens must be declared using prescribed plain-English names, in bold, in the ingredient list, plus a separate bold “Contains” summary statement. The Australian allergen list also differs from the US FALCPA nine: Australia adds lupin, added sulphites (≥10 mg/kg), declares molluscs separately from fish, requires individual tree nut names, and covers gluten-containing cereals beyond wheat. An allergen deliberately added to the recipe must appear under “Contains” — “may contain” is only for cross-contact risk.
3. Metric measurements only
Net quantity must be metric — grams, kilograms, millilitres, litres. Ounces and pounds must be removed or accompanied by metric as the primary declaration under Australian trade measurement rules.
4. Date format: day/month/year
US dates written month/day (“Best if used by 03/09/2027”) are ambiguous or wrong in Australia. Use best-before or use-by in day/month/year order. Foods with a shelf life under two years generally require date marking; “use by” is reserved for safety-critical dates.
5. Ingredient list conventions
Ingredients are listed in descending order by ingoing weight, as in the US — but Australia adds two conversions US labels rarely carry: characterising ingredient percentages (a strawberry yoghurt must state the percentage of strawberries) and food additives declared by class name plus code number, for example “Colour (160b)” instead of the US “annatto extract” style.
6. Country of origin statement
Most retail food in Australia needs country-of-origin labelling. Imported products must carry a clear statement such as “Made in the USA” — the familiar kangaroo standard mark is reserved for Australian-origin claims. Priority foods have prescribed formats.
7. Australian supplier details
The label must show the name and an Australian (or New Zealand) street address of the supplier — typically your importer or local entity. A US address alone does not satisfy the Code.
8. Claims: re-verify everything
FDA-permitted claims do not transfer. Nutrition content claims (“low fat”, “high in protein”) and health claims must meet FSANZ Standard 1.2.7, which works from pre-approved food–health relationships and nutrient profiling criteria. US structure/function claims common on supplements and functional foods frequently fail this test and must be removed or rewritten.
9. Fortification and permitted ingredients
Australia regulates which vitamins and minerals may be added to which foods. Some US products — fortified cereals, beverages and snacks — contain fortification levels or ingredients not permitted in Australia, which is a reformulation question, not just a label edit. Check early: it is the costliest surprise on this list.
10. Optional but expected: Health Star Rating
The Health Star Rating is voluntary, but major retailers expect it on many packaged categories. If competitors on the shelf carry stars, plan for the calculation and the front-of-pack graphic.
US vs Australia: the quick comparison
| Element | United States (FDA) | Australia (FSANZ) |
|---|---|---|
| Nutrition panel | Nutrition Facts, per serving, calories | NIP, per serving + per 100g, kilojoules |
| Allergen list | 9 major allergens (FALCPA/FASTER) | Adds lupin, sulphites, molluscs separate, individual tree nuts |
| Allergen format | “Contains” statement or in-list | Bold in list and bold “Contains” summary (PEAL) |
| Units | Imperial + metric | Metric only |
| Date order | Month/day/year | Day/month/year |
| Characterising ingredient % | Not required | Required |
| Additives | By name | Class name + code number |
| Supplier address | US firm | Australian/NZ street address |
| Health claims | FDA-authorised/qualified claims | Standard 1.2.7 pre-approved relationships |
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell my US-labelled product in Australia with a sticker?
Often, yes — compliant over-stickering is a common market-entry approach, provided the sticker carries every required element (NIP, PEAL allergens, supplier address, origin statement) and doesn’t obscure mandatory information. It is a bridge, not a destination: retailers generally expect printed compliant packaging for ranged products.
Do New Zealand and Australia share label rules?
Largely yes — the Food Standards Code covers both countries, so one converted label usually serves both markets. Country-of-origin rules are the main exception: the Australian CoOL standard mark regime applies in Australia only.
How long does label conversion take?
Teams typically need each SKU’s artwork to go through recipe review (fortification and additives), nutrition re-analysis for the per-100g panel, claim re-verification, redesign and approval rounds. Multi-SKU ranges are where timelines blow out — which is why conversion projects benefit from a review workflow with an audit trail, and automated first-pass checks against both rulebooks at once.
What happens if my label is non-compliant at the border?
Imported food is inspected under the Imported Food Inspection Scheme; label failures can mean holds, re-labelling orders, or rejection. Repeated failures raise your inspection rate — compliance history follows the importer.
Converting a range, not just one label?
This checklist is exactly the work GoVisually’s AI label compliance suite runs as a first pass — checking artwork against FDA and FSANZ rules simultaneously, with your team making every final call on an audit trail. For the deeper single-market rules, see our FSANZ 2026 compliance guide and the 10-market allergen guide — or generate a compliant Australian nutrition panel with the free nutrition label generator.