Ingredient Traceability

In my role as trainee label reader, every day brings something new to my attention in the wonderful world of label reading.

Today I am standing in the supermarket, very carefully reading the label on a jar of Dick Smith’s OzEnuts, turning it slowly in order to find the words Product of Australia.

When I find these words they are set inside a box entitled Dick Smith’s 5 Way Test. This is a ‘ticking the box’ box; it ticks highest quality. It ticks Australian grown, made and owned and it ticks Aussie made = lower food miles. The fifth tick is against jobs and profits stay in Australia; all of these ticks take important points into consideration regarding Australian food production, manufacturing and distribution.

However it is the second last item getting a tick that grabs my attention.

Ingredient traceability.

What exactly does this mean? Does it mean that all the ingredients listed on the label, and there are five of them, can be traced back to their origin? Or does it mean that only the major ingredient – the freshly roasted Australian peanuts – can be traced back to their origin?

I will investigate this further. I might have to pay a visit to the Dick Smith Foods website.