Food labelling reform gathers momentum Colour-coding Australian-made consumables is the latest policy announcement from Clive Palmer. FOOD labelling is heating up as a political issue with an increasing number of federal election candidates supporting policy reform they hope will underpin Australian jobs and better inform consumers. Health and quarantine fears are also driving the need to change current labelling guidelines, described by independent Senator Nick Xenophon as "a joke." "I want food labelling to be a key election issue because current laws aren't just useless, but misleading," Senator Xenophon told AAP on Monday. His comments follow an announcement by billionaire businessman and political hopeful Clive Palmer, that if successful at the September polls, his party will introduce a law making it mandatory to put a red flag on consumable goods containing less than 95 per cent Australian components and packaging. "Under the current laws, it is impossible to determine the breakdown between ingredients and packaging when an item is labelled Australian-made," Mr Palmer said in a statement on Monday. People may think they are supporting Australian producers when in fact only a very small percentage of what they spend may be staying in the country. Crossbencher MP Bob Katter's concerns stretch to potential health risks and harmful chemicals carried by imported food, including south American prawns "tainted with raw sewage" and apples sprayed with streptomycin. He wants all imported foods to carry a warning, alerting consumers to numerous unidentified risks. Senator Xenophon said the more discussion there was about food labelling "the better off we will all be." With Greens support, the South Australian senator in 2010 introduced a parliamentary bill to address labelling inadequacies and he is confident the reforms will be passed post-election. If I'm back in the senate and back in the balance of power position, I will make food labelling a key issue. And while the major political parties don't seem to be taking an interest at this stage, they will have to sit up and listen if this current drive continues.