What's in a Name? - Organic and Regenerative Investment Cooperative

Eduardo Soares view of supermarket fridge

By pennie scott|Published On: 16th June, 2026|Categories: Business, Farming, Food, Organic Industry, Organic Supply Chain|0 Comments|

Have your eyes glazed over wondering which is the healthiest option when deciding on cheddar cheese or dairy products at a supermarket? Or the next ‘health’ bar?

Are you a label-reader carrying a magnifying glass to decipher the ant-sized font written in pale yellow on a white background?

Do you have a list of numbers under Notes to check what they actually are?

Did you know there are 61 names for sugar allowable in Australian ingredients food stuffs?

Do you know the companies which own many of the really well-known brands?

Which words or evidence stands out to eventually make your choice?

Do you ever wonder who is responsible for ‘approving’ these ingredients and what is the definition of ‘safe’ in this context?

In a recent article in The Guardian the author reported on a recent research project by the George Institute for Global Health conducted in Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, IGA and Harris Farm Markets and the free and easy use of label descriptions including – natural ~ organic ~ sustainable ~ vegan ~ carbon-neutral and vegetarian.

In mid-May, 2026, Coles’ long-term promotional campaign ‘we keep the prices, down, down, down’ was found to be misleading customers according to the ACCC and upheld in the Federal Court; a similar case against Woolworths is to be heard soon. This particular case was due to Coles creating what they called discounts but, in reality, were not discounted prices at all.

Misleading customers is a serious charge and where does one start when observing the claims on food labelling? According to the ACCC, defining Organic is relatively straightforward; the Macquarie dictionary definition is ‘a product free of synthetic inputs, synthetic chemicals and genetically modified organisms’. However, Organic is more than this simple definition as the certification includes people, landscapes, biodiversity, healthy soils and, more frequently now, nutritional densities.

There is the nexus between consumer trust and buyer behaviour and many Australian food consumers are a conscious lot and genuinely care about their impacts on the natural environments, according to Public Health Nutrition researcher, Associate Professor Alexandra Jones. “The information on labels is very influential; however, very few of the claims of being ‘natural’ or ‘sustainable’ can be verified. In reality, this is just greenwashing.’

However, what are deemed as safe foods?

In spite of thousands of evidence based research projects demonstrating that Ultra-High-Processed foods are responsible for up to 80 per cent of non-communicable diseases which cause chronic and auto-immune diseases, these substances are deemed ‘safe’.

The responsibility for approving foods as safe is the role of Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). Their take on ‘safe’ levels of glyphosate in humans is counter to law-suits awarding damages to people around the world for its carcinogenic properties.

Similarly, perfluorinated compounds commonly known as PFOS, PFAS, PFOA and PFHxS, are regarded by FSANZ as relatively benign and, according to this excerpt, very few exist in foods.

Since 2020 there have been alarmingly increasing levels of PFAS in human blood however, FSANZ has not updated their view on this ‘forever chemical’ or acknowledged the increasing number of ‘food’ products or the packaging which contain the PFOS family and therefore transferred into humans. Can this be deemed reckless indifference and wilful ignorance?

Where did all this start….The Free-Market Economy:

The influence and power of very large corporations has been prevalent especially since the Howard Government which, from 1996, embraced and enabled the free-market economy model allowing private enterprises to ‘provide the cheapest and most effective solutions for the market’.

The privatisation of once-publicly owned sectors such as child and aged care and energy suppliers has resulted in the diminution of levels of care as demonstrated by appalling and scandalous revelations from nursing homes and childcare facilities.

In spite of Australia’s reliable and predictable energy supplies, the nation no longer receives common-wealth from its own resources (think of gas exports which are royalty and tax-free) thanks to insane decisions made by federal governments at the time. When compared to Norway’s policy of benefiting from their energy resources, that country has a sovereign wealth fund totalling billions every year. Australian governments tax drinkers of beer more than foreign owned gas exporters.

In Australia however, the power and influence of lobbyists has created corporatocracy and this extends into many industry sectors including food and health and …Big Food is a multi-billion dollar sector.

Shamefully, it brings a high cost with it, the recent CSIRO report quantifies the hidden costs of the food industry in illness and environmental destruction was $274 billion, the highest per capita cost in the world.

This brings the argument back to the potential influencing by vested interests into the very government agencies and authorities meant to safeguard our health and wellbeing. Where could this happen in the ‘food’ sector with its tentacles of participation?

Since 1996, Australia’s once internationally lauded science agency, the CSIRO, has had public funding sliced and been forced to generate its own income to even survive.

How could this be skewed? Well, ‘science’ can be bought and, it is. Similarly to the CSIRO, universities have had public funding cut for years so they now have to rely on external and usually commercially focused investors or vested interest funders. Publicly funded research has been continuously slashed so that any research into adverse outcomes from ‘foods’ is only discoverable from international research projects.

In Australia, the exact cost of illness from ultra-processed (UHP) foods is notoriously difficult to isolate, but it heavily contributes to the massive economic burden resulting from poor diets. Diet-related risk factors cost the Australian health system $16.2billion annually, while the total cost of overweight and obesity alone reaches up to $39billion per year.

How is this achieved?

And, why is there a need to mention public relations? The huge food sector companies, many of them international corporates, rely on the ignorance and gullibility of their customers. Marketing departments of these companies conduct extensive market research to see what are the key themes of buyer behaviours and how their products will be appealing. Truth is irrelevant and this practice is well known as greenwashing as labels of ‘natural’, ‘healthy’ and ‘sugar-free’ are now commonplace on supermarket shelves.

Adding to this situation are Free Trade Agreements based on ‘competitive advantage’ in free-market parlance. Free trade is an economic policy where international trade occurs without government interference, such as taxes on imports (tariffs), limits on trade amounts (quotas), or subsidies. It enables a country to specialise in what they do best, often lowering consumer prices and increasing global market efficiency and designed to benefit multinational corporations.

The big question is – who sets the standards for safe foods?

Who would benefit from higher sales of ultra-high-processed foods?

Who would benefit from the effects of people consuming these products whilst believing they are ‘natural’, ‘healthy’, ‘vegan’, ‘nourishing’…?

The recent case of Coles misleading customers over supposed discounted prices is only the tip of the iceberg when the term ‘misleading’ is applied.

If fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy and grains are grown without chemical inputs why is the onus on the producers to provide proof they are what they claim to be?

As demonstrated by explicit evidence, Australia’s food regulators are captured by specific lobbyists intent on expanding profits, not to reduce illnesses. Another interesting point to consider is the creation of the Health Star Ratings designed by government, food industry, dieticians and public health officials. It’s a wonder how extra virgin olive oil and butter are given a one star rating while canola oil and margarine are awarded five stars…?

Truth in labelling should itemise EVERY item used in its production and that includes every substance used from the raw products emerging from the soil; what if glyphosate, dioxins, dimethoate, hydrolysed corn-oil, the 61 versions of sugar and synthetic, petroleum-based colourings were included in labelling? What if products were labelled with ‘Desiccation’ or ‘Genetically Modified’ on the rolled oats or breakfast cereal packets?

How would consumers respond to that information?

The reality is that most of the food products in supermarkets contain some of the above ingredients yet FSANZ do not insist they need to be listed on labels. Within the FSANZ (Food Safety) standards there is little consideration for when multiple chemicals are applied to the same product during the growing process, what this cocktail chemical effect has on young children and those with autoimmune diseases. (The APVMA is very reluctant to review any ‘approved’ chemicals and does not test any products in combination.)

Now, who could be benefiting from this absence?

A research paper into the activities and donations of lobbyists titled “Corporate political activity of the food manufacturing and fast-food industries in Australia” by the Obesity Evidence Hub provides clear evidence of allowable involvement in shaping policies then implemented by government agencies.

Another example is The Food and Grocery Council actively campaigning for their supermarket members to enable importation of cheaper processed foods without any scrutiny of their ingredients and / or origins through ‘Free’ Trade Agreements.

Within FSANZ and APVMA there is no consideration for the use of multiple chemicals applied to the same product and what this cocktail effect has on young children and those with autoimmune diseases. This was made clear by Kirsten Benkendorff, when more than 15 different chemicals were detected on blueberries, forcing FSANZ to reconsider the ‘safe’ levels of consumption for the general public (especially young children) and prompted an urgent review by APVMA, the first review of this nature in more than 15 years!

Could this absence of scrutiny result in companies misleading consumers?

Trust in government-based agencies especially FSANZ, Office of Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR), Australian Pesticide and Veterinary Medicine Authority (APVMA) and Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is scant as the influence of lobbyists becomes clear – to influence bureaucrats and politicians to believe their narratives and assist in the writing of policies. This is confirmed by the authors of Democracy for Sale

Employees of these agencies are Australian Public Servants and take an oath to uphold the Code of Conduct. Consumers are understandably confused about the claims on food labels by manufacturers and the lack of scrutiny by those public service agencies who are recklessly indifferent about the dangers of consuming these chemical-laden products.

What can consumers do?

Buyers Beware is the best advice to apply when deciding on which foods to buy as, what a name claims it is may be the exact opposite.

To be more certain about what you’re putting in your and your family’s mouths, prioritise Organic foods. Look for these logos and ask your local retailer to stock true local Australian grown organic products.

Organic stands as the beacon for trustworthiness and assurance through regular audits which confirm to consumers that Organically grown products are free from synthetic inputs, harmful chemicals and GM materials used in the growing or manufacturing processes

This is in stark contrast to every other foodstuff you buy with unchecked claims deliberately designed to mislead consumers.

For information about the Organic Industry contact Organic Operators – https://organicoperators.au/

Disappointingly, trusting some government agencies is dangerous to your wellbeing and health.

The days of public servants actually serving the public with integrity, transparency and honesty are remnants of a bygone era, especially in the aforementioned agencies.

Knowledge is our birthright and personal responsibility. No-one (not even public servants) can claim they ‘didn’t know’ with the plethora of information available to every human on the planet now. Which decisions you make with this information is the case in point.

Taking personal responsibility for our food decisions includes:

buy foods from people you know and can question such as at farmers markets
buy whole foods and cook from scratch
trust your intuition re claims on a label
use an app such as YUKA to obtain background information on products
if you can’t pronounce an ingredient on a label, do not buy that product
if a product has an ingredient in it which you don’t have in your own pantry, don’t buy it
if your grandmother wouldn’t recognise an ingredient, don’t buy it
if a product contains numbers, don’t buy it
be aware that food manufacturers are unregulated and make claims according to what will sell most successfully….they do not have your health and wellbeing at heart
take time to value wholefoods and the knowledge and efforts devoted to growing, cooking and eating them
Join a local Food Cooperative and buy raw whole foods in bulk especially Aussie grown, local and organic
Check the label that it is Australian grown and organic – if you don’t know the grower then make sure it’s certified organic
Learn to cook more with the seasons and whole food – join a Cooking or Dinner Club
Ensure that you stock more raw food in your pantry than fast UPF (Ultra Processed Foods). This includes lunches, quick snacks or meals for kids and the family where UPF features strongly on every market shelf
Register with ORICoop SLOW Eaters Tribe …. Your nearest feasting tribe.

As consumers we expect to trust the regulators from LGA (Local Government Authorities), to State and Federal Government agencies that are appointed to uphold the codes of conduct as regulators, which includes not poisoning people, the environment or our communities. These expectations includes-

Community safety by banning chemical poisons in food and the environment
Enforcing truth in labelling
Ensuring credible, independent and location-specific evidence is the strongest influence to safe foods, not corporate-sponsored ‘research’.

In remembering Carlo Petrini, the founder of Slow Food leaving the Earth this month, may we honour him with this important quote ‘”Those who sow utopia reap reality”. Nature will remember his true legacy and champion of all things Slow, Local, Organic and Wholistic.

The TGA, FSANZ, APVMA can be classified as corporatocracy, …….a political or economic system heavily influenced or controlled by major business corporations. As shown, they use these structures for their own ends.

It is no wonder consumers are confused and, alarmingly, the so-called regulators are neck-deep in the deceptions…….

pennie scott

ORICoop Board

For Media Contact – ORCA@organicinvestmentcooperative.com.au

Extra reading, references and resources:-

Sally Fallon’s book ‘Nourishing Traditions’ is a great start to food literacy.

Download the YUKA app for your next shopping experience iPhone: https://yuka.io/en/app/

Buy 100% Australian bulk dry goods such as from our friends at Sovereign Foods

Trust may be a bigger market driver for organic than we think – study finds – https://naturalnewsdesk.co.uk/2026/03/30/trust-may-be-a-bigger-market-driver-for-organic-than-we-think-study-finds/

George Institute – https://www.georgeinstitute.org/news-and-media/news/natural-vegan-eco-friendly-new-research-finds-australias-food-sustainability-claims-lack-regulation

Follow the money – https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-ultraprocessed-foods-diet-maha-trump-018a808efcf059eadfab2f8fc93fad4d

Democracy for Sale https://socialjusticeaustralia.com.au/democracy-for-sale/