Written for supermarket category managers, private-label and controlled-brand managers, and QSR or foodservice buyers. Shiiv Imports Pty Ltd trades as Shiiv Imports, a sourcing agent, importer and private-label builder, not a manufacturer. The plant owns the formulation and the nutrient values. We check the panel against the specification and the brief, beside the Certificate of Analysis and the allergen declaration. Public email sales@shiv-impex.com. Desks in Sydney, Auckland, Singapore, Ahmedabad and Texas, USA.
What the panel has to show
Nutrition information for packaged food sits in Standard 1.2.8 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. Where a label is required, the pack carries a nutrition information panel in the Schedule 12 format, unless the Code provides otherwise. The compilation cited here has been in force since 30 April 2026.
The panel states servings per package, or per kilogram when weight or volume varies, and the average serving in grams, or millilitres for a liquid. Per serving and per 100 g or 100 mL it gives average energy and the average quantity of protein, carbohydrate, sugars, fat, saturated fat and sodium. Energy is in kilojoules, or kilojoules and kilocalories. Sodium is in milligrams, or milligrams and millimoles. Figures are averages, to not more than three significant figures. FSANZ, updated 20 October 2025, treats 20 grams of fat per 100 g as 20 per cent fat.
Some foods need a panel only if a nutrition content claim or a health claim is made. The list includes herbs, spices, tea, coffee, water, and single-ingredient fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry and fish. A small package, other than food for infants, uses a shorter rule when a claim is made. Infant formula sits under Standard 2.9.1. FSANZ cites "low fat" and "good source of calcium" as examples. A fibre, sugar or carbohydrate claim needs dietary fibre. A claim about cholesterol, fatty acids, or omega-3, omega-6 or omega-9 needs trans, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat. A salt or sodium claim needs potassium.
Serving size is set by the business
FSANZ says the business sets the serving, and servings can differ between products. The Code treats a serving as one normal serving prepared to the manufacturer's directions, or the amount if none is needed. The word may be slice, pack or metric cup. Compare foods on the per 100 g or per 100 mL column. Lock the serve in the brief, because a foodservice pack and a retail pack can share a recipe and still need different serve language. For private label, write grams or millilitres and serves per pack before artwork.
Analysis, a recipe calculation, or accepted data
The figures are averages from that producer or manufacturer. Standard 1.1.1 lets them choose the method that best represents the average, including seasonal change: laboratory analysis, a calculation from the ingredients, or generally accepted data. Name the method for this SKU. A panel copied from another product is not the record. A change to recipe, oil or salt means a new panel. Keep the note with the specification and Certificate of Analysis. The factory owns the values. Shiiv Imports checks them against the brief and does not fill gaps the plant has not documented.
An export panel has to be rebuilt
FSANZ says food imported for sale in Australia must meet the Code, and the importer is responsible. States and territories enforce the Code. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry says the food must also meet the country of origin labelling information standard and be correctly labelled, which can be done after arrival, before sale or before inspection. A panel that is per serving only, gives energy only in calories, or uses another country's layout is not Schedule 12. Rebuild it before you range. Origin marks and the allergen line do not replace the panel. Retail and foodservice packs need separate panels when the serve or a claim differs.
The Health Star Rating is voluntary
The Health Star Rating system is voluntary. There is no fee and no registration. A star on pack is calculated with the Health Star Rating Calculator, and the business that displays it is responsible. The Health Star Rating site says ratings use 100 g or 100 mL, not the per serving column.
Baseline inputs for most foods are energy, saturated fat, total sugars and sodium. Protein, fibre, and fruit, vegetable, nut and legume content then balance the rating. Fibre is declared on the panel when a fibre, sugar or carbohydrate claim is made. That fruit, vegetable, nut and legume share may be absent from the label. Intended foods are allowed to use it, must carry a panel, and can vary in composition. Standard 1.2.8 does not apply to the permitted star symbol. A foreign front-of-pack mark is not this rating. If the brief asks for stars, record the category, the inputs and who signs them.
Who holds the file
Plant certificates belong to the factory and to the scope on the certificate. Shiiv Imports holds ISO 9001 for sourcing, supplier selection and the file. ISO 9001 is not a plant food-safety certificate. We work with factories that hold GFSI-benchmarked certifications where the program requires it. Where a partner factory holds HACCP, or a GFSI-benchmarked scheme, that certificate belongs to that site and scope. The quality page sets out how the file is held. We do not name major-chain private-label clients.
Before you range
Check the pack against the file before the purchase order.
- Servings per package and serving size, in grams or millilitres.
- Average energy, protein, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugars and sodium, per serving and per 100 g or 100 mL.
- Method named: analysis, ingredient calculation, or accepted data.
- Fibre, fatty acids or potassium where a claim requires them.
- Export layout rebuilt to Schedule 12 before sale.
- If stars are requested, calculator inputs and a named owner.
Send the product, pack, channel and draft panel with a sourcing brief, or a private-label brief. We reply the same business day.
Questions buyers ask
Does every imported pack need an Australian nutrition information panel?
Most packaged food needs one under Standard 1.2.8. Some foods are exempt unless a nutrition claim is made. Imported food for sale in Australia still has to meet the Code.
Can the numbers be calculated rather than tested?
Yes. Standard 1.1.1 allows analysis, a calculation from ingredients, or generally accepted data. The file should name the method.
Is the Health Star Rating mandatory?
No. It is voluntary. A business that prints a rating uses the calculator and owns the result.
Does the star use the per serving column?
No. Stars use 100 g or 100 mL. Fibre and fruit, vegetable, nut and legume content can change the result and may be missing from the panel.
Shiiv Imports Insights. Shiiv Imports Pty Ltd (ABN 15 158 243 442 / ACN 158 243 442). Trading name Shiiv Imports. Public email sales@shiv-impex.com. Cities: Sydney, Auckland, Singapore, Ahmedabad, Texas, USA. Sources: FSANZ nutrition panels, updated 20 October 2025; Standard 1.2.8, in force 30 April 2026; Schedule 12; Standard 1.1.1; FSANZ on imported food; DAFF; Health Star Rating industry questions, the calculator and how ratings are calculated.