NEW labels could help clear up the confusion about where food comes from.
The federal government has released new versions of country of origin labels which clarify how much of a product is produced in Australia.
The labels will include the green and gold kangaroo and triangle icon with a bar chart showing what proportion of the ingredients are from Australia.
SA Senator Anne Ruston said this was a "perennial issue" and she was glad to see a solution devised.
"I've always thought this was really important, not just for consumers but for primary producers as well," she said.
"If people can more easily identify it as Australian they might actively seek to buy it."
Sen Ruston said there is a growing trend for Australians to support local producers.
She said there had been ambiguity in the label in the past but by making labels easier there was a better chance of consumers being able to make that choice.
The issue of labeling was brought to the fore this year after berries from China were implicated in a hepatitis scare in February.
This led to the federal government establishing a review of the Country of Origin Labeling laws.
Member for Barker Tony Pasin was part of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture and Industry and has celebrated its outcome.
"These reforms will also clarify the definition of 'made in' Australia," he said.
"Importing ingredients and simple slicing them will no longer qualify for a 'made in' claim.
"Under the new scheme if a product is imported into Australia and then re-packed, the label will identify where the item came from."
Six logos were workshopped and put out for public consultation, with more than 17,800 respondents on the survey.
Sen Ruston said there was more than 50 per cent support for the selected label.
AUSVEG SA state manager Jordan Brooke-Barnett said the reforms were welcome but did not go far enough.
"While the measures unveiled are a good first step on the road to a meaningful Country of Origin Labeling system, we would have liked the government to have gone further in requiring food products to specify the countries from which key ingredients have been sourced," Mr Brooke-Barnett said.
Sen Ruston said this was a concern that should be considered in coming months.
"What the label seeks to do it show if it's a product of Australia or not," she said.
"If the product is a mixture, not a requirement to name all the other product's origins."
The federal government will work with the state and territories to roll out the new labels.
Sen Ruston said she expects to see some companies adopt this as a voluntary option within the next few months while the mandatory roll out will start in 2016.
There will be a phased implementation period for small businesses.
