How to Register Food and Drink Products
Registering products is a cost effective way to promote your products to school canteens nationally.
What requirements must Healthy Kids registered products meet?
To be registered with Healthy Kids, a product must meet the Healthy Kids Nutrient Criteria for its product category, be available for sale, and be in its final on market packaging. Contact Healthy Kids to find out about registering canteen resources.
Click here for more information about the Healthy Kids Nutrient Criteria
Registered products must also be labeled according to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) requirements.
How do you apply to register a product?
Contact the Healthy Kids Food Industry team by phone 02 9876 1300 or email info@healthy-kids.com.au to find out if your products are eligible for registration. Product labels can be submitted to Healthy Kids to see if products meet the Healthy Kids Nutrient Criteria.
A registration application kit will be provided if the products are eligible for registration.
How does the Application process work?
To apply for registration you will need to provide:
- The completed and signed application form
- A sample of each product in ‘on market’ packaging
- A clean copy of the ‘on market’ packaging, flat for filing
- A nutritional analysis for calcium and fibre from a NATA approved laboratory if required by the nutrient criteria and the content is not listed on the product Nutrition Information Panel (NIP)
- The company benefit fee payment
- Products that are labeled according to FSANZ guidelines.
Does my product have to be registered to be sold in school canteens?
Products do not have to be registered with Healthy Kids to be able to be sold in school canteens. However, registration provides many unique marketing opportunities targeted at school canteens.
Products must, however, meet the relevant state canteen guidelines to be able to be sold in school canteens. Products that are deemed to be ‘RED’ or ‘Occasional’ cannot be routinely sold in school canteens.
Click here for more information about the NSW Fresh Tastes @ School ‘Occasional’ Criteria
How long is the registration period?
Registration runs on a calendar year basis from January to December. To meet the print deadlines for production of the School Canteen Buyers’ Guide, product registration opens in September of the preceeding year and applications must be received by mid October. Products can be registered throughout the year, however, may not be able to be included in print editions of the Buyers’ Guide.
Products must be registered annually.
How long does the registration process take?
Most applications will be processed within 10 working days, however, processing time is dependant on the completeness of the application and whether all information required has been submitted.
How will you know when your products have been registered?
A product is registered when the application has been fully processed and all relevant fees have been paid. Your company will be provided with a draft version of the Buyers’ Guide listing showing the product details, category and colour coding for proofing and final sign off. Depending on print deadlines, registered products will appear in either the Annual School Canteen Buyers’ Guide or the School Canteen Buyers’ Guide Supplement. Products are listed in the next upload of the Online Buyers’ Guide. The Healthy Kids Product Registration Certificate will be supplied.
How to have your products registered quickly?
Ensure all the required information is included with the application form.
Ensure products are labeled according to FSANZ guidelines eg Nutrition Information Panel is in the required format, ingredients are listed in descending order, nutrient claims are made in accordance with the Food Standards Code and the Code of Practice for Nutrient Claims on Food.
Foodservice or retail products that are provided in a multi serve pack must have the individual products labeled with an NIP and ingredients list. Most ready to sell packaged products must be individually labeled to be able to be sold in school canteens.
Ensure there are no false or misleading representations on the product label. See the ACCC website www.ACCC.gov.au and follow the links to the Food and Beverage Industry – Food Descriptors Guidelines for more information.
Ensure appropriate serve sizes. A serve is considered to be the package as sold in the school canteen and not the serve size information provided on the NIP.
Need more information?
If you would like to talk to the Healthy Kids Food Industry Team about the nutrient criteria or registering your product, please call the office on 02 9876 1300 or email info@healthy-kids.com.au
For more information on labelling requirements see the FSANZ website at www.foodstandards.gov.au and follow the links to the Code.
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