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Membership guidelines

The Buy West Eat Best program is a voluntary food and beverage labelling and marketing initiative developed by the Western Australian Government to assist local food producers to promote their products to Western Australian consumers.

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The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia is responsible for administering Buy West Eat Best.

Businesses that are able to meet the obligations in the guidelines are encouraged to register for the program, to use the logo and take advantage of the marketing activities & campaigns delivered by the program to promote their products.

Scope of the guidelines

The guidelines in themselves do not constitute an agreement. If a food business wishes to use the Buy West Eat Best logo, it will have to enter into a Licence Agreement with the WA State Government agreeing to use the logo on the terms and conditions stipulated in the agreement. Once a food business has entered into a Licence Agreement, it will become a registered user with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development WA.

 

Objectives:

The objectives of the guidelines are to: 

  • Provide information to users of the Buy West Eat Best Logo, on their obligations to ensure the correct usage of the logo
  • Increase consumer confidence in products carrying the Buy West Eat Best Logo; and
  • Promote the benefits of buying local

The guidelines do not take precedence over statutory requirements or the Licence Agreement. It is up to the registered user to ensure that usage of the logo does not contravene any other statutory requirement.

 

Criteria for use of Buy West Eat Best Logo

Businesses can be eligible to use the Buy West Eat Best Logo if they produce or trade products that meet the following criteria:

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Fresh Foods:

  • The product must be grown, farmed or fished in Western Australia; or

Processed Foods:

  • All characterising ingredients must be grown, farmed or fished in Western Australia; and
  • The goods must have been transformed and/or processed in Western Australia

Safety and Quality

Food producers, manufacturers, and retailers must be compliant with the Food Standards Code, ensuring the production of safe food. In addition, they must have a quality assurance (QA) program or quality protocols in place. Food producers, manufacturers, and retailers who want to use the logo must provide evidence that they have at least one of the following requirements in place for the products to which they wish to apply the logo:

  • Demonstration of good management of food safety risks. Contact us for more information.
  • Currently certified under the Safefood Program.
  • Compliance with statutory provisions for food safety is demonstrated and complemented by in-house quality control arrangements (e.g. quality specifications).
  • Approved arrangements based on HACCP principles with the Department of Health WA or the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS).
  • Certified HACCP-based Food Safety and Quality Management System in place (e.g. Freshcare, ISO 9000, SQF 1000, GLOBALGAP).
  • Certified HACCP Program in place which fully complies with the requirements of the Codex Alimentarius Commission which are complemented by in-house quality control arrangements (e.g. quality specifications).
  • Certified HACCP compliant Food Safety and Quality Management System in place (e.g. ISO 9000 + HACCP System, SQF 2000, WQA Standard, BRC).

Registration and Fee

Food producers, manufacturers, and retailers are required to register to use the logo and to be part of the Buy West Eat Best program. Registration of users will ensure that products can be traced throughout the supply chain and that compliance with the program can be monitored.

The registration process is as follows:

  • Food producers, manufacturers, and retailers will be required to complete an application form and submit relevant documentation. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development WA may accept or reject any such application.
  • Successful food producers, manufacturers, and retailers are required to operate under a license agreement which defines the terms under which the Buy West Eat Best logo and marketing activities can be used. The 2020/21 fee for participation in the program is $337 (inc GST). Businesses will be invoiced annually to maintain membership in the program.
  • The license agreement will be registered in a database to ensure records are maintained and can be easily accessed by authorised officers.

Obligations for use of logo

Product List

The application form will contain a product list. This a list of those goods that the business wishes to promote using the Buy West Eat Best logo. The products must meet the criteria for usage of the logo. The product list will be maintained by Buy West Eat Best. If a business wishes to add to or remove products from the list, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development WA must be contacted and any product added to the list must meet the appropriate criteria.

Design, colour and size of logo

The Buy West Eat Best logo must not be altered in terms of graphic proportions relating to the design. The logo can be used in black and white or green (PMS 361) and it may be altered in size to suit packaging or other marketing requirements.

Compliance with statutory obligations

Businesses are responsible for the usage of the logo and should ensure that their usage of the Buy West Eat Best logo complies with all other regulatory requirements.

Change of product source or seasonal variability

If there is a change in production process (for example a change in the source of the ingredients) where the product no longer meets the criteria for usage of the logo, then the company must cease usage of the logo on the product and contact the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development WA to remove the product from the product list.

Liability

Liability for compliance in relation to usage of the Buy West Eat Best logo is solely the responsibility of the company.

Compliance

Monitoring of the Buy West Eat Best program will be undertaken by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development WA. Monitoring and enforcement activities include:

  • Email to take complaints/questions
  • Free hotline to take complaints/questions
  • Compliance surveys are undertaken at a business or retail level.

Monitoring of food safety requirements is already undertaken by the Department of Health WA in conjunction with local governments and will not form part of the Buy West Eat Best program.

Complaints and resolution process

Depending on the nature of the complaint, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development WA complaints investigator will visit the site (retail outlet or market/food business). If a breach of the Licence Agreement is determined, then the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development WA may take action including:

  • Verbal warning notice – informing of how the issue can be rectified
  • Written warning notice – informing of how the issue can be rectified
  • Suspend the licensee’s participation in the Buy West Eat Best program until the problem is rectified
  • Revoke the licensee’s participation in the Buy West Eat Best program permanently
  • Request Department of Commerce (Consumer and Employment Protection WA) to investigate a potential breach of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.