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As you may have heard recently, the Bill to make labeling for palm oil a mandatory requirement on food, cosmetics and palm oil was passed in the House of Senate on Thursday 23rd June 2011.

Now it has one more step to go on Monday 4th July when it goes through the House of Representatives. If it successfully goes through there it will become law.

The Palm Oil Action group is asking people to send the attached letter to your local MP and/or Bob Katter, Andrew Wilkie, Tony Windsor or Robert Oakshot, expressing that you want the bill to label palm oil passed.

This is your final chance to make a difference on this issue and have your voice heard in this important debate.

Thanks,

Zoos South Australia

Dear [insert name],

As a concerned Australian consumer, I wish to request you vote for the ‘Truth in Labeling Laws – Palm Oil Bill 2010’ to be passed.

I strongly believe that the compulsory labeling of Palm Oil is necessary as:

• Labeling Palm Oil as vegetable oil is deliberately misleading. Consumers have the right to make informed decisions about their purchasing practices and misleading labeling prevents them from exercising this right. A growing number of consumers are becoming aware that Palm Oil is currently labeled in a misleading fashion and have demanded that their rights to make informed purchasing decisions be respected. Accordingly, Palm Oil should be labeled on all food products.
  

• Voluntary labeling practices put manufacturers who are correctly labeling Palm Oil in their food product ingredients list at a disadvantage to their counterparts who fail to label ingredients accurately. This creates an uneven playing field that discourages the correct labeling of Palm Oil. Manufacturers contemplating the accurate labeling of Palm Oil are discouraged from doing so as they fear that consumers will avoid their product should Palm Oil be included in the ingredients list. Mandatory labeling will remove this discrepancy and create an even playing field for all manufacturers.

It is unacceptable that Palm Oil is inaccurately labeled as vegetable oil. I urge the honorable Members of Parliament to support legislation that requires the mandatory labeling of Palm Oil.

Yours sincerely,

[insert name]