A new petition calls on the Australian Parliament to ensure cider is included in the country of origin labelling system.

Continuing its protest over cider’s omission from the labelling requirements, Cider Australia has launched a Change.org petition calling for the category to be treated the same way as fruit juice.

“Fruit juice is quite appropriately covered by the new rules, and cider, which is fermented fruit juice, should also be required to indicate the proportion of ingredients grown in Australia,” the industry association says.

“More than 70 per cent of the cider marketed in Australia is made using imported juice concentrate that is significantly cheaper than Australian grown fruit juice.

“We think that not only is it important to level the playing field for Australian producers, but a basic human right that people know where the food and beverages they are putting in their bodies come from.”

The petition is available to view here.