The Australian Green Party has launched a major initiative to have all food products derived from GM ingredients labelled as such, with the introduction of a truth in food labelling Bill today.

Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown introduced the private member's bill as part of a trans-Tasman push for better labelling of food.

New Zealand Green MPs have introduced similar legislation.

"It is based on the concept that consumers have the right to sufficient accurate and meaningful information on a label to enable them to make informed food purchasing decisions," Senator Brown told parliament.

"Under the bill, all GM derived foods, ingredients, flavourings and additives will have to be labelled irrespective of whether there is DNA or protein of GM origin in the final product."

The bill would lower the threshold for labelling foods inadvertently contaminated with GM material from one percent to 0.5 percent.

The threshold for non-approved GM material would remain at zero.

Senator Brown said the bill would also require animal feed derived from GM products to be labelled for the first time.

That would ensure GMOs can be traced at all stages in the production, distribution and marketing chain.

"The need for accurate, truthful and meaningful food labelling is recognised by all the major international food standard setting agencies including Food Standards Australia New Zealand," Senator Brown said.

He said the existing GM labelling regime exempts all GM foods and ingredients that do not have DNA or protein of GM origin in the final product.

Senator Brown said his bill requires the minister to implement a monitoring plan to trace any unforeseen effects on human health or the environment as a result of GM food or feed in the market.

Government would also have to make publicly available all information it gathers on residues in foods from pesticide, heavy metals, industrial chemicals or by-products, and veterinary medicines.

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