//Preface//
An Australian shopper
picked up a snack labeled "Made in Australia"—
only to notice a tiny line of text
that left them speechless...

#01:

Aussie Consumers Shocked!
"Local" Nuts Actually Processed in China?!

"How can this even be called 'Australian Made'?"

A single Reddit post questioning this sparked a nationwide debate about food labeling.

The controversy began when a shopper bought Woolworths’ Honey Macadamia nuts and spotted the bold "Australian Made" claim on the front. But upon closer inspection, the fine print at the bottom read:
"Product of Australia (Sorted in China)."

Translation: These Australian-grown nuts were shipped to China for sorting—then sent back to Australia for sale!

The discovery left many feeling misled:

"Why ship nuts to China for processing when we could do it here? That’s neither eco-friendly nor logical."

"Surely local labor costs aren’t higher than round-trip shipping fees?"

"The ‘Australian Made’ label feels deceptive."

Suddenly, the definition of "Australian Made" became the hot topic.
Netizens joked: "Every day’s a school day—today’s lesson: the global journey of a bag of nuts."

#02:

The Truth Behind the Label:
It’s More Common Than You Think

While many reacted with surprise or anger, industry insiders clarified: This practice is widespread.

One commenter shared:
"I know pistachio farmers who used to send unopened shells to China for cracking—it’s cheaper than processing them here."

Others added:
"It’s not just nuts. Even Australian frozen seafood (e.g., peeled shrimp) often gets processed in Thailand or Vietnam before returning."

The reason? Brutal economics.
Australia’s high labor costs make local hand-sorting prohibitively expensive. Doing it overseas keeps prices low—because let’s face it, few shoppers would pay extra for "locally sorted" nuts.