Next time you're at the supermarket, keep your eyes peeled for this one thing.

By BERN MORLEY

Here’s a newsflash: Kids need to be fed EVERY SINGLE DAY. Not only that, they need to be fed at least three times a day and get this, they need to be fed nutritiously!  I’m totally kidding of course but as all parents would know, the dilemma to come up with new meal ideas that are good for your children that they actually like is challenging to say the least. This very reason though is why I had an epiphany. What epiphany? Why, I’m glad you asked.

Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by Australian Made. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100% authentic and written in her own words.

I was strolling along in my local supermarket, doing my usual haphazard Saturday afternoon shop (without a list because it was sitting safely at home where I had left it ON MY KITCHEN BENCH) when I went to grab some oranges. They were displayed beside a similar product but these ones in particular had an ‘Australian Grown’ sign above them. I hadn’t thought much about it before that day, yet suddenly I found it hard to think of much else. Was I unconsciously buying products that weren’t genuinely Australian?

Now of course, given the choice, I would ALWAYS want to buy local products and I try to support our local growers at our farmer’s markets as often as possible but I’ll be honest, I’m a bit lazy and those things are on darn early of a weekend. Yet also, to be completely fair, it didn’t even cross my mind that I might be purchasing “fresh” food from overseas without meaning to.

So I went home after my shop and had that niggling feeling, you know the type, when something isn’t quite right and you want to correct it?

Yet I didn’t quite know where to start. So I did what every good Australian does in this day and age, I Googled  “Australian Made products” and found this www.australianmade.com.au

What struck me first up was the logo because of course I remember it so well – such an icon of the 80s. It’s the green-and-gold triangle kangaroo symbol Bob Hawke so proudly launched when I was in Primary School, which is still going strong. Funny how great campaigns can stick in your mind. Interestingly, the logo is not administered by the Government, rather a not-for profit organisation.

I think though, I was now a little weary of what “Australian Made’ products or “Australian Grown” actually meant. So I took the time to check it out. By the way, the website is one of the easiest I have worked my way through in a long time. I basically went there looking to find genuine Australian Made products and the site’s great search function meant that I found a list instantly.

So, what does Australian Made mean though? It means that the product has been manufactured here (not just packaged) and 50% or more of the cost of making it can be attributed to Australian materials and/or production processes.

How about Australian Grown? Well as expected, all of the product’s significant ingredients are grown in Australia.

I think more than anything, I was suddenly after products I could feel good about. It’s a bit like free range eggs. I cannot now pick up caged eggs. I’ve been exposed to too much and simply, know

too much to do so. But at least in the case of food for the kids, I know that the green-and-gold kangaroo triangle is a point of truth. I can be confidant that something with the logo is genuinely Australian, especially now that I know that the Australian Made logo is the only certification trade mark for country-of-origin, meaning that any product carrying the logo  has met certain standards or criteria

So I think, after researching, I now know that I want produce and products that are safe, fresh, made to Australia’s high standards and genuinely produced/grown in Australia. It’s a bit of a bonus that I know by buying Australian, I’m also supporting the local industry. The Australian Made website had some interesting facts about the flow-on effects of buying Aussie made goods, and how it helps the economy and keeps jobs here—the jobs of my family and friends..

This starts here, at home, with you and I. And we need to support Australian Made products the best we can. It all comes down to making that conscious choice even if it takes a bit more thought. I am passionate about this, you can be too and you can learn how to be part of it by going here. The website even includes a nifty club where you can show your support and win great Aussie prizes—and it’s free to join!

Head to this page to become an Australian Made club member. You’ll automatically go into the draw to win a hamper of goodies worth over $1400, which you can check out in the gallery below.

The green-and-gold Australian Made, Australian Grown (AMAG) logo is the only registered country-of-origin certification trade mark for genuine Australian products and produce.

The AMAG logo supports growers, processors and manufacturers in Australia by helping businesses to clearly identify to consumers that their products are Australian. At

The AMAG logo can only be used on products that are registered with the not-for-profit organisation Australian Made Campaign Limited. The strict set of rules governing the logo’s use also require that it must always be used with one of five descriptors; ‘Australian Made’, ‘Australian Grown’, ‘Product of Australia’, ‘Australian Seafood’ or ‘Australian’ (for export use only). To use the logo goods must meet the criteria set out in the Australian Consumer Law as well the more stringent Australian Made, Australian Grown Logo Code of Practice. More than 1700 businesses are registered to use the AMAG logo, which can be found on more than 10,000 products sold here and around the world.

 This post is sponsored by Australian Made. Comments on this post are just for this post. If you have questions about sponsored posts or the choice of advertisers please click here.

Are you conscious of where products come from when you buy them? Do you buy Australian Made products?