There can be a big difference between the two and it can get real murky and big honey packers have been known to exploit this.
MADE IN AUSTRALIA – “when the product underwent its last substantial transformation in Australia, regardless of the origin of its ingredients”
For example, a tub of honey blended with Chinese honey and a small amount of Australian honey using Australian plastic.
So ‘Made in Australia’ may use imported ingredients or have been partially manufactured overseas, and then imported to Australia for its last transformation.
However, if a product is ONLY packed here they can NOT use the Made in Australia statement… the product must be ‘ transformed’ here. There are a lot of sneaky ways to get around that though.
PRODUCT OF AUSTRALIA – “when virtually all ingredients are from Australia and virtually all of its major processing occurred in Australia”
Like a tub honey consisting of only Australian honey.
This is the bees knees of product origin It means all of the product's significant ingredients come from Australia; and all, or nearly all of the manufacturing or processing has been carried out in Australia.
There are far more components to adhere to (as opposed to Made in Australia) and you can be far more certain about the product’s origins
Another way of buying Australian honey with certainty is buying direct from the beekeeper through the honeymap.