04/06/2026
One word can be the difference between a compliant label and a regulatory breach.
"Supports immune function." Fine.
"Cures colds." That's a therapeutic claim - and the moment you make it, your food product is being treated like a medicine.
This is the line most food founders don't even realise they're walking. In Australia, food sits under FSANZ and the Food Standards Code. The second your claim suggests you can treat, prevent, cure or manage a disease, you've crossed into the TGA's world - therapeutic goods - where the rules are stricter, the evidence bar is higher, the approvals are slower, and the penalties are real.
And here's the part that catches people out: it's not just the obvious words. Words like boosts, treats, prevents, heals and relieves are the loud ones. But therapeutic claims are just as often implied. A reference to a symptom. A condition named in a customer testimonial. A before-and-after. Even the wrong supporting image or a "doctor recommended" cue can tip a general-level health claim into therapeutic territory - without you ever typing the word "cure."
It also doesn't matter that you didn't mean it that way. Regulators assess the overall impression your label and marketing create, not your intentions. Your website, your social posts and your packaging are all fair game.
And the timing is what hurts most. By the time most founders find out which side of the line they're on, the product's already formulated, the artwork's printed, the stock's on shelf - and unwinding it means a recall, a relabel, or a please-explain you can't afford.
Getting this right before you launch isn't being cautious. It's the difference between a brand that scales and one that gets pulled.
đź’¬ Comment or DM MISTAKES for my free checklist, so you can spot the claims that quietly turn your food into a medicine - before someone else does.
