A single word on a packet of Anzac biscuits sold in local supermarkets could make them illegal.
An eagle-eyed Reddit user spotted the label on the pack of eight Anzac biscuits being sold at a local IGA supermarket that called the iconic treat “cookies.”
According to government guidelines, Anzac biscuits “must not deviate substantially from the generally accepted recipe and form, and should be referred to as Anzac Biscuits or Anzac Portions, not Anzac Cookies”.
Failure to comply with these guidelines can result in heavy fines and up to 12 months in prison under the Anzac Word Protection Act 1920.
The comments on Reddit were almost equally unforgiving.
‘Anzac, NOW WHAT?!’ said one user.
“Straight to jail” was another commonly repeated sentiment.
Some also pointed out that while the recipe met guidelines, the fact that the label could only guarantee it was made with “at least 10 percent Australian ingredients” also took away points for patriotism.
One eagle-eyed social media user noticed that this label describes Anzac biscuits as “biscuits”, which goes against official guidelines.
“What should be illegal is for Anzac biscuits to only contain 10 per cent Australian ingredients,” one person said.
However, some thought it was a trivial violation.
“It’s stupid to even notice (let alone get angry) about it,” one person said.
“Because that’s the most important thing we need to worry about as a nation,” wrote another.
Woolworths was the subject of a furious customer backlash in 2021 after it renamed the Anzac biscuits it sold as “golden oat biscuits” but then suffered a furious customer backlash.
Customers claimed online that the supermarket giant ditched the traditional name because some shoppers might have found it offensive.
However, Woolworths said the name change was at the request of the Department of Veterans Affairs and had nothing to do with “cancel culture”.
“We did not have the relevant approvals to use the term for this particular recipe in the catalogue and we wanted to ensure we were within the regulations,” Woolworths said.
Anzac biscuits have become synonymous with honouring Australia’s wartime legacy.
“But we proudly stock RSL Anzac biscuits, which help raise funds for veterans and their families, and have gone through the required approval process.”
In the case of Woolworths’ “golden oat biscuits”, the recipe varied enough from the traditional version that the company was refused permission to use the name on that product.
Anzac biscuits have become synonymous with honouring Australia’s wartime legacy because they were often included in food parcels sent to Australian troops fighting at Gallipoli and France during World War I.
These parcels supplemented the soldiers’ simple diet of tinned beef and hard biscuits, also known as “Anzac wafers” or “Anzac tiles”.
Anzac biscuits, made from rolled oats, golden syrup and flour, were high in nutritional value and kept well during overseas transport.