Reminder: There are regulations around what you can call Anzac biscuits

Anzac Day is almost upon us — a time of reflection and remembrance for millions of Australians across the country. It’s of such great importance to Australia that the use of the word ‘Anzac’ itself is protected. This reaches as far as Anzac Biscuits themselves, with businesses needing permission for the production and sale of any biscuit with that title attached.

This is a good reminder for any small businesses that are considering selling Anzac biscuits now or in the future.

What are the official guidelines to sell Anzac biscuits in Australia?

Official protection of the word ‘Anzac’ has been in place for over 100 years, with the introduction of The Protection of Word ‘Anzac’ Regulations 1921. The regulations state that anyone wishing to use the word ‘Anzac’ (or anything that resembles it) in a corporate or official manner requires permission from the Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA).

There are also official guidelines around the use of the word Anzac, which includes a section on Anzac Biscuits. According to the guidelines, requests for commercial sale and productions by companies are generally approved. However, it does have some specifications that include the name and recipes themselves.

“The biscuits must not substantially deviate from the generally accepted recipe and shape, and must be referred to as ‘Anzac Biscuits’ or ‘Anzac Slice’,” the Department of Veteran Affairs guidelines read.

It also states that they cannot be referred to as ‘Anzac Cookies’.

“Where a recipe or the finished product substantially deviates from the generally accepted form (e.g. include ingredients such as chocolate or fruit), the manufacturer should consider renaming them so that the word ‘Anzac’ is not used.”

The Department of Veteran Affairs has also said that it will decline applications that want to produce products with the word ‘Anzac’ but “do not conform or bear any resemblance to generally accepted forms of Anzac biscuits.” Some of the examples the department lists include choc chip Anzac biscuits, Anzac cheesecake, Anzac muffins and Anzac sandwiches.

Dietary requirements aren’t considered to be a deviation from the DVA, this includes gluten-free and vegan ingredients.

The DVA also says that recipes on social media that are designed for personal use don’t fall under the regulations. Interestingly, neither do recipes within cookbooks that don’t specifically have the word ‘Anzac’ in the title of the book itself.