Don’t hold ‘Anzac’ sale, businesses warned

Anyone who dramatically changes the Anzac biscuit recipe or tries to cash in on the commemoration of the Anzacs could face jail or huge fines, a veterans’ body has warned.

The word Anzac – or any word resembling it – cannot be used for commercial purposes without permission from the federal veterans’ affairs minister.

RSL NSW president James Brown said a lot of different companies had used Anzac to boost sales on or around April 25.

“We’ve had people doing Anzac-related cocktail nights, a plastic surgeon a couple of years ago offered an Anzac special,” he told Seven’s Sunrise on Tuesday.

“That needs to be strictly policed not only by officials but the public as well.

“If you’re going to a pub in their advertising on Anzac Day and they are not donating to a veterans’ charity, ask why and choose (to go) somewhere else.”

Serious breaches of the Anzac law can be punished with up to 12 months’ jail.

Fines of up to $10,200 for a person and $51,000 for a company can also be imposed.

“The Department of Veterans’ Affairs controls the use of the word so no one profits off a day that is meant to commemorate the memory of people who sacrificed for this country,” Brown said.

DVA says applications for Anzac biscuits are normally approved, provided the product generally conforms to the traditional recipe and shape and are referred to as ‘Anzac biscuits’ or ‘Anzac slice’.

“Referring to these products as ‘Anzac Cookies’ is generally not approved, due to the non-Australian overtones,” the department says on its website.

With AAP.