Food Labelling

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Food Labelling

• June 2003

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Outline

• What influences food labels
• Legislation
• Practical considerations
• The future

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Influences on food labelling

• Legislation (UK EU)
• Enforcers
• Consumers
• Manufacturers retailers

• Voluntary recommendations bodies
• Media
• National structures guidance

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Legislation

• Food Labelling Regulations 1996
• Other legislation
• The Food Safety Act 1990
• Trade Description Act 1968
• Weights Measures Act 1985
• Specific legislation covering some foods
• e.g. bread, jam, chocolate, milk

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What must be on a label?

• name of food
• list of ingredients (in descending order)
• QUID information (if needed)
• net quantity of food present (unless under 5g)
• date mark (use by and best before)
• any special conditions or conditions of use
• name address of manufacturer, packager or
  seller
• place of origin (if leaving out would mislead)
• any necessary instructions for use

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What is QUID?

• If an ingredient in the description of the
  product or is featured in a pack shot then the
  quantity of the ingredient must be declared as a
  percentage.
• This is required as part of EU labelling law, and
  known as Quantitative Ingredient Declaration
  (QUID).

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List of Ingredients
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Other information

• information on additives other ingredients not
  legally required to be labelled
• nutrients present in food
• nutrition /or health claims
• information on allergens present in food
• processing or production methods (e.g. organic)
• logos endorsements
• guideline daily amounts

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Labelling jargon

• RDA - Recommended Daily Amount
• part of EU directive on Nutrition Labelling
• estimates of the amount of vitamins minerals
  needed to meet or more than meet the needs of a
  group of adults
• GDAs - Guideline Daily Amounts

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Nutrition Labelling

• not mandatory unless a nutrition claim is made
• must be in 1 of 2 formats
• Group 1 declaration
• energy, protein, carbohydrate and fat
• Group 2 declaration
• as above plus sugars, saturates, fibre and sodium

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Nutrition Labelling

• In addition, these nutrients can be included in a
  nutrient declaration on a voluntary basis
• starch
• monounsaturates, polyunsaturates or cholesterol
• specified vitamins and nutrients present in
  significant amounts
• If a claim is made about these nutrients they
  MUST be labelled

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Nutrition Labelling
Voluntary information
Prescribed format
Derived from Estimated Average Requirements for
energy
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Nutrition Claims

• Any representation, other than the nutrition
  labelling, that states or implies that a food
  contains, or has a high or low amount of one or
  more nutrients is a nutrition claim
• If a nutrition claim is made, nutrition labelling
  is mandatory

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Nutrition Claims

• Nutrient (or content) claims
• refers to the level of a nutrient in a food
• e.g. source of calcium
• Comparative claims
• comparison of nutrient levels of 2 or more foods,
  using descriptors such as higher or lower,
  e.g. contains more calcium

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Nutrition Claims

• Nutrient function claims
• refers to physiological role of nutrient in its
  relationship to growth, development or other
  normal functions
• e.g.aids in the development of strong bones
  teeth
• Medical claims are illegal
• e.g. prevents osteoporosis

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Nutrition Claims
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FSA Guidelines on Nutrient Content Claims
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FSA Guidelines on Nutrient Content Claims
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New EU Proposal on Claims

• Will define many nutrient claims
• low fat
• light/lite (reduced by 25)
• Will prohibit some claims
• fat free claims
• use of the term diet

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Practical Considerations

• Space - priority of information?

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Practical Considerations

• Space
• priority of information?
• Legibility
• Font size colour
• Colour
• avoid red and green combinations

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The Future

• Legislation for health claims
• Other ways to share detailed information about
  the foods we buy
• Examples
• bar codes
• internet
• Foods with no labels? What will happen?

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Further Information

• British Nutrition Foundation
• www.nutrition.org.uk
• Food Standards Agency
• www.food.gov.uk
• Institute of Grocery Distribution
• www.igd.com
• Sainsburys Taste of Success
• www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/tasteofsuccess