Food

Food information to consumers - legislation

Food information to consumers - legislation

New EU law on food information to consumers

The new Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers entered into application on 13 December 2014. The obligation to provide nutrition information will apply from 13 December 2016.

The new law combines 2 Directives into one legislation:

  • 2000/13/EC - Labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs (applicable until 12 December 2014)
  • 90/496/EEC - Nutrition labelling for foodstuffs.

Key Changes

  • Improved legibility of information (minimum font size for mandatory information)
  • Clearer and harmonised presentation of allergens (e.g. soy, nuts, gluten, lactose) for prepacked foods (emphasis by font, style or background colour) in the list of ingredients
  • Mandatory allergen information for non-prepacked food, including in restaurants and cafes
  • Requirement of certain nutrition information for majority of prepacked processed foods
  • Mandatory origin information for fresh meat from pigs, sheep, goats and poultry
  • Same labelling requirements for online, distance-selling or buying in a shop
  • List of engineered nanomaterials in the ingredients
  • Specific information on the vegetable origin of refined oils and fats
  • Strengthened rules to prevent misleading practices
  • Indication of substitute ingredient for 'Imitation' foods
  • Clear indication of "formed meat" or "formed fish"
  • Clear indication of defrosted products.

Guidance on allergens

On 13 July 2017, the Commission adopted a Notice on the provision of information on substances or products causing allergies or intolerances. This document updates the previous guidance document on allergen labelling issued under Directive 2000/13/EC. Its purpose is to assist consumers, businesses and national authorities in understanding the new requirements of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 related to the indication of the presence of certain substances or products causing allergies or intolerances.

This Notice was drafted in collaboration with Member States and was subject to Public Consultation.

Guidance on QUID

The Commission has started working on the updating of the previous guidance on the quantity of certain ingredients as a percentage of the final product (Quantitative Ingredients Declaration - QUID).

Guidance on Nutrition Labelling

  • Guidance document for competent authorities, tolerances for the control of compliance of nutrient values declared on a label with EU legislation
  • A simplified summary table gives an overview of the different tolerance values included in the guidance document. In case of doubt the guidance document text should be consulted as the official reference
  • Guidance document for competent authorities, methods of analysis for the determination of the fibre content declared on a label for the control of compliance with EU legislation

Trans fats, also called trans fatty acids

On 03 December 2015, the Commission adopted a report to the European Parliament and the Council regarding trans fats in foods and in the overall diet of the Union population.

For more information please refer to:

The Joint Research Centre has provided input to this report through a series of studies on the presence of trans fats in the foods and diets of the EU population, as well as on the possible impacts of different policy options aiming to reduce the trans fats intake in the EU. The report Trans fatty acids in Europe: where do we stand?' identifies and summarises the available data on the content of TFA in foods and on dietary intake of TFA intake in Europe.

The Commission report is accompanied by a Commission Staff Working Document – Results of the Commission's consultations on 'trans fatty acids in foodstuffs in Europe – which provides detailed information underpinning the findings of the Commission report.

Origin labelling

Origin labelling for fresh, chilled and frozen meat of swine, sheep, goats and poultry:

  • Adoption of an implementing act on the mandatory indication of country of origin or place of provenance for fresh chilled and frozen meat of swine, sheep, goats and poultry after an impact assessment
  • The Commission has commissioned an external study on mandatory origin labelling for pig, poultry and sheep & goat meat
  • The Commission Regulation (EU) No 1337/2013 has been adopted setting out the modalities requiring (with some exceptions) the indication of the place of rearing and the place of slaughter for prepacked fresh, chilled and frozen meat of swine, sheep, goats and poultry. The new rules are applicable as of 1 April 2015.

Other required actions on origin labelling

Origin labelling for meat used as an ingredient

On 17 December 2013, the Commission adopted a report for the European Parliament and the Council regarding the mandatory indication of the country of origin or place of provenance for meat used as an ingredient.

The Commission report is accompanied by a Commission Staff Working Document – Origin labelling for meat used as an ingredient: consumers' attitude, feasibility of possible scenarios and impacts – which provides detailed information underpinning the findings of the Commission report.

Both the Commission report and the accompanied Commission Staff Working Document are mainly based on the results of an external study commissioned by DG SANTE by the Food Chain Evaluation Consortium (FCEC) titled "Study on the application of rules on voluntary origin labelling of foods and on the mandatory indication of country of origin or place of provenance of meat used as an ingredient".

Origin labelling for other food categories

On 20 May 2015 the Commission adopted two reports for the European Parliament and the Council:

  • The first one regarding the mandatory indication of the country of origin or place of provenance for milk, milk used as an ingredient in dairy products and types of meat other than beef, swine, sheep, goat and poultry meat (DG AGRICULTURE competence)
  • the second one regarding unprocessed foods, single ingredient products and ingredients that constitute over 50% of a food COM(2015) 204 final

These reports are based on external studies:

  • Concerning milk and milk used as an ingredient in dairy products and types of meat other than beef, swine, sheep, goat and poultry, the report of the external study can be found on the web site of DG AGRICULTURE.
  • Concerning unprocessed foods, single ingredient products and ingredients that constitute over 50% of a food (the report of the external study can be downloaded below)

Study on the mandatory indication of country of origin or place of provenance of unprocessed foods, single ingredient products and ingredients that represent more than 50% of a food:

By 13 December 2013, the Commission had to:

  • Adopt implementing acts on the application of "voluntary origin" labelling of foods after an impact assessment. The Commission commissioned an external study on the application of rules on "voluntary origin" labelling of foods and on the mandatory indication of country of origin or place of provenance of meat used as an ingredient.

Background information on the adoption of the Regulation

Adoption calendar of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011

  • 16 June 2010: European Parliament first reading position on the Commission proposal
  • 30 January 2008: Commission proposal

More on the original Commission proposal

The Directorate General for Health and Consumer Protection considered a number of labelling issues. In order to provide a more coherent basis in the future and redefine the foundations of our approach, we launched a dialogue with our key stakeholders in our established consultative fora.

The background paper used to frame these discussions has been sent to Member States and was also discussed during meetings of the following Groups:

  • Advisory Group on the Food Chain and Animal and Plant Health
  • European Consumer Consultative Group
  • Consumer Policy Network of senior consumer officials
  • Health Policy Forum

Stakeholders were also invited to send their individual responses until June 16th, 2006. A summary (last updated on 05-03-2007) of these responses, and the individual responses, are now available.