Food information to consumers - legislation
Food information to consumers - legislation
EU law on food information to consumers
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 applies since 13 December 2016.
The new law combines two Directives into one Regulation:
- 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.
The Regulation clarifies in its Article 8 the responsibilities of food business operators with respect to food information.
Background information on the adoption of the Regulation
Adoption calendar of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011
- 22 November 2011: Regulation (EU) N°1169/2011 published
- 27 July 2011: Commission Opinion on the European Parliament's position on the Council's common position
- 6 July 2011: European Parliament second reading position on the proposed legislation, agreed with the Council
- Commissioner Dalli's statement and Q&A on the food information Regulation
- 22 February 2011: Commission Communication to the European Parliament on Council's common position
- 21 February 2011: Council's common position
- 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 available.
- Citizen's summary
- Impact Assessment Report on general food labelling issues
- Impact Assessment Report on nutrition labelling issues