New Food Labeling Rules Enter into Force in EU

New food-labeling rules, adopted by the European Parliament and the Council in 2011, entered into force on December 13, 2014, and will ensure that the consumers across the EU receive clearer, more comprehensive and accurate information on food content.

According to the new EU Regulation 1169/2011, one of the key changes is the improved legibility, i.e. basic product information including product name, list of ingredients, net quantity and expiration date must be written in a visible place clearly and legibly, following the rules on minimum font sizes.

The Regulation provides for clearer and harmonized presentation of allergens, such as soy, nuts, gluten, lactose, etc.

The place of origin must be indicated on the packaging for fresh meat from pigs, sheep, goats and poultry. The information on origin was only compulsory for beef until now.

In case of pre-packed food, the mandatory information must appear either on the package or on the label attached to it.

The Regulation provides for exhaustion of stocks for foods placed on the market or labeled before December 13, 2014, but this does not include exhaustion of stocks of labels.

For more information please visit EC’s website.

Prepared by: Csilla Balogh

For more information, please contact hungary@petosevic.com.

Source: European Commission website