The draft report on the European Commission’s proposal for the provision of food information to consumers in the EU suggests substantial amendments which would offer small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) more flexibility.
A new research project is aiming to be the first Europe-wide study of the various food labelling schemes and their effects on consumer dietary habits through a unique observation of consumers in ‘real life’ settings.
A new website due to launch in the UK next year aims to reduce consumer confusion over food labelling and ingredients, and enable tailored searching for products that meet specific needs.
European consumers are generally aware of nutritional labelling systems and guideline daily amounts (GDA), according to a new survey – but not everyone actually looks for nutritional information on packaging.
The issues of font size and co-existence of European and national front-of-pack nutrition schemes are still vital topics for discussions on the new labelling regulation, says the CIAA in advance of the rapporteur’s report.
Most UK consumers are aware of guidance daily amounts (GDA) and traffic light labelling, but only one-in-four actually looks for nutritional information, according to a new survey from EUFIC.
A new consultancy in The Netherlands has been established to give more closely targeted advice to food developers on technical issues on the one hand, and how to comply with the changing regulatory landscape on the other.
The UK’s Food Standards Agency is working on improving allergen labelling and control practices used by industry, with investigations set to kick off in November at an open meeting with researchers.
The proposed regulation on food labelling is too complicated, makes unrealistic demands on font size, and will be burdensome for SMEs, a hearing has heard.
The UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) has revised its guidance on
the use of words such as 'fresh', 'natural' and 'pure' to provide
clearer advice to manufacturers.
Food businesses have suffered from confusing government policies,
said the UK's Food and Drink Federation (FDF), which hopes Prime
Minister Brown's new strategy will provide greater clarity.
The need for new European legislation on nutrition labelling has
been called into question by the CIAA (Confederation of Food and
Drink Industries in Europe), as a survey indicates that uptake of
its voluntary scheme has been significant.
The CIAA has highlighted several important areas of debate and
strategic consideration for food manufacturers, which it is
planning to address at its annual conference in November.
Owen Warnock, partner and food law expert at international law firm
Eversheds, unpicks the new EU labelling proposal and assesses what
it may mean for food manufacturers.
