EU calls for more detailed food labels. - European Union EU - Brief Article

Eurofood, Sept 27, 2001

The European Commission has put forward a proposal to force food companies to put a full list of ingredients on their products, in a bid to provide better information to consumers, and in particular to protect those prone to allergic reactions to certain food types.

"Labelling that provides total transparency by listing all ingredients can only boost the confidence of consumers and is a direct response to repeated requests from consumers for better information about the foods they purchase," said EU health and consumer Commissioner David Byrne in a statement.

The proposal aims to do away with a threshold in force in EU food law that allows companies to withhold details of compound ingredients if they make up less than 25% of the foodstuff. Thus, for a doughnut with less than 25% jam, for example, there is currently no obligation to declare what the jam is made of.

ALL INGREDIENTS DECLARED

But from 2005, all ingredients would have to be listed in any food sold in the EU, including imports. In addition, labels will have to highlight any potential allergens in the food, like certain cereals, nuts, dairy products, fish and soya.

The plans come only a month after proposals for labelling of GM products in the EU elicited accusations of protectionism and over-regulation from trading partners and companies trying to import into the Community.

US CONCERNED OVER TRADE

One US official voiced initial reservations about the possible impact on trade this latest labelling proposal would have, and also questioned whether food producers would have to reveal `secret recipes' as a result of the new laws.

"We will be studying this in the light of the possible burden to industry, and if some will be forced to reveal information otherwise deemed a trade secret," she said.

DEROGATIONS POSSIBLE

EU consumer group BEUC, meanwhile, praised the Commission's plans. "It's a step in the right direction," said the association's spokeswoman Caroline Hayat. "Consumers have been waiting for this for a long time."

But she added a note of caution that the possibility for derogations could undermine worthy aims of the package, and appealed to the European Parliament and member states to bear this in mind as they debate the shape of the new laws over the coming year.