Commission seeks stricter food labelling

The European Commission wants food companies to be required to declare sugar, salt and fat content on the front of food packets but has shied away from introducing one harmonised system for nutritional labelling across the EU.

The Commission will next week (30 January) present a proposal for a regulation to update the EU’s food labelling rules. Commission sources said that the regulation would establish a "clearer, more harmonised legislative framework for food labelling". But the regulation is, as a concession to member states, expected to fall short of setting common European standards. The food industry would rather that there was one set of rules.

The debate on food labelling has long been split between proponents of rival labelling schemes. Industry generally favours putting guideline daily amounts (GDAs) on packets, while many health and consumer groups prefer a colour-coded ‘traffic light’ system with red lights for sugary, fatty foods and green lights for healthy foods. Willemian Bax, deputy director-general at BEUC, the European consumers’ association, said what was needed was "a very simple system on the front of the pack so people can make quick, easy choices".

She said that BEUC wanted to see colour-coded labels, claiming that GDA schemes were confusing for consumers. Sabine Nafziger, director of consumer affairs and health at the Confederation of Food and Drink Industries in the EU (CIAA), said a GDA system could work if consumer education was increased.

A recent draft of the regulation, seen by European Voice, refers favourably to GDA schemes, but leaves the final decision with member states. "It is appropriate to allow for different schemes to be developed and to allow research on consumer understanding in different member states to continue," it says.

Nafgizer said that the proposals were "positive", but added that industry was "a little bit nervous" because the regulation will not enforce one system across the Union: "The Commission has not used its right of initiative to the full. It leaves some part to national schemes, which is really a threat to the internal market." She said that she could not see why nutritional rules were exempt from other efforts at ensuring harmonisation within the single market.

The regulation would also introduce new rules for labelling of alcoholic drinks, with companies required to put energy content on the label of drinks. But the absence of any attempt to introduce health warnings about alcohol consumption is likely to disappoint public health campaigners.

The European Commission wants food companies to be required to declare sugar, salt and fat content on the front of food packets but has shied away from introducing one harmonised system for nutritional labelling across the EU.