Food labels set to become clearer

Food labels could become easier to understand across the EU this Sunday (1 July), with the entry into force of new health legislation.

The regulation on nutrition and health claims sets binding EU-wide definitions of low fat, low salt and low sugar for food packaging and advertising. It will also introduce standardised definitions of common food claims such as ‘natural’ and ‘source of fibre.’

Misleading claims such as ‘70% fat-free’ will also be outlawed. Health claims on alcohol packaging and adverts will be officially banned, although a tacit understanding that this should be the case has made such claims very rare in Europe for many years.

Industry groups said that this was an occasion on which they welcomed being regulated. "We are always accused of wanting self-regulation instead of binding laws, but we very much welcome the claims regulation," said Sabine Nafziger of CIAA, the European food and drinks confederation. "It should now be easier to make claims across the EU and consumers will easily know that they can have confidence in the claims [in any country]."

Public health lobbyists also welcomed the new law, but hoped it would encourage countries to go further and restrict the amount of food advertising currently seen.

The biggest change introduced by the regulation will not be noticed on shop shelves until the end of the decade.

The European Food Safety Authority has until March next year to propose maximum salt, fat and sugar levels for products making any health claim. The European Commission, national governments and MEPs will then have until January 2009 to approve these nutritional profiles and all products not in line with the new criteria will have two years to come off the EU market.

Food labels could become easier to understand across the EU this Sunday (1 July), with the entry into force of new health legislation.