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Changes to food labelling regulations

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Learning objectives

• To understand the changes to the EU Food Information Regulation.

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Currently, food and drinks are not legally required to provide nutrition information on pack, unless they make a nutrition or health claim about the product.

Where information is given, some rules have to be followed.

However, the provision of nutrition information on the back of packs will become compulsory in the near future and there will be some small changes to the format required.

Current food regulations

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New Food Information Regulation

The new regulation comes from the European Commission.

It covers all aspects of food labelling, including the size of the letters on packaging.

The new regulation came into force at the end of 2011.

By the end of 2016, providing nutrition information on the back of packaged foods will be compulsory.

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Front – of – pack labelling• Front-of-pack labelling, such as the traffic light

labelling or Guideline Daily Amounts (GDAs), will remain optional.

• These types of labels are designed to provide consumers with nutrition information at a glance.

Traffic light labelling

Guideline daily amounts (GDAs)

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Format of the nutrition labels

• The format of nutrition labels, on the back of pack, will change slightly under the new rules, including the order and type of nutrients displayed.

Current back of pack format New back of pack format

What are the main differences you can see?

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When do the changes start to take place?• Food companies can begin to use the new format

straightaway, although the old regulations remain legal until 2014.

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