Big changes in food packaging

New regulations for food labeling

12/12/2014

From 13th December new food labeling regulations will come into force. The basis for the changes is the Food Information Regulation of the EU (LMIV), which is valid from Saturday across the EU. In the future, among other things, allergy-causing substances, substitutes and the water content of fish and meat, if this is more than five percent by weight, must be expelled.

Changes in food labeling at a glance
According to the LMIV must on all food packaging in the future „the name of the food, the ingredients of the food including the 14 most important substances or products which may cause allergies or intolerances, the date of minimum or best before date, the net quantity, the name / company and address of the food business operator and the nutritional label (from 2016)“ be reported, as the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture in an information leaflet tells.

One of the most important changes in food labeling concerns font size. Thus, in the future, the letters must be at least 1.2 millimeters for all mandatory data, at least 0.9 millimeters for smaller packages.

If substitutes (imitations) are contained in a product, they must be listed next to the product name. This applies, for example, when pizza is used for pizza instead of cheese. If nanoparticles are used in foods, for example in order to make substances more soluble, they must go behind the ingredient with the word „Nano“ to be expelled. In addition, the 14 most important allergenic substances in the list of ingredients must be clearly identified, for example, by bold type. In the case of unpackaged goods as with bakers, it is also permissible to inform customers verbally. The allergy information must also be available in written form.

Packaging of fish and meat must point to high water content
Meat and fish products are often glued together by small-piece enzymes. If this is the case on the packaging a note like „made up of pieces of meat“ be included. If fish or meat are splashed with a lot of water, a note must also be made on the packaging, provided that the water content is more than five percent of the weight. However, this rule excludes sausage, pate and fish dumplings.

In the case of frozen food, the date on which the product was frozen must be imprinted in the future.

The labeling of refined vegetable oils and fats will also change in the future. So their origin must be stated, for example „Vegetable fat (coconut)“ instead of as before „vegetable fat“.

When buying food in online shops, all mandatory information must be available for purchase before the decisive click. The best before date is excluded. (Ag)