The Council and European Parliament have adopted an amendment to the EU food-labelling directive.

The amendment will ensure that consumers are informed of the complete contents of foodstuffs subject only to a very limited number of derogations, which will not apply to certain ingredients listed in the directive that are liable to cause allergies or intolerance.

The new rules abolish the “25% rule”, which currently means that it is not obligatory to label components of compound ingredients that make up less than 25% of the final food product.

Under the new rules, it will be mandatory to list all sub-ingredients of compound ingredients, which means that allergens cannot be “hidden”, the Commission said.

In addition, some labelling exceptions will no longer be accepted for allergens. Previously it was possible to declare ingredients only as a category (e.g. “vegetable oil”), whereas the new rules will require the source to be indicated for all allergenic ingredients so that, for example, “peanut oil” must be specified. Similarly, the source of a natural flavour such as a nut will have to be indicated, while it is currently labelled only as “natural flavour”.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.