Question

What are the legalities and requirements that food labeling entails?

Answer 1

Label means any tag,brand,mark, pictorial or other descriptive matter, written, printed, stencilled, embossed, marked, graphic, perforated, stamped or impressed on or attached to container, cover,lid or crown of any food package and includes a product insert

legalities and requirements that food labeling entails

• Qualified health claims-These claims are statements on food labels regarding a relationship between a food or food component and a disease or health-related condition. The claims must be supported by credible scientific evidence. They do not have to meet the significant scientific agreement standard, provided they do not mislead consumers.
• Trans fat labeling- Trans fats are chemically modified food ingredients that raise levels of cholesterol and are linked to heart disease. Since January 1, 2006, trans fats must be included on nutrition labels. FDA now requires trans fat content to be separately listed on the Nutrition Facts label of all packaged foods.
• Nutrient content claims- Nutrient content claims are used to disclose the level of certain nutrients, calories, cholesterol, or fiber in the product, and they include terms like “free,” “lean,” “extra lean,” “high,” “low,” “good source,” “reduced,” “less,” “light,” “fewer,” and “more.” The definitions of each of these terms are highly specific.
• Food allergens- The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) went into effect on January 1, 2006, and applies to all packaged foods that are regulated under the FDCA. FALCPA requires that a “major food allergen” be identified on the food label. A major food allergen is one of the following foods or food groups or an ingredient that contains proteins derived from one of the following foods: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, and soybeans.
• Organic food labeling- For foods to be labeled and sold as organic, they must be produced and processed according to the National Organic Program standards under 7 C.F.R. Part 205. The farm where organic food is grown, as well as the companies that handle or process the organic food, must meet the USDA organic standards. The regulations provide for four approved organic labeling claims based on four distinctions of organic content.

Requirements

• Name of the food : The name of the food must be clearly stated on the packaging and not be misleading.

• List of ingredients : If your food or drink product has two or more ingredients (including water and additives), you must list them all. Ingredients must be listed in order of weight, with the main ingredient first according to the amounts that were used to make the food

• Allergen information : Food products that contain any of the 14 allergens as an ingredient must be listed. You must highlight allergens on the label using a different font, style or background colour.

• Quantitative declaration of ingredients (QUID) : The QUID (Opens in a new window)tells a customer the percentage of particular ingredients contained in a food product. The indication can be given with the name of the food or in the ingredients list.

• Storage conditions and date labelling : Food labels must be marked with either a ‘best before’ or ‘use by’ date so that it is clear how long foods can be kept and how to store them.

• Net quantity : All packaged foods above 5g or 5ml (except herbs and spices) must show the net quantity on the label to comply with EU Regulation No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (FIC)

• Name and address of manufacturer : The name and address of the manufacturer, packer or seller, must be stated on the label. The address needs to be a physical address within the EU where your business can be contacted by mail. You can’t use an e-mail address or phone number. This gives consumers the opportunity to contact the manufacturer if they have a complaint about the product or if they want to know more about it.

• Country of origin or place of provenance : The label must clearly show where the food has come from and the origin of the main ingredients must be given if this is different from where the final product is made. Customers might be misled without this information.

• Preparation instructions : Instructions on how to prepare and cook the food, including for heating in a microwave oven, must be given on the label if they are needed. If the food must be heated, the temperature of the oven and the cooking time will usually be stated.

• Nutritional declaration
  The mandatory nutrition declaration must be clearly presented in a specific format and give values for energy and six nutrients. The values must be given in the units (including both kJ and kcal for energy) per 100g/ml, and the nutrition declaration must meet the minimum font size requirements.