Download Food labelling

Food labelling
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Learning outcomes
Students should be able to:
Analyse and use information on food labels:
• Nutrition panel;
• List of ingredients;
• Claims on labels;
• Dates on labels;
• Special dietary advice: vegetarian,
allergy;
• Front of pack labelling systems.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Food labelling
Information is provided on the packaging of
food and drink products to help consumers
make choices between different products,
brands and flavours.
There is a legal requirement to provide certain
information on food labels.
Some consumer information can optionally be
provided on labelling, including:
• serving suggestions;
• front of pack labelling;
• price;
• batch code/bar code numbers.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
The European (EU) Food Information
Regulation (FIR)
A new Regulation covering all aspects of food labelling
came into force at the end of 2011.
The majority of the rules apply from December 2014,
with mandatory provision of back-of-pack nutrition
information from December 2016. Previously, providing
nutrition information was optional unless a nutrition or
health claim was made. Front-of-pack labelling has
remained optional.
The new Regulation specifies certain information that
must be placed on food labels by law. A minimum font
size has also been set for this information. The full
regulation is available here.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Information for consumers
The following information must appear by law on food
labels:
• Name of food or drink;
• List of ingredients (including additives and allergens);
• Weight or volume;
• Date mark;
• Storage and preparation conditions;
• Name and address of the manufacturer, packer or
seller;
• Country of origin and place of provenance;
• Nutrition information (compulsory on all pre-packed
foods from December 2016).
Additional information may also be provided, such as
cooking instructions or serving suggestions.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Name of food
It is important that the name of the food must
be clearly stated and not be ambiguous or
misleading.
If the food has been processed in some way,
the process must be included in the title if it
would be misleading not to, e.g. dried
apricots, salted peanuts, smoked bacon.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Name of food
The name must also describe the differences
between apparently similar products. For
example, ‘fruit yogurt’ differentiates it from
yogurt using artificial flavourings.
Sometimes foods have made up names, e.g.
‘Bonzo’ which give no information about what is
in them or how they have been processed. In
such cases, a description of the food must be
given.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Ingredients
All of the ingredients of a product are
listed in descending order of weight,
according to the amounts that were
used to make the food.
Food additives and water must also be
included in the list if they have been
added.
Allergens need to be highlighted.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Ingredients
The amount of ingredients used in a product
will also be stated where:
• The ingredient (e.g. lamb curry) or
category of ingredients (e.g. beef and
mushroom pie) appears in the name of
the food.
• It is usually associated with that name
by the consumer, e.g. lamb in shepherds
pie.
• It is emphasised by the labelling in
words, pictures or graphics.
• The ingredient is essential to
characterise the food.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Allergens
Within the European Union, any of the 14
foods listed on the following slide used in a
pre-packed food, need to be emphasised in
the ingredients list (e.g. bold, capitals,
highlighting).
An allergy advice statement may also be
used to direct consumers to the ingredient
list for allergen information.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Allergens
If there is a chance that a food may also contain
minute amounts of allergen because it is
produced on the same line or in the same
factory as other products that contain
ingredients known to cause allergy, an
additional voluntary statement with the word
‘also’ may follow, e.g. Also, not suitable for
customers with peanut allergy.
This enables consumers to understand more
about the ingredients in pre-packed foods and
are helpful for people with food allergies and
intolerances who need to avoid certain foods.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
The most common allergens are present in:
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Celery;
Cereals containing gluten (e.g. wheat, barley, rye);
Crustaceans (e.g. lobster, crab);
Eggs;
Fish;
Lupins;
Cow’s milk;
Molluscs (such as mussels and oysters);
Mustard;
Nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts,
cashews, pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts);
Peanuts;
Sesame seeds;
Soybeans;
Sulphur dioxide and sulphites (preservatives used in some
foods and drinks) at levels above 10mg per kg or per litre.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Weight or volume
The weight or volume of the food must be
shown on the label. By comparing the
weight with the price of different brands,
consumers can make sure that they are
getting value for money.
The net weight or volume of a product must
be within a few grams or millilitres of the
quantity stated on the label. If the product
weighs less than 5g or 5ml, the weight
need not be stated (does not apply to
spices and herbs).
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Weight or volume
The symbol ‘e’ is used to show that the weight
complies with the EU requirement for weight
under the ‘average system’, i.e. the average
pack is at least the weight declared.
For solid foods that are presented in a liquid
medium, e.g. canned tuna in brine, the drained
net weight of the food should be included on the
packaging.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Date marks
There are two different date marks that appear
on food labels:
• ‘Use-by’ - found on perishable foods, e.g.
milk, red meat, fish.
Foods are not safe to eat after this date.
• ‘Best before’ - found on a wide range of foods
including frozen, dried and canned foods.
‘Best before’ dates are about quality, not
safety, and are reliant on the food being
stored according to the instructions on the
label.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Storage and preparation
In cases where foods require special storage
conditions and/or conditions of use, these must be
clearly indicated.
When necessary, instructions on how to prepare
and cook the food must also be given on the label.
If the food has to be heated, the temperature of the
oven and the cooking time should be stated.
Instructions may also be given for heating in a
microwave oven. These instructions should ensure
the food tastes its best and that it will be thoroughly
heated to a core temperature of 75°C, which
minimizes the risk of food poisoning.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Name and address of the manufacturer,
packer or seller
The name and address of the manufacturer,
packer or seller must be stated on the label.
Consumers can then contact the manufacturer if
they have a complaint about a product or if they
wish to know more about it.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Country of origin and place of provenance
The label must display clearly where the food has
come from if it would be misleading not to show it.
It has also become mandatory to show origin
information for most fresh and frozen meat.
The origin of the main ingredients will have to be
given if different from where the final product is
made.
The European Union has created three systems to
promote and protect regional food products. These
include the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO),
the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), and
the Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG).
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Quality assurance schemes
Some food labels have quality assurance logos –
these help consumers make informed choices
about the quality and provenance of foods.
The Farm Quality Assurance Scheme in Northern
Ireland covers beef and lamb. It is a mark of
quality, giving assurance to consumers that the
meat has been produced safely, to high welfare
standards and with care to the environment. It
covers the food chain from farm to fork.
Consumers can see the mark of quality, either in
butchers or on packaging in supermarkets.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
The Farm Quality Assured Scheme Logo
The Scheme logo can be found on
all approved beef and lamb from
Northern Ireland. In butchers, the
logo may be displayed on a label.
It is a sign of quality and high
standards – giving consumers
confidence.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Back of pack labelling
Back of pack nutrition labelling will be
compulsory on all pre-packed foods from
December 2016.
Back of pack nutrition labelling is already
provided on many foods.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Back of pack labelling
Old back of pack nutrition panel
New back of pack nutrition panel
Per 100g
Per 100g
Energy
1500kJ/356kcal
Protein
9.9g
Fat
7.4g
Carbohydrates
58.1g
of which saturates
1.1g
of which sugars
16.8g
Carbohydrates
58.1g
Fat
7.4g
of which sugars
16.8g
of which saturates
1.1g
Protein
9.9g
Fibre
8.9g
Salt
Sodium
Energy
1500kJ/356kcal
Below 0.1g
Below 0.1g
Note that fibre, monounsaturates, polyunsaturates,
polyols, starch and certain vitamins and minerals
present in defined, significant amounts can also be
added to the panel but it is not compulsory.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Back of pack labelling
• Nutrients have to be listed in a certain order:
• Energy (both in kJ and kcal);
• Fat;
• Saturates;
• Carbohydrates;
• Sugars;
• Protein;
• Salt (in place of ‘sodium’ which is no longer
permitted).
The information has to be given in per 100g/ml but
can also be given:
• per portion or per consumption unit (e.g.
per slice);
• as % Reference Intakes.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Back of pack labelling
Information of the following nutrients can be
provided in a voluntary basis:
• Mono and poly-unsaturates;
• Polyols;
• Starch;
• Fibre.
Information on certain approved vitamins and
minerals can be listed if present in significant
amounts.
If a nutrition claim is made it becomes mandatory
to give information about that nutrient even if it is
not listed in the regulation. For example if the claim
‘high in omega 3’ was made then the amount of
omega 3 per 100g would have to be given.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Front of pack labelling
In the UK, most of the major supermarkets
and many food manufacturers voluntarily
display nutritional information on the
front of pre-packaged food and drinks.
The government’s recommended format
is red, amber, green colour coding and
percentage Reference Intakes.
Front-of-pack information will remain
voluntary under the new Regulation.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Reference intakes
The new regulations feature Reference Intakes. ‘Reference intakes for
energy and selected nutrients other than vitamins and minerals’ are
equivalent to Guideline Daily Amount (GDA).used in the UK in the past.
Reference intakes for energy and other selected nutrients are shown
below:
Nutritional information can be
provided as a percentage of the
Reference Intake.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Energy or nutrient
Reference Intake
Energy
8400kJ/2000kcal
Total fat
70g
Saturates
20g
Carbohydrate
260g
Sugars
90g
Protein
50g
Salt
6g
Nutrition label on the front of pack
Front of pack labels show either:
• Energy, or
• Energy, fat, saturates, sugars and salt
All information is provided in grams, except
energy which is provided in kilojoules (kJ) or
kilocalories (kcal).
This information is also normally provided as a
percentage of the Reference Intake (RI),.
The nutrition information is also given in terms of
portion size, e.g. per ½ pizza.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Nutrition label on the front of pack
The front of pack label enables consumers to:
• Check how much energy, and how many grams
of fat, saturates, sugars and salt the product
provides, and how much of their Reference
Intake this contributes to;
• Compare the nutrient content of similar
products;
• Choose the foods which best suit their needs.
The label also allows consumers to:
• Know what is considered to be a portion size;
• Focus on the nutrients that are important to
them;
• See how different food products fit into a
balanced diet.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Variations on front of pack labels
Some labels will also have colour coded
information.
This is a UK wide government scheme to indicate
whether there is a high, medium or low amount of
each nutrient per 100g.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Nutrition and health claims
The use of nutrition claims and health claims in the
UK is controlled by a European Regulation (EC
1924/2006)*.
* Regulation on nutrition and health claims made on food.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Nutrition claims
A nutrition claim describes what a food contains
(or does not contain) or contains in reduced or
increased amounts.
Examples include:
• Low fat (less than 3g of fat per 100g of food);
• High fibre (at least 6g of fibre per 100g of
food);
• Source of vitamin C (at least 15% of the
nutrient reference value for vitamin C per
100g of food).
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Health claims
A health claim may be featured on the
packaging if a food or one of its ingredients
has been agreed by the European Food Safety
Authority to provide health benefits.
Examples of health claims include:
• Calcium is important for the maintenance
of normal bones.
• Beta-glucans contribute to the maintenance
of normal blood cholesterol levels.
• Iron contributes to the reduction of
tiredness and fatigue.
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Types of health claim
There are different types of health claims.
Article 13 health claims:
• relating to the growth, development and
functions of the body.
• referring to psychological and behavioural
functions.
• on slimming or weight-control.
Article 14 are those relating to either
• Reduction in disease risk (14a) (e.g. plant
sterols have been shown to lower/reduce
blood cholesterol).
• Children's health and development (14b)
(e.g. iodine contributes to the normal
growth of children).
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015
Acknowledgement
For further information, go to: www.food4life.org.uk
© LMC 2015
© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015