As consumers demand greater transparency and information on the contents of food products, the debate surrounding the choice and relevance of this information is far from over. This is particularly true of carbohydrates with the appearance of new European definitions designed to harmonize labelling.
How do you ensure information on labels and in advertisements for food products does not mislead consumers? How do you harmonize the regulations in force in different EU countries?
Focus on labels
Labelling features three key types of information:
- Product ingredients and instructions for use.
- The nutrient and energy content of the food (nutritional labelling).
- General, nutritional and health claims.
Informative labelling
Labels must display the name under which the product is sold, a list of ingredients, the net quantity, the consumption date (best before date for fresh produce, use by date), production batch, management contact, instructions for use and the place of origin. Sugar can be stored almost indefinitely under the right conditions (temperature and humidity).
The list of ingredients must include all components used to produce the food (agricultural raw materials, spices, additives, etc.) The ingredients are listed in the descending weight order of the production formula. Additives are classed by category and indicated by name or European code number: the letter E (Europe) followed by three figures.
Specific information on sugars and sweeteners
Additional mandatory information has been added. The phrase “With sweeteners” is used for items containing one or more sweeteners. This information must include the name under which the product is sold. The phrase “With sugar(s) and sweetener(s)” is required for items containing both additional sugars and one or more sweeteners. It must include the name under which the product is sold.
The phrase “Contains a source of phenylalanine” is added for items containing aspartame (a warning for people with phenylketonuria) and “Excessive consumption may have a laxative effect” for food items in which authorized polyols have been added at a rate higher than 10%.
Nutritional labelling
Nutritional labelling concerns all information relating to energy value and nutrients. It is optional in Europe and France but compulsory when the label carries a nutritional or health claim. To make this clear, it is important to distinguish between two possible levels of information, called groups:
Group 1:
Features the minimum information:
- energy value (in kJ and kcal)
- proteins, carbohydrates, fats (in g)
Group 2:
If the nutritional claim concerns sugars, saturated fatty acids, food fibre or sodium, or if the product carries a health claim (see below), then Group 2 information must be provided:
- energy value (in kJ and kcal)
- proteins (in g)
- carbohydrates (in g) of which sugars (in g)
- fats (in g) of which saturated fatty acids (in g)
- dietary fibres (in g)
- sodium (in g)
In addition to Group 1 and 2 information, nutritional labelling may also feature the quantities of one or more of the elements below:
- Starch (in g) (after carbohydrate content).
- Polyols (in g) (after carbohydrate content).
Nutritional labelling must detail the content of the nutrient or substances related to the nutritional or health claim.
Claims
A draft “Information for consumers” regulation is under discussion in Europe to harmonize all current directives on labelling and nutritional labelling.
A claim is information that asserts or suggests that a food item has particular characteristics linked to its origin, nature, composition, nutritional properties, production and/or processing. We distinguish between general claims, nutritional claims and health claims.
General claims include wording such as: new, fresh, home, craft, traditional, old-style, farmhouse, without preservatives, etc.
Nutritional claims indicate that a food item possesses specific nutritional properties based on the energy and/or nutrients it contains: a high content (enriched with vitamin C, rich in fibre, rich in minerals, a source of, etc.) or a low content (for example, in the case of carbohydrates: low in sugar or a reduced sugar content, sugar free, no added sugar).
Health claims refer to an active health benefit (and, in certain cases, a reduced risk of disease) provided by a category of food items, one food item or one of its ingredients.