January 2009 Pae 1 Food Labellin Requirements for Es and E January 2009 Food sold in New Zealand must be labelled in accordance with the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (FSC) as well as other relevant New Zealand specific leislation. This pae sets out the labellin requirements for es and e products and provides information to help e producers and e product manufacturers meet New Zealand's food labellin requirements. For information on New Zealand's food leislation, includin a link to the Food Standards Code, visit our website at http://www.nzfsa.ovt.nz. Es and E must be Labelled In eneral, you must label all packaed es and e products. However, the FSC Standard 1.2.1 allows some exemptions to this rule. You do not have to label the followin: Es sold unpackaed i.e. loose es. Es or e products packaed in the presence of the purchaser. In other words, if you pack es from trays into bas while the consumer is watchin, you do not have to label the bas. Es or e products sold directly from the farm. Es or e products sold at a fundraisin event (i.e. funds o to the charity and not to the seller). Definitions Best-before date, in relation to a packae of food, means the date which sinifies the end of the period durin which the intact packae of food, if stored in accordance with any stated storae conditions, will remain fully marketable and will retain any specific qualities for which express or implied claims have been made. E means the reproductive body in shells obtained from any avian species, the shell bein free from visible cracks, faecal matter, soil or other forein matter. E means the content of e, as part or whole, in liquid, frozen or dried form. A packae is any container or wrapper in or by which food intended for sale is wholly or partly encased, covered, enclosed, contained or packaed (Standard 1.1.1). Packaes for whole shell es include:
January 2009 Pae 2 Fully enclosed e cartons; or Open e trays, both wrapped and unwrapped; or Other packain e.. paper bas. Transportation outer means a packae that a. encases any packaed or unpackaed es or e products for the purpose of transportation and distribution; and b. is either removed before the es or e products are used or offered for retail sale, or is not taken away by the consumer. Use-by date, in relation to a packae of food, means the date which sinifies the end of the estimated period if stored in accordance with any stated storae conditions, after which the intact packae of food should not be consumed because of health and safety reasons. Visible cracks include cracks visible by candlin. Labellin Requirements Es and E Labellin requirements for es and e products may differ, dependin on whether the es and e products are sold for: Retail Caterin Other uses for human consumption (e.. for further processin) Animal consumption Retail Sale You must label all trays containin es intended for retail sale includin those supplied to distributors. This requirement applies whether or not the es are wrapped. If distributors or any other persons remove es from their oriinal labelled tray and repack them into new packs or trays, they must fully label these new packs unless the repackin is done in front of the consumer. General Requirements See Table 1 below for details of labellin requirements for each sale cateory listed above.
January 2009 Pae 3 Table 1: Summary of Labellin Requirements for Es and E Labellin statements Name of food: e.. es, dried es, frozen e yolks Lot identification: A date mark and the premises where the food was packed or prepared is sufficient Supplier s name & business (street) address in New Zealand or Australia: Supplier includes packer, manufacturer, vendor or importer of the food. Es (e.. for further processin) E documents accompanyin the es documents accompanyin the es documents accompanyin the e products documents accompanyin the e products
January 2009 Pae 4 Labellin statements Date markin and associated statement of storae conditions See Statement of Storae Conditions below for more information Es (e.. for further processin) best before date and storae conditions NZFSA recommends: - 35 days from date of lay if es are held at or below 15 o C throuhout the supply chain; or - 21 days from date of lay if es are held at temperatures hiher than 15 o C anywhere in supply chain. * Other shelf lives may be acceptable see Alternative Shelflife Claims below best before date and storae conditions NZFSA recommends: - 35 days from date of lay if es are held at or below 15 o C throuhout the supply chain; or - 21 days from date of lay if es are held at temperatures hiher than 15 o C anywhere in supply chain * Other shelf lives may be acceptable see Alternative Shelflife Claims below label but if requested suppliers must provide information to enable purchasers to comply with labellin & compositional requirements of the FSC E Date marks as below and storae conditions: - liquid products require a best before or a use by date; - frozen & dried products require a date mark if shelflife is less than 2 years. - date mark not required if shelf life loner than 2 years. Date marks as below and storae conditions: - liquid products require a best before or a use by date; - frozen & dried products require a date mark if shelflife is less than 2 years. - date mark not required if shelf life loner than 2 years. label but if requested suppliers must provide information to enable purchasers to comply with labellin & compositional requirements of the FSC
January 2009 Pae 5 Labellin statements Number of contents, net weiht or volume This is covered in Weihts & Measures Reulations 1999 Nutrition Information Panel See Standard Nutrition Information Panel Table 2 below for example of standard NIP Es (e.. for further processin) E Not required Not required Not required Not required documentation label but, if requested, suppliers must provide information to enable purchasers to comply with labellin & compositional requirements of the FSC documentation label but, if requested, suppliers must provide information to enable purchasers to comply with labellin & compositional requirements of the FSC
January 2009 Pae 6 Labellin statements Es (e.. for further processin) E Inredient list N/A N/A N/A if more than 1 inredient. For all inredients list: - common name; or - description; or - eneric name when specified in the FSC. Use class name of food additives if specified in the FSC, followed by the specific name or code number of the additive. documentation label but, if requested, suppliers must provide information to enable purchasers to comply with labellin & compositional requirements of the FSC
January 2009 Pae 7 Labellin statements Unpasteurised statement Not for human consumption statement Es (e.. for further processin) E N/A N/A N/A on the label 1 Labels on unpasteurised e products (or foods containin them) must advise / state that the product / food contains unpasteurised e. on the label 1 Labels on unpasteurised e products (or foods containin them) must advise / state that the product / food contains unpasteurised e. on the label 1 Labels on unpasteurised e products (or foods containin them) must advise / state that the product / food contains unpasteurised e Es or e products sold for animal consumption or pet food must state not for human consumption on the label or on accompanyin documentation, if they could be mistaken for food for human consumption. 1 Standard 1.2.3 requires unpasteurised e products to be labelled with an advisory statement that the product is unpasteurised.
January 2009 Pae 8 Statement of Storae Conditions The label on a packae of food must include a statement of any specific storae conditions required to ensure that the food will keep for the specified period indicated in the use-by or bestbefore date. Shelf Life Claims NZFSA Recommendations For whole shell es, NZFSA recommends a shelf life of 21 or 35 days from date of lay dependin on storae conditions throuhout the distribution chain. You must therefore provide a clear statement of the storae conditions required to claim the shelf life that appears on their label. The followin combinations of shelf life and storae statements are acceptable. Note: You may claim an alternative shelf-life if you follow the procedures in Alternative shelf life claims below the table. Storae conditions whole shell es 1. E producers do not store es under temperature control 2. E producers store es at 15 derees C or less but are unsure whether any distributors or retailers will store them at 15 derees C or less 3. E producers store es at 15 derees C or less and are certain that any distributors or retailers receivin these es have the same temperature control facilities Shelf life claim available from date of lay Storae statement 21 days Not required One statement on label: 21 days or Not required Two statements on label: 21 days Not required 35 days Store at 15 derees C or less 35 days Store at 15 derees C or less Alternative shelf life claims NZFSA will allow shelf life claims that differ from the options above only if you: validate the alternative shelf life period document the alternative shelf life in your RMP (either initially or as a sinificant amendment) have the alternative shelf life evaluated by a reconised evaluator apply to NZFSA for reistration of the RMP or amendment.
January 2009 Pae 9 Standard Nutrition Information Panel (NIP) The minimum information required in the NIP (when no nutrition claims are made) is set out in Table 2 below. If you use averae quantities or minimum/maximum quantities for the Servin or Quantity per 100 (or 100 ml) information, you must state this on the NIP e.. averae Quantity per Servin or averae Quantity per 100 / 100 ml. Table 2: Example of how a Standard NIP should be set out: NUTRITION INFORMATION Servins per packae: (insert number of servins) Servin size: (or ml or other units as appropriate) Averae Quantity per Servin Enery kj (Cal) kj (Cal) Protein Averae Quantity per 100 Fat, total saturated Carbohydrate suars Sodium m (mmol) m (mmol) (Insert any other nutrient or bioloically active substance to be declared) Claims, m, µ (or other units as appropriate), m, µ (or other units as appropriate) You must have evidence to back up any claims made on e or e product labels or on accompanyin documentation. Nutrition Claims A nutrition claim is a claim that states, suests or implies that food has a eneral or specific nutritional property, e.. omea enriched es. Before makin a nutrition claim: a. check that the FSC allows such a claim; b. find out what extra information the FSC requires to back-up the claim; and c. add this extra information to the minimum requirements in the NIP.
January 2009 Pae 10 Health Claims The FSC does not allow you to make health claims for es or e products, except for folate, and then only under specific conditions as set out in the FSC (Standard 1.1.A.2). False or Misleadin Claims Fair Tradin leislation prohibits the use of any false, misleadin or deceptive claims. The Food Act 1981 prohibits the sale of food with false or misleadin statements, words, brands, pictures, labels or marks. Labels must not contain any words or other representations that imply approval of the labelled food or of patronae by a overnment department, includin NZFSA. However you do have the option of includin your RMP identifier on labels. Recycled Packain for Es You can pack es into recycled packain provided that you comply with the followin rules: make sure that the packaes are visibly clean and undamaed so that they will not contaminate the es (Animal (Specifications For Intended for Human Consumption) Notice 2004); and completely remove or deface, any false or misleadin information (includin any names or contact details of other producers) that is left on the packain from previous uses. Labellin of Transportation Outers The Animal (Specifications for Intended for Human Consumption) Notice requires that transportation outers are labelled with the animal product name or description, and with storae directions necessary to keep the product fit for intended purpose. If the animal product is not intended for human consumption you must state this clearly on the transportation outer. Further Information on the FSC NZFSA s Publications and Fact Sheets on the Food Standards Code. Those available at the time of printin include: NZFSA Food Labellin Guide What s on a Food label? Date Markin and Storae Instructions
January 2009 Pae 11 What s on a Food label? Alleren Labellin and Warnin/Advisory Statement What s on a Food label? Alcoholic Beveraes and Food Otherwise contact the Public Health Unit at your local District Health Board OR New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) Hotline: 0800 NZFSA1 (0800 693 721) www.nzfsa.ovt.nz Email: info@nzfsa.ovt.nz PO Box 2835 WELLINGTON PURPOSE of the INFORMATION, and DISCLAIMER The information contained in this document is provided for the purpose of ivin a eneral understandin of the New Zealand food labellin compositional requirements to both consumers and industry personnel. It is not a professional commentary on the law nor is it provided as a basis of any decision makin to be undertaken by the reader. It is eneral uidance only. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained is accurate; however eneral information by its very nature cannot cover every specific to the deree of accuracy expected in the provision in professional advice. In addition, the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (FSC) will be forever chanin and it is not intended to amend this eneral uidance every time the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (FSC) is amended. Amendments to the uidance contained in this document will be restricted to major developments only. Reliance should be placed on the wordin of the leislation itself. This is available at the NZFSA website at www.nzfsa.ovt.nz or from any overnment bookshop. The Crown, its employees and aents do not accept any responsibility or liability, whatsoever, for any error, omission, interpretation or opinion which may be present, however it occurred, nor for the consequences of any decision based on the information in this publication. The Crown, its employees and aents expressly disclaim all liability to any person in respect of anythin, and the consequences of anythin, done or omitted to be done in reliance, whether wholly or partly, upon the whole or any part of the contents of this publication.