Sugar, salt and fat: strategies to reduce consumption Nutritional labelling: standards, guides and regulations An update on the regulatory framework for labelling across the EU Dr David Jukes Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences University of Reading
Outline Background Overview: history Regulation 1169/2011 Nutrition Labelling Rules Front of Pack Labelling Nutrition Claims 2
Historical Overview 1979 Foundation 1 Directive 79/112/EEC of 18 December 1978 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs for sale to the ultimate consumer 1990 Nutrition Labels Directive 90/496/EEC of 24 September 1990 on nutrition labelling rules of foodstuffs. 2000 Consolidating 2 Directive 2000/13/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 March 2000 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs 2011 Modernising 3 Regulation 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (mostly applied from 13 December 2014; compulsory nutrition labelling from 13 December 2016)
Historical Overview 1 1979 Foundation Directive 79/112/EEC of 18 December 1978 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs for sale to the ultimate consumer
Historical Overview 1 1979 Foundation Directive 79/112/EEC of 18 December 1978 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs for sale to the ultimate consumer 1994-96: Additional information
Historical Overview 2 2000 Consolidating Directive 2000/13/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 March 2000 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs 1990 Nutrition Labels Directive 90/496/EEC of 24 September 1990 on nutrition labelling rules of foodstuffs.
Historical Overview 3 2011 Modernising Regulation 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (mostly applied from 13 December 2014; compulsory nutrition labelling from 13 December 2016) Special rules
Regulation 1169/2011 Key requirements for consumer protection: 6. A date indicating the product life 7. Any special storage conditions or conditions of use. 1. The name 8. A company name and address (manufacturer / packager / seller) 2. The list of ingredients 3. Allergen marking 4. The quantity of certain ingredients 5. The net quantity (weight or volume) 10. Instructions for use (if necessary to prepare the food) 9. The origin (when required by the Regulation) 12. Nutritional Declaration (from December 2016) 11. Beverages: the alcoholic strength (if more than 1.2%)
Regulation 1169/2011 Text size Labelling clarity a minimum font size has been set for all mandatory information on most food labels. the mandatory particulars listed in Article 9(1) shall be printed on the package or on the label in such a way as to ensure clear legibility, in characters using a font size where the x-height, as defined in Annex IV, is equal to or greater than 1,2 mm.
Regulation 1169/2011 Nutrition Declaration Format Order and manner of listing energy fat of which: [x] kj and [x] kcal [x] g - saturates [x] g - mono-unsaturates [x] g - polyunsaturates [x] g carbohydrate of which: fibre protein salt [x] g - sugars [x] g - polyols [x] g - starch [x] g [vitamins] [minerals] [x] g [x] g [x] g [x units] [x units]
Regulation 1169/2011 Nutrition Declaration Mandatory Usually mandatory and must contain the following elements. Additional items may be included (see previous listing). Energy kj / Kcal Fat g of which - saturates g Carbohydrate g of which - sugars g Protein g Salt g The following items may be repeated in the principal field of vision of the label: Energy or Energy / fat / saturates / sugars / salt. Alcoholic drinks: Exempt but can be limited to energy only. When not prepackaged: Energy or Energy / fat / saturates / sugars / salt.
Front of Pack (FoP) Nutrition Labelling Food Standards Agency adopted recommendations in March 2006
Front of pack labelling Meeting FSA guidance
Front of pack labelling Sainsbury s: variation on the FSA scheme
Front of pack labelling Kellogg s: GDA scheme
Information Regulation: Article 35: Additional forms of expression and presentation 1. In addition, the energy value and the amount of other nutrients may be given by other forms of expression and/or presented using graphical forms or symbols in addition to words or numbers provided that the following requirements are met:
Information Regulation: Article 35: Additional forms of expression and presentation (a) they are based on sound and scientifically valid consumer research and do not mislead the consumer as referred to in Article 7; (b) their development is the result of consultation with a wide range of stakeholder groups; (c) they aim to facilitate consumer understanding of the contribution or importance of the food to the energy and nutrient content of a diet; (d) they are supported by scientifically valid evidence of understanding of such forms of expression or presentation by the average consumer; (e) in the case of other forms of expression, they are based either on the harmonised reference intakes set out in Annex XIII, or in their absence, on generally accepted scientific advice on intakes for energy or nutrients; (f) they are objective and non-discriminatory; and (g) their application does not create obstacles to the free movement of goods.
FoP: UK recommended scheme 19 June 2013 Department of Health: Guide to creating a front of pack (FoP) nutrition label for pre-packed products sold through retail outlets
DoH Guidance FSA Green (Low) Amber (Medium) Red (High) Fat 3.0 g/100g > 3.0 to 20.0 g/100g > 20.0 g/100g > 21.0g / portion Saturates 1.5 g/100g > 1.5 to 5.0 g/100g > 5.0 g/100g > 6.0g / portion Total Sugars 5.0 g/100g >5.0 to 12.5 g/100g > 12.5 g/100g > 15.0g / portion DoH Salt 0.30 g/100g >0.30 to 1.50g/100g > 1.50 g/100g > 2.40g / portion
Nutrition and Health Claims 1980: First proposal circulated 1990: Commission issued working document to amend labelling directive including aspects of claims 1992: Working document for directive for food claims followed by draft directive 1993: Further revised version 1994: Further revised version 1995: Proposals withdrawn 2001: Commission discussion paper on nutrition claims and functional claims 2002: Draft proposal for regulation on nutrition, functional and health claims 2003: Commission proposal for regulation on nutrition and health claims Regulation 1924/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods
Claims Definition Nutrition claim means any claim which states, suggests or implies that a food has particular beneficial nutritional properties due to: (a) the energy (calorific value) it (i) provides; (ii) provides at a reduced or increased rate; or (iii) does not provide; and/or (b) the nutrients or other substances it (i) contains; (ii) contains in reduced or increased proportions; or (iii) does not contain; 21
Claims General Conditions Nutrition and health claims only permitted if: (a) nutrient or other substance shown to have a beneficial nutritional or physiological effect, as established by generally accepted scientific evidence; (b) the nutrient or other substance contained in / not present / present in a reduced quantity in the final product in a significant quantity that will produce the nutritional or physiological effect claimed (c) the nutrient or other substance is in a form that is available to be used by the body; (d) the quantity of the product that can reasonably be expected to be consumed provides a significant quantity (e) compliance with the specific conditions 22
Permitted Nutrition Claims Energy related LOW ENERGY ENERGY-REDUCED ENERGY-FREE Fat related LOW FAT FAT-FREE: Claims expressed as X % fatfree shall be prohibited. LOW SATURATED FAT SATURATED FAT-FREE Sugar related LOW SUGARS SUGARS-FREE 23 USA
Remaining Issues Food Information for Consumers (Regulation 1169/2011) Is the UK FoP scheme legal? Nutrition and Health Claims (Regulation 1924/2006) Will we get nutrient profiles? 24
Sugar, salt and fat: strategies to reduce consumption Nutritional labelling: standards, guides and regulations An update on the regulatory framework for labelling across the EU Dr David Jukes Associate Professor of Food Regulation Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences University of Reading d.j.jukes@reading.ac.uk