You will remember that when we last mentioned the new European food labelling regulations the European Council and Parliament had finally come to an agreement and all that was left was for Parliament to give its approval through a formal vote. The new rules were adopted yesterday by 606 votes to 46.
MEP Renate Sommer said that in addition to providing more and better information to consumers to help them make informed choices when buying, it would benefit the food industry too. “There should be more legal certainty, less bureaucracy and better legislation in general”.
The regulations will introduce new rules relating to allergen and country of origin labelling, rules to ensure consumers are not misled by ‘imitation foods’, and compulsory rules relating to nutrition labelling.
With only 3 years before the legislation will come into effect, and 5 in relation to nutrition labelling, the new rules could create a significant administrative burden for food businesses who should all think about compliance now.