(Brussels, 13 December 2016) FoodDrinkEurope welcomes the implementation, as of today, of new nutrition labelling rules foreseen by the Regulation on the provision of food information to consumers [1]. Following the application of the general labelling rules two years ago, the new rules represent a further step to provide consumers with factual and comparable information about the nutritional content of products.

The nutrition declaration now becomes mandatory for almost all prepacked foods [2]. Consumers will find on the labels of their favourite food and drink products information on their energy content as well as on key nutrients (fat, saturates, carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt). This comprehensive nutritional information will empower consumers to compare products and make food choices that better fit their individual dietary needs.  

Many European food and drink companies have already started to implement the new rules on a voluntary basis over the past years. Beyond this legal requirement, in an attempt to help consumers in their food choices, many operators have chosen to also provide key information about nutrients and calories per portion on the front-of-pack of their products, through the so-called “Reference Intake” icons (www.ReferenceIntakes.eu), which were originally introduced by the industry in 2005.

Europe’s food and drink sector has been working hard over the past years to get ready for the implementation of the new rules in due time, and remains committed to providing clear, accurate and valuable food information to consumers to enable them to make informed choices about their foods. FoodDrinkEurope and its members are constantly reflecting on further ways to provide consumer-friendly nutrition information, including via digital communication means.

[1] Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011
[2] Some products are exempted from mandatory nutrition declaration, e.g. water, salt, and spices. These are listed in the Regulation under Annex V.

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Note to the editors:
FoodDrinkEurope is the organisation of Europe’s food and drink industry, the largest manufacturing sector and leading employer in the EU and a key contributor to its economy (286 000 companies, 99% SMEs, 4.2 million employees).

Press contact:
Florence Ranson, Director of Communications
f.ranson@fooddrinkeurope.eu - +3225081028

(See attached file: FoodDrinkEurope welcomes new nutrition labelling rules in the EU.pdf)