WHO FOOD LAW COURSE FOOD LABELLING AND PUBLIC HEALTH

HEALTH ASPECTS OF LABELLING  Durability dating  Instructions for use  Health claims  Nutritional claims  Origin marking and traceability  Functional foods  Presence of allergens

Food labelling  Legislation based on Codex Alimentarius and harmonised across EU  UK legislation contained in Labelling Regulations 1996 (as Amended) 1998 and 1999

UK Food Safety Act 1990  ‘Any person who gives with any food sold by him, or displays with any food offered.. by him for sale or in his possession for the purposes of sale, a label.. which: (a) falsely describes the food; or (a) falsely describes the food; or (b) is likely to mislead as to the nature or substance or the quality of the food, (b) is likely to mislead as to the nature or substance or the quality of the food,  Shall be guilty of an offence

Labelling regulations  Definition of labelling very broad: includes advertising  Labelling requirements mainly apply to ‘pre-packed’ food ie food in packaging or containers  Loose food covered by general requirements (see UK law earlier slide)

Definition of food labelling  Includes:  Words  Particulars  Trade marks  Brand names  Pictorial matter  symbols

Labelling may appear on:  Packaging  Documents  Notices  Labels  Rings  collars

Definition of pre-packed food  Put into container before offered for sale  Food cannot be altered without opening or changing the packaging  Food is ready for sale to ultimate consumer

Definition of ultimate consumer excludes  Retailers/wholesalers  Caterers  manufacturers

Important considerations  Particulars with which food is required to be labelled shall be: - easy to understand - easy to understand - clearly legible - clearly legible - indelible - indelible - easily visible (and not hidden) - easily visible (and not hidden)

Important considerations  Where one or more of the following statements are required to appear on the label they shall appear in the same ‘field of vision’ as the name of the food:  Durability  Alcoholic strength  Raw milk and other health warning  Quantity labelling

Current labelling issues  Declaration of all allergens (remove exemptions)  Label genetically modified animal feed  Require nutritional labelling on all foods  Stricter control on nutrition claims  Controls on ‘disease reduction’ claims (when is a food a medicine?)  Better origin labelling