© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015 Food labelling

Learning outcomes Students should be able to: Analyse and use information on food labels: Nutrition panel; List of ingredients; Claims on labels; Dates on labels; Special dietary advice: vegetarian, allergy; Front of pack labelling systems. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Food labelling Information is provided on the packaging of food and drink products to help consumers make choices between different products, brands and flavours. There is a legal requirement to provide certain information on food labels. Some consumer information can optionally be provided on labelling, including: serving suggestions; front of pack labelling; price; batch code/bar code numbers. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

The European (EU) Food Information Regulation (FIR) A new Regulation covering all aspects of food labelling came into force at the end of The majority of the rules apply from December 2014, with mandatory provision of back-of-pack nutrition information from December Previously, providing nutrition information was optional unless a nutrition or health claim was made. Front-of-pack labelling has remained optional. The new Regulation specifies certain information that must be placed on food labels by law. A minimum font size has also been set for this information. The full regulation is available here.here © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Information for consumers The following information must appear by law on food labels: Name of food or drink; List of ingredients (including additives and allergens); Weight or volume; Date mark; Storage and preparation conditions; Name and address of the manufacturer, packer or seller; Country of origin and place of provenance; Nutrition information (compulsory on all pre-packed foods from December 2016). Additional information may also be provided, such as cooking instructions or serving suggestions. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Name of food It is important that the name of the food must be clearly stated and not be ambiguous or misleading. If the food has been processed in some way, the process must be included in the title if it would be misleading not to, e.g. dried apricots, salted peanuts, smoked bacon. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Name of food The name must also describe the differences between apparently similar products. For example, ‘fruit yogurt’ differentiates it from yogurt using artificial flavourings. Sometimes foods have made up names, e.g. ‘Bonzo’ which give no information about what is in them or how they have been processed. In such cases, a description of the food must be given. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Ingredients All of the ingredients of a product are listed in descending order of weight, according to the amounts that were used to make the food. Food additives and water must also be included in the list if they have been added. Allergens need to be highlighted. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Ingredients The amount of ingredients used in a product will also be stated where: The ingredient (e.g. lamb curry) or category of ingredients (e.g. beef and mushroom pie) appears in the name of the food. It is usually associated with that name by the consumer, e.g. lamb in shepherds pie. It is emphasised by the labelling in words, pictures or graphics. The ingredient is essential to characterise the food. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Allergens Within the European Union, any of the 14 foods listed on the following slide used in a pre-packed food, need to be emphasised in the ingredients list (e.g. bold, capitals, highlighting). An allergy advice statement may also be used to direct consumers to the ingredient list for allergen information. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Allergens If there is a chance that a food may also contain minute amounts of allergen because it is produced on the same line or in the same factory as other products that contain ingredients known to cause allergy, an additional voluntary statement with the word ‘also’ may follow, e.g. Also, not suitable for customers with peanut allergy. This enables consumers to understand more about the ingredients in pre-packed foods and are helpful for people with food allergies and intolerances who need to avoid certain foods. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

The most common allergens are present in: Celery; Cereals containing gluten (e.g. wheat, barley, rye); Crustaceans (e.g. lobster, crab); Eggs; Fish; Lupins; Cow’s milk; Molluscs (such as mussels and oysters); Mustard; Nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts); Peanuts; Sesame seeds; Soybeans; Sulphur dioxide and sulphites (preservatives used in some foods and drinks) at levels above 10mg per kg or per litre. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Weight or volume The weight or volume of the food must be shown on the label. By comparing the weight with the price of different brands, consumers can make sure that they are getting value for money. The net weight or volume of a product must be within a few grams or millilitres of the quantity stated on the label. If the product weighs less than 5g or 5ml, the weight need not be stated (does not apply to spices and herbs). © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Weight or volume The symbol ‘e’ is used to show that the weight complies with the EU requirement for weight under the ‘average system’, i.e. the average pack is at least the weight declared. For solid foods that are presented in a liquid medium, e.g. canned tuna in brine, the drained net weight of the food should be included on the packaging. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Date marks There are two different date marks that appear on food labels: ‘Use-by’ - found on perishable foods, e.g. milk, red meat, fish. Foods are not safe to eat after this date. ‘Best before’ - found on a wide range of foods including frozen, dried and canned foods. ‘Best before’ dates are about quality, not safety, and are reliant on the food being stored according to the instructions on the label. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Storage and preparation In cases where foods require special storage conditions and/or conditions of use, these must be clearly indicated. When necessary, instructions on how to prepare and cook the food must also be given on the label. If the food has to be heated, the temperature of the oven and the cooking time should be stated. Instructions may also be given for heating in a microwave oven. These instructions should ensure the food tastes its best and that it will be thoroughly heated to a core temperature of 75°C, which minimizes the risk of food poisoning. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Name and address of the manufacturer, packer or seller The name and address of the manufacturer, packer or seller must be stated on the label. Consumers can then contact the manufacturer if they have a complaint about a product or if they wish to know more about it. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Country of origin and place of provenance The label must display clearly where the food has come from if it would be misleading not to show it. It has also become mandatory to show origin information for most fresh and frozen meat. The origin of the main ingredients will have to be given if different from where the final product is made. The European Union has created three systems to promote and protect regional food products. These include the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), and the Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG). © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Quality assurance schemes Some food labels have quality assurance logos – these help consumers make informed choices about the quality and provenance of foods. The Farm Quality Assurance Scheme in Northern Ireland covers beef and lamb. It is a mark of quality, giving assurance to consumers that the meat has been produced safely, to high welfare standards and with care to the environment. It covers the food chain from farm to fork. Consumers can see the mark of quality, either in butchers or on packaging in supermarkets. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

The Farm Quality Assured Scheme Logo The Scheme logo can be found on all approved beef and lamb from Northern Ireland. In butchers, the logo may be displayed on a label. It is a sign of quality and high standards – giving consumers confidence. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Back of pack labelling Back of pack nutrition labelling will be compulsory on all pre-packed foods from December Back of pack nutrition labelling is already provided on many foods. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Back of pack labelling © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015 Old back of pack nutrition panelNew back of pack nutrition panel Note that fibre, monounsaturates, polyunsaturates, polyols, starch and certain vitamins and minerals present in defined, significant amounts can also be added to the panel but it is not compulsory.

Back of pack labelling Nutrients have to be listed in a certain order: Energy (both in kJ and kcal); Fat; Saturates; Carbohydrates; Sugars; Protein; Salt (in place of ‘sodium’ which is no longer permitted). The information has to be given in per 100g/ml but can also be given: per portion or per consumption unit (e.g. per slice); as % Reference Intakes. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Back of pack labelling Information of the following nutrients can be provided in a voluntary basis: Mono and poly-unsaturates; Polyols; Starch; Fibre. Information on certain approved vitamins and minerals can be listed if present in significant amounts. If a nutrition claim is made it becomes mandatory to give information about that nutrient even if it is not listed in the regulation. For example if the claim ‘high in omega 3’ was made then the amount of omega 3 per 100g would have to be given. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Front of pack labelling In the UK, most of the major supermarkets and many food manufacturers voluntarily display nutritional information on the front of pre-packaged food and drinks. The government’s recommended format is red, amber, green colour coding and percentage Reference Intakes. Front-of-pack information will remain voluntary under the new Regulation. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Reference intakes © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015 Energy or nutrientReference Intake Energy8400kJ/2000kcal Total fat70g Saturates20g Carbohydrate260g Sugars90g Protein50g Salt6g The new regulations feature Reference Intakes. ‘Reference intakes for energy and selected nutrients other than vitamins and minerals’ are equivalent to Guideline Daily Amount (GDA).used in the UK in the past. Reference intakes for energy and other selected nutrients are shown below: Nutritional information can be provided as a percentage of the Reference Intake.

Nutrition label on the front of pack Front of pack labels show either: Energy, or Energy, fat, saturates, sugars and salt All information is provided in grams, except energy which is provided in kilojoules (kJ) or kilocalories (kcal). This information is also normally provided as a percentage of the Reference Intake (RI),. The nutrition information is also given in terms of portion size, e.g. per ½ pizza. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Nutrition label on the front of pack The front of pack label enables consumers to: Check how much energy, and how many grams of fat, saturates, sugars and salt the product provides, and how much of their Reference Intake this contributes to; Compare the nutrient content of similar products; Choose the foods which best suit their needs. The label also allows consumers to: Know what is considered to be a portion size; Focus on the nutrients that are important to them; See how different food products fit into a balanced diet. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Variations on front of pack labels Some labels will also have colour coded information. This is a UK wide government scheme to indicate whether there is a high, medium or low amount of each nutrient per 100g. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Nutrition and health claims The use of nutrition claims and health claims in the UK is controlled by a European Regulation (EC 1924/2006)*. * Regulation on nutrition and health claims made on food. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Nutrition claims A nutrition claim describes what a food contains (or does not contain) or contains in reduced or increased amounts. Examples include: Low fat (less than 3g of fat per 100g of food); High fibre (at least 6g of fibre per 100g of food); Source of vitamin C (at least 15% of the nutrient reference value for vitamin C per 100g of food). © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Health claims A health claim may be featured on the packaging if a food or one of its ingredients has been agreed by the European Food Safety Authority to provide health benefits. Examples of health claims include: Calcium is important for the maintenance of normal bones. Beta-glucans contribute to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels. Iron contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Types of health claim There are different types of health claims. Article 13 health claims: relating to the growth, development and functions of the body. referring to psychological and behavioural functions. on slimming or weight-control. Article 14 are those relating to either Reduction in disease risk (14a) (e.g. plant sterols have been shown to lower/reduce blood cholesterol). Children's health and development (14b) (e.g. iodine contributes to the normal growth of children). © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Acknowledgement For further information, go to: © LMC 2015 © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015