Do you wander around the supermarket studying labels? Or are they far too complex to even attempt to understand? Whatever your preference, labelling is set to change on 13 December on everything from your packaged ham to your cereal.
You can even expect changes at your local deli counter, in your favourite restaurant and even in canteens in hospitals.
Surprised to hear this? Arguably, this change in legislation hasn’t been given quite the attention it deserves, but this week Irish Country Living has the lowdown on what you as a consumer can expect next month.
Better transparency – what’s in your food and where does it come from
The reason the EU legislators give for this change in legislation is to allow consumers to make better-informed decisions. Your food labelling is going to be much more transparent with regard to what is in your food and where it comes from.
Country of origin – where
is it really from?
One thing that is going to become clearer is the country of origin of unprocessed meat, specifically in relation to pig and sheep meat as well as poultry. Beef already has to declare origin.
For other products, for the time being the rule remains that the country of origin must be given only if its absence might mislead consumers. So, for example, if a lasagne which is made in Ireland has an Italian-sounding name, this product should be labelled to make it clear it is made in Ireland.
Components in your food – it’s got how much water?
Looking for a fine cut of bacon that is more meaty than watery? If added water makes up more than 5% of the finished product this must now be declared on the label. Food lawyer Maree Gallagher says this may lead to some confusion in the supermarket.
“I’m sure many shoppers are now going to pick up their favourite cut of meat only to read that water is added. Instead of thinking that you are buying a cheaper quality product than you did last week, it’s important to realise that it’s the same product but with more detailed labelling. In reality, bacon has added water, but now you’ll know more about how much.”
Physical state of your food – stay away from the freezer
We all know not to refreeze frozen food, but what if your food has been frozen before you even buy it? From 13 December, this needs to be clearly stated, ie labelled quick frozen or defrosted.
“Again consumers may be surprised that a product that they may have been buying and freezing for years is already defrosted. This is why these changes are so important.
“It’s not just about making a more informed decision, it’s food safety,” says Gallagher.
Buying online
Fortunately, these changes won’t just be on the shop shelf. You’ll also find all the necessary information when you do your food shopping online.
Mandatory information – you don’t need to go searching
Some labels clearly list all sorts of nutritional information, some don’t. However, in the future, you can be guaranteed that manufacturers must list all mandatory information such as ingredients, instructions for use, storage information, weight very clearly.
All that lovely marketing material and fancy design must take second preference to the mandatory information that must be clearly available to consumers.
More conformity – short of sight? No problem
Can you read the label on your biscuits perfectly, but need to squint to understand the back of your tinned tomatoes? Well from now on labels will be much more consistent.
Basically, the letter X on your label must be 1.2mm in height or larger, so that all letters are the same size.
Also, the place in which, for example, allergens are presented must be more consistent and will now be found in the ingredients list. So you won’t be twisting and turning your box of biscuits looking for the gluten-free sign.
Better labelling of allergens – what are you hiding?
Speaking of allergens, there is going to be much clearer labelling of ingredients that consumers can be highly allergic to. There are currently 14, including cereals, eggs, fish, nuts, celery, mustard and milk, among others.
“One of the biggest changes is that these allergens will not only be listed on food packaging, but everywhere that sells food. So expect to see changes on the labelling of menus, in delicatessens, cafes and even canteens. Let’s take mustard for example. If you are a deli and you use a mayonnaise that has mustard powder this must be stated somewhere, such as the menu board. This is really going to be a challenge for the food industry, but it’s something that has to be done. It will be the law and it’s not just about proving your compliance to an Environmental Health Officer (EHO), if a consumer has an anaphylactic shock from food that is not clearly labelled in a deli or restaurant, that premises could be at greater risk of being sued,” says Maree Gallagher.
Change is around
the corner
So although the law comes into force on 13 December, and you will see some changes straight away, in reality it will be a more staggered approach.
“If a product such as tuna has been labelled prior to the December date it can still be put on the shop shelf until it is sold out. In fact, you may find that you could pick up two different brands of tuna and one will have the old label and the other will have a new label. It is a period of transition and although it can be confusing for consumers, it is important to realise that in long run, the purpose of the new rules is to make life a bit easier,” explains Gallagher.
Maree Gallagher spoke recently at the Facts on FIC-Labelling Workshop run by UCC.
What should be on your food label
• Name• Weight• Origin for meat• Allergens• Use by/Best before• Instructions for use• Ingredients• Storage information• >1.2% Alcohol• QUID (what % of pepperoni is on your cheese and pepperoni pizza) • Business name and address• Nutritional table where nutritional claims are made on a product. This will become mandatory on December 13 2016.
Do you wander around the supermarket studying labels? Or are they far too complex to even attempt to understand? Whatever your preference, labelling is set to change on 13 December on everything from your packaged ham to your cereal.
You can even expect changes at your local deli counter, in your favourite restaurant and even in canteens in hospitals.
Surprised to hear this? Arguably, this change in legislation hasn’t been given quite the attention it deserves, but this week Irish Country Living has the lowdown on what you as a consumer can expect next month.
Better transparency – what’s in your food and where does it come from
The reason the EU legislators give for this change in legislation is to allow consumers to make better-informed decisions. Your food labelling is going to be much more transparent with regard to what is in your food and where it comes from.
Country of origin – where
is it really from?
One thing that is going to become clearer is the country of origin of unprocessed meat, specifically in relation to pig and sheep meat as well as poultry. Beef already has to declare origin.
For other products, for the time being the rule remains that the country of origin must be given only if its absence might mislead consumers. So, for example, if a lasagne which is made in Ireland has an Italian-sounding name, this product should be labelled to make it clear it is made in Ireland.
Components in your food – it’s got how much water?
Looking for a fine cut of bacon that is more meaty than watery? If added water makes up more than 5% of the finished product this must now be declared on the label. Food lawyer Maree Gallagher says this may lead to some confusion in the supermarket.
“I’m sure many shoppers are now going to pick up their favourite cut of meat only to read that water is added. Instead of thinking that you are buying a cheaper quality product than you did last week, it’s important to realise that it’s the same product but with more detailed labelling. In reality, bacon has added water, but now you’ll know more about how much.”
Physical state of your food – stay away from the freezer
We all know not to refreeze frozen food, but what if your food has been frozen before you even buy it? From 13 December, this needs to be clearly stated, ie labelled quick frozen or defrosted.
“Again consumers may be surprised that a product that they may have been buying and freezing for years is already defrosted. This is why these changes are so important.
“It’s not just about making a more informed decision, it’s food safety,” says Gallagher.
Buying online
Fortunately, these changes won’t just be on the shop shelf. You’ll also find all the necessary information when you do your food shopping online.
Mandatory information – you don’t need to go searching
Some labels clearly list all sorts of nutritional information, some don’t. However, in the future, you can be guaranteed that manufacturers must list all mandatory information such as ingredients, instructions for use, storage information, weight very clearly.
All that lovely marketing material and fancy design must take second preference to the mandatory information that must be clearly available to consumers.
More conformity – short of sight? No problem
Can you read the label on your biscuits perfectly, but need to squint to understand the back of your tinned tomatoes? Well from now on labels will be much more consistent.
Basically, the letter X on your label must be 1.2mm in height or larger, so that all letters are the same size.
Also, the place in which, for example, allergens are presented must be more consistent and will now be found in the ingredients list. So you won’t be twisting and turning your box of biscuits looking for the gluten-free sign.
Better labelling of allergens – what are you hiding?
Speaking of allergens, there is going to be much clearer labelling of ingredients that consumers can be highly allergic to. There are currently 14, including cereals, eggs, fish, nuts, celery, mustard and milk, among others.
“One of the biggest changes is that these allergens will not only be listed on food packaging, but everywhere that sells food. So expect to see changes on the labelling of menus, in delicatessens, cafes and even canteens. Let’s take mustard for example. If you are a deli and you use a mayonnaise that has mustard powder this must be stated somewhere, such as the menu board. This is really going to be a challenge for the food industry, but it’s something that has to be done. It will be the law and it’s not just about proving your compliance to an Environmental Health Officer (EHO), if a consumer has an anaphylactic shock from food that is not clearly labelled in a deli or restaurant, that premises could be at greater risk of being sued,” says Maree Gallagher.
Change is around
the corner
So although the law comes into force on 13 December, and you will see some changes straight away, in reality it will be a more staggered approach.
“If a product such as tuna has been labelled prior to the December date it can still be put on the shop shelf until it is sold out. In fact, you may find that you could pick up two different brands of tuna and one will have the old label and the other will have a new label. It is a period of transition and although it can be confusing for consumers, it is important to realise that in long run, the purpose of the new rules is to make life a bit easier,” explains Gallagher.
Maree Gallagher spoke recently at the Facts on FIC-Labelling Workshop run by UCC.
What should be on your food label
• Name• Weight• Origin for meat• Allergens• Use by/Best before• Instructions for use• Ingredients• Storage information• >1.2% Alcohol• QUID (what % of pepperoni is on your cheese and pepperoni pizza) • Business name and address• Nutritional table where nutritional claims are made on a product. This will become mandatory on December 13 2016. 
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