Energy - Nutrition Labelling - Europe |
|
| | Updated 2015-08-15 |
| The European Regulation on Nutrition Labelling |
| European Council Directive 90/496/EC of 24 September 1990 on nutrition labelling for foodstuffs |
The European regulations on nutrition labelling are administered by
the European Commission's Directorate General Health and Consumers and
the regulations are listed on the Commissions website.
The
European Council Directive 90/496/EC of 24 September 1990 on nutrition labelling for foodstuffs lays down the rules for nutrition labelling in the European Community.
The Directive is in force until 13 December 2014.
The Directive is amended by
Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the
Council of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to
consumers in force from 12 December 2011 except for the provisions
on nutrition labelling, which must be fully implemented by 31 December
2016.
Directive 90/496/EC and Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 take into account the
Codex Alimentarius
Guidelines on nutrition labelling (CAC-GL 2 - 1985) to a great
extent and goes a bit further
than Codex
Alimentarius concerning the food component definitions:
| Protein | the protein content calculated using the formula: protein = total Kjeldahl nitrogen x 6.25; |
| Carbohydrate |
"sugars, polyols, starch" meaning any carbohydrate, which is metabolised in man, and includes polyols; |
| Sugars | all monosaccharides and disaccharides present in food, but excludes polyols; |
| Polyols |
alcohols containing more than two hydroxyl groups (amended by
Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011); |
| Fat | total lipids, and includes phospholipids; |
| Saturates | fatty acids without double bond; |
| Monounsaturates | fatty acids with one cis double bond; |
| Polyunsaturates | fatty acids with cis, cis-methylene interrupted double bonds; |
Fibre | the material to be defined in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 10 and measured by the method of analysis to be determined in accordance with that procedure
(Directive 90/496/EC) - amended by Directive 2008/100/EC to
carbohydrate polymers with three or more monomeric units, which are
neither digested nor absorbed in the human small intestine and
belong to the following categories:
- edible carbohydrate polymers naturally occurring in the food as
consumed,
- edible carbohydrate polymers which have been obtained
from food raw material by physical, enzymatic or chemical means and
which have a beneficial physiological effect demonstrated by
generally accepted scientific evidence,
- edible synthetic carbohydrate polymers which have a
beneficial physiological effect demonstrated by generally
accepted scientific evidence;
|
| Salt |
the salt equivalent content calculated using the formula: salt =
sodium × 2,5 (amended by Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011).
|
It is worth pointing out that in the European regulations, protein
can only be calculated as total Kjeldahl nitrogen multiplied by the
nitrogen-to-protein factor 6.25. Unlike the Codex Alimentarius
guidelines, the regulations do not leave any possibility of using other
factors.
Although the definition of fibre has been improved and now follow the
Codex Alimentarius Guidelines, the definition is still a bit vague and
is open to interpretations (see comments on Guidance documents below).
The energy value to be declared shall be calculated using the following
energy factors:
| Carbohydrate (except polyols) |
4 kcal/g | 17 kJ/g |
|
| Polyols |
2.4 kcal/g | 10 kJ/g |
|
| Protein |
4 kcal/g | 17 kJ/g |
|
| Fat |
9 kcal/g | 37 kJ/g |
|
| Alcohol (ethanol) |
7 kcal/g | 29 kJ/g |
|
| Organic acid |
3 kcal/g | 13 kJ/g
| |
| Salatrims |
6 kcal/g |
25 kJ/g | amended by Directive
2003/120/EC |
| Fibre |
2 kcal/g |
8 kJ/g | amended by Directive 2008/100/EC |
| Erythritol |
0 kcal/g |
0 kJ/g
| amended by Directive 2008/100/EC |
Similar to the Codex Guidelines, the European regulations also
defines the tolerance and compliance of the ‘declared values, which shall,
according to the individual case, be average values based on:
- the manufacturer’s analysis of the food;
- a calculation from the known or actual average values of the ingredients used;
- a calculation from generally established and accepted data.
This regulation (the last indent), even more specifically than the Codex
Guidelines opens for the use of official food composition database/table
data in nutrition labelling.
In 2008, the Commission adopted the proposal for the new Regulation
on food information the accompanying
impact assessment of the options for the revision of the legislation
was also published. The impact assessment is interesting in the sense
that it reports on how food labelling/nutrition labelling is carried out
in practice.
In order to minimise the possibility of different interpretations of
the regulations by the Member States, the European Commission has issued
two "Guidance documents", one with regard to
tolerances for nutrient values declared on a label with a
summary table, and one with regard to
methods of analysis for determination of the fibre content declared on a
label.
- The Council of the European Communities:
Council Directive 90/496/EEC of 24 September 1990 on nutrition labelling for foodstuffs.
- Commission Directive 2003/120/EC of 5 December 2003 amending
Directive 90/496/EEC on nutrition labelling for foodstuffs.
- Commission Directive 2008/100/EC of 28 October 2008 amending
Council Directive 90/496/EEC on nutrition labelling for foodstuffs
as regards recommended daily allowances, energy conversion factors
and definitions.
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of
the Council of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information
to consumers, amending Regulations (EC) No 1924/2006 and (EC) No
1925/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and
repealing Commission Directive 87/250/EEC, Council Directive
90/496/EEC, Commission Directive 1999/10/EC, Directive 2000/13/EC of
the European Parliament and of the Council, Commission Directives
2002/67/EC and 2008/5/EC and Commission Regulation (EC) No 608/2004.
- European Commission, Health and Consumers Directorate-General:
Guidance document for competent authorities for the control of
compliance with EU legislation on:
Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the
Council of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to
consumers, amending Regulations (EC) No 1924/2006 and (EC) No
1925/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and
repealing Commission Directive 87/250/EEC, Council Directive
90/496/EEC, Commission Directive 1999/10/EC, Directive 2000/13/EC of
the European Parliament and of the Council, Commission Directives
2002/67/EC and 2008/5/EC and Commission Regulation (EC) No 608/2004
and Council Directive 90/496/EEC of 24 September 1990 on nutrition
labelling of foodstuffs and Directive 2002/46/EC of the European
Parliament and of the Council of 10 June 2002 on the approximation
of the laws of the Member States relating to food supplements
with regard to the setting of tolerances for nutrient values
declared on a label.
- European Commission, Health and Consumers Directorate-General:
Guidance document for competent authorities for the control of
compliance with EU legislation on:
Council Directive 90/496/EEC of 24 September 1990 on nutrition
labelling of foodstuffs and Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the
European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on the
provision of food information to consumers, amending Regulations
(EC) No 1924/2006 and (EC) No 1925/2006 of the European Parliament
and of the Council, and repealing Commission Directive 87/250/EEC,
Council Directive 90/496/EEC, Commission Directive 1999/10/EC,
Directive 2000/13/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council,
Commission Directives 2002/67/EC and 2008/5/EC and Commission
Regulation (EC) No 608/2004
with regard to methods of analysis for determination of the fibre
content declared on a label.
Currently not available from the Commissions website!
- Commission of the European Communities:
Impact Assessment Report on Nutrition Labelling Issues - SEC(2008)
94.
Brussels 30/01.2008.
Compilers' Toolbox™
