Half of all consumers ignore food labels

24-Feb-2009 - About half of consumers never read the nutrition label before purchasing pre-packaged food, according to a new survey which adds weight to the Guidline Daily Amounts (GDA’s) debate.

Agri MEPs on board with some industry labelling concerns

20-Feb-2009 - A vote on the proposed food information legislation by the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (Agri) this week found sense in abolishing the 3mm rule and national schemes, but has stirred new industry concerns on country of origin labelling.

Dispatches from FDF labelling debate

What consumers make of food labels

18-Feb-2009 - Recent research has shed new light on how consumers understand food labels - and use them to inform their shopping decisions. But questions still remain over what will make them switch to healthier food choices.

Dispatches from FDF labelling debate

What labelling scheme(s) should Europe allow?

13-Feb-2009 - Debate is heating up about the best way to present nutrition information on food labels throughout the EU as lawmakers hammer out the details of new legislation. The Food and Drink Federation gives a view from industry.

Dispatches from FDF labelling debate

Labelling law costs for SMEs raise concerns

12-Feb-2009 - The proposed food information regulation would pose big problems for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) if adopted in its present shape, said speakers at the FDF labelling debate – despite the Commission having carried out an impact assessment.

Dispatches from FDF labelling debate

Rapporteur retains role for industry labelling schemes

12-Feb-2009 - The EU Parliament rapporteur on the proposed food information regulation does see a place for nutrition labelling schemes chosen by manufacturers and retailers – but not for national schemes propounded by Member State governments to run alongside the Europe-wide system.

‘Portion size’ may not be a good way to curb obesity: Study

29-Jan-2009 - Nutritional labelling may mean more to consumers than portion sizes, according to a joint study from Norway and the US.

Turkey looks to GDA-like labelling

09-Jan-2009 - Draft changes to Turkish food labelling regulations would put a GDA-like scheme on products, according to a GAIN report from the USDA.

Food and the Czech presidency

08-Jan-2009 - The Czech presidency of the EU Council has published its work programme for the next six months, pledging progress on the food labelling regulation proposal, debate on food quality issues, simplification of the CAP and discussions on the policy’s future.

Industry salutes ‘deletion’ of national labelling schemes

01-Dec-2008 - The rapporteur’s report on the food information proposal has elicited a positive initial reaction from industry, but some sticking points still remain.

SMEs set to benefit from amendments to EU food labelling proposal

27-Nov-2008 - The draft report on the European Commission’s proposal for the provision of food information to consumers in the EU suggests substantial amendments which would offer small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) more flexibility.

EU-wide labelling study launched

26-Nov-2008 -  A new research project is aiming to be the first Europe-wide study of the various food labelling schemes and their effects on consumer dietary habits through a unique observation of consumers in ‘real life’ settings.

Website aims to solve food labelling confusion

14-Nov-2008 - A new website due to launch in the UK next year aims to reduce consumer confusion over food labelling and ingredients, and enable tailored searching for products that meet specific needs.

EUFIC reveals results of European labelling survey

06-Nov-2008 - European consumers are generally aware of nutritional labelling systems and guideline daily amounts (GDA), according to a new survey – but not everyone actually looks for nutritional information on packaging.

CIAA keeps up pressure over labelling free-market fears

31-Oct-2008 - The issues of font size and co-existence of European and national front-of-pack nutrition schemes are still vital topics for discussions on the new labelling regulation, says the CIAA in advance of the rapporteur’s report.

EUFIC publishes first results of EU labelling survey

29-Sep-2008 - Most UK consumers are aware of guidance daily amounts (GDA) and traffic light labelling, but only one-in-four actually looks for nutritional information, according to a new survey from EUFIC.

Consultancy to integrate technical and compliance advice

26-Sep-2008 - A new consultancy in The Netherlands has been established to give more closely targeted advice to food developers on technical issues on the one hand, and how to comply with the changing regulatory landscape on the other.

FSA seeks research for allergy labelling changes

23-Sep-2008 - The UK’s Food Standards Agency is working on improving allergen labelling and control practices used by industry, with investigations set to kick off in November at an open meeting with researchers.

Industry decries too complex labelling proposal

02-Sep-2008 - The proposed regulation on food labelling is too complicated, makes unrealistic demands on font size, and will be burdensome for SMEs, a hearing has heard.

Food and the French presidency: Part two

18-Jul-2008 - In the second of two articles on food legislation under the new French presidency, FoodNavigator looks at the wish-list drawn up by the food and beverage industry.

Food and the French presidency: Part one

17-Jul-2008 - Over the next six months the French presidency of the EU will be operating in a tricky economic environment, with food prices are soaring and supply issues are affecting major commodities.

New guidelines aim to do away with misleading marketing terms

11-Jul-2008 - The UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) has revised its guidance on the use of words such as 'fresh', 'natural' and 'pure' to provide clearer advice to manufacturers.

UK seeks improved strategy for industry clarity

09-Jul-2008 - Food businesses have suffered from confusing government policies, said the UK's Food and Drink Federation (FDF), which hopes Prime Minister Brown's new strategy will provide greater clarity.

CIAA questions need for labelling law

03-Jul-2008 - The need for new European legislation on nutrition labelling has been called into question by the CIAA (Confederation of Food and Drink Industries in Europe), as a survey indicates that uptake of its voluntary scheme has been significant.