EU Council sets new labeling rules for honey and other products
Kyiv • UNN
The EU Council has adopted new labeling rules for honey, fruit juices, jams and milk powder to increase transparency of product origin, help consumers make informed choices and reduce food fraud.
Today, the EU Council has adopted new labeling rules for honey, fruit juices, jams and milk powder, which aim to increase transparency about the origin of products and help consumers make choices, thereby reducing food fraud. This was reported on the website of the Council of Europe, UNN reports.
Details
Today, the EU Council officially approved new rules on the composition, labeling and naming of honey, fruit juices, fruit jams and milk powder. The new "breakfast directives" are designed to help consumers make more informed choices by providing greater transparency on the origin of products and reducing food fraud.
"Today's adoption of revised marketing standards for certain breakfast foods demonstrates our commitment to strengthening European production and fighting food fraud. Increased transparency will empower consumers to make more informed and healthier choices," said Belgian Deputy Prime Minister David Clarinval.
Honey
Under the new rules, the labeling of honey mixtures will more clearly indicate the country of origin to ensure greater transparency and prevent honey fraud. The labels will list the countries in descending order of their share in the product by weight, including the percentage accounted for by each country. Member States have the right to require that only the percentages of the four main countries be indicated for honey on their market if together they account for more than 50% of the mixture.
Fruit juices
Three categories of fruit juices have been introduced: "fruit juice with reduced sugar content", "fruit juice with reduced sugar content" and "concentrated fruit juice with reduced sugar content", responding to the growing demand for products with less sugar. The new regulations allow for the use of the phrase "fruit juices contain only natural sugars" on labels to improve consumer information. This is important because many consumers often do not understand the difference between fruit juices, which by definition contain no added sugar, and fruit nectars.
Jams
The minimum fruit content in jams will be increased from 350 g to 450 g per kilogram, and in additional jams from 450 g to 500 g per kilogram. These measures will help to reduce the sugar content of jams, which will allow consumers to follow a healthier diet and support the fruit market.
Milk
For milk powder, the use of procedures for the production of dehydrated dairy products without lactose will be allowed.
The law will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and will enter into force 20 days after publication. The implementation of the new rules will begin in two years throughout the European Union.
Recall
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