The 13th of December 2014 was an important date for those who operate in the food industry. This was the date on which many of the provisions of the EU Regulation on the provision of food information to consumers (“the FIC Regulation“) came into force across the EU.
This has resulted in a number of changes which food operators must have regard to including the following:
1. Food labels must now contain certain information such as ingredients, conditions of use and storage.
2. Country of origin information must now appear on labels of products containing meat of pigs, sheep, goats and poultry.
3. Food that is sold online or by way of distance selling must meet the same standard and requirements as food purchased in shops.
4. Any foods which are highly perishable must display a ‘use by’ date and once this date has passed the food will be deemed to be unsafe and cannot appear on the store shelves.
5. Allergen information must be displayed clearly and distinguishable from the other ingredients. The requirement to highlight allergen information has now been extended to loose, non-pre-packed foods also sold in restaurants, canteens and takeaways and other similar businesses.
This is due to be followed by rules in relation to the provision of mandatory nutrition information which will apply from 13 December 2016.
Katie Nugent
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