Food Labeling Regulations: A Lecture Outline PDF

# LECTURE -6 ## Food labeling - I ### Objectives By the end of this lecture, you should be able to know: 1. Why food labeling is important? 2. General Food labeling regulations. 3. Aware with Information required on food product. ### Food labeling regulation in UK The law in the UK on food la...

# LECTURE -6 ## Food labeling - I ### Objectives By the end of this lecture, you should be able to know: 1. Why food labeling is important? 2. General Food labeling regulations. 3. Aware with Information required on food product. ### Food labeling regulation in UK The law in the UK on food labeling is spread over many reforms, making the subject complex. In the USA, food labeling is mainly regulated by FDA. Nevertheless, the following information should be included on any food product: ### Information required on food 1. Product name 2. Ingredient list and quantity 3. Allergenic ingredients 4. Nutritional Information 5. Medicinal or Nutritional Claims 6. Shelf life or Date Tagging 7. Storage instruction 8. Name and address of manufacturer, packer, or seller 9. Country of origin 10. Weight of volume 11. Instructions of use ### 1. Product * Product name must be clearly stated and products with 'made up' names must give a description of the food. * In case of the processed food, e.g. 'smoked food" the process must be stated. * The name must also differentiate between similar products. For example, 'orange drink' must contain oranges while 'orange flavored drinks' can be made with artificial flavorings. ### 2. Ingredient list and 3. Allergenic ingredients #### Ingredient list and quantity * The net quantity of food must be present unless it is < 5g. * Ingredients are listed in ascending order of weight. * All ingredients including additives and water must be listed. #### Allergenic ingredients * According to the regulation of EU, 2004 with a year transition period, the presence of the specified allergens must be indicated (see Table ). * * From November 2005 food and drink labels must state clearly if they contain ingredients to which people may be allergic. ### Allergenic ingredients that must be listed 1. Celery 2. Cereal containing gluten-wheat, rye, oat, barley 3. Milk. 4. Eggs. 5. Fish. 6. Mustard. 7. Soybeans. 8. Peanuts. 9. Sesame seeds. 10. Sulphur dioxide and sulphites at levels above 10 gm per kg or liter. ### 4. Nutritional Information If the manufacturer makes claims that the product is 'Low in Sugar', it must be supported with nutritional information (normally in tabulated form). ### 5. Medicinal or Nutritional Medicinal and Nutritional claims are tightly regulated; some are only allowed under certain conditions, while others are not permitted at all. For example, claiming the food product can treat, prevent or cure diseases or other 'adverse conditions' are prohibited. While claiming the food is reduced in fat or rich in vitamins require the food to meet standards, in addition, the terms must be used in a form specified in regulations. ### Nutrition A nutrition claim is any information other than nutrition labeling that states that a food contains or has a high or low amount of a nutrient. ### Claims are not referring to the prevention, treatment, or curing of diseases, but referring to: 1. Nutrient (content): as the presence of a nutrient, e.g. source of Fe. 2. Nutrient function: the physiological function of the nutrient e.g. helps children develop strong bones. 3. Comparative refer nutrient function: use terms such as 'lower' or 'higher' quantities of a nutrient when comparing foods, e.g. contain 25% more Fe. ### The Food Standards Agency's (FSA) gave guidelines on: Nutrient content claims for sugar, fat, saturates, and sodium (salt) as shown in the following Table. ### FSA guidelines on nutrient content claim | | Low | No added | Free | |:---|:---|:---|:---| |Sugar (s) |<5 g per 100 g or 100 ml|No sugars or foods composed mainly of sugars added to the food| <0.2 g per 100 g or 100 ml| |Fat| <3 g per 100 g or 100 ml| | <0.15 g per 100 g or 100 ml| |Saturates|<0.15 g per 100 g or 100 ml and not more than 10% of the total energy content of the product| |<0.1 g per 100 g or 100 ml| |Na/salt|<40 mg Na per 100g or 100 ml|No salt or Na foods added to the food| <5 mg Na per 100g or 100 ml| ### 6. Shelf life or Date Tagging Labels must give information on how long the product will last once it has been bought or opened. This information is intended to ensure the safety and quality of the food and to prevent food poisoning as: There are two types of date tagging: 1. Use by Date must be followed by a day or/and month which the product must be consumed by. To be employed on foods that usually would be kept cold, for example, fish, meat, dairy products and 'ready to eat' salads. 2. **Best Before Date:** The 'best before’ dates are more about quality than safety, except for eggs. It is used as an indicator of when the product will begin to degrade from optimal quality. So when the date runs out it doesn't mean that the food will be harmful, but it might begin to lose its flavor and texture. ### There are also regulations on which type of best before date must be applied: * **Best before + Day** for foods with a shelf life of up to 3 months. * **Best before end + Month** for foods with more than a 3 month shelf life. * **Best before end + Year** for food with more than an 18 month shelf life ### Best-before date **Definition** Date mark used on packaged food which has a shelf life of 6 weeks to 3 months after packaging. ### Best-before-end date **Definition** Date mark giving only the month and year. Used on packaged food which will stay in good condition for longer than 3 months (usually not more than 18 months). **A label on a bottle of apple juice displays a best before date of April 2008. The label reads:** > Once opened, keep refrigerated and drink within 4 days. > Ingredients: Irish apples, strawberries, vitamin c, no added sugar. > Best before: April 2008. > Serve chilled. > Pure Irish apple juice with strawberry **A box of a frozen product displays: ** > BEST BEFORE END: FEBRUARY 2005. > KEEP FROZEN: SEE BACK PANEL **The date is printed on the side of the box as `Best Before End February 2005'. Notice that storage instructions ('Keep Frozen') are given close to the date.** ### Comparison between Use by dates Best before dates | | Best before dates | Use by dates | |---|---|---| | | Refer to the quality of the food product | Indicate that the food product is no longer safe to consume after the stated date. | | | Foods that have a best before date are usually safe to eat after the date has passed, although they are likely to have deteriorated either in flavor, texture, or appearance. | Foods that have a use by date on the packaging must not be eaten BECAUSE it has expired after the date has passed.| ### 7. Storage instruction If there are any specific storage conditions for the product to maintain its shelf life, these must be pointed out. * Details must be given on the conditions needed to ensure freshness. * Following the instructions should ensure that the product's appearance and taste are optimum and prevent spoilage too quickly, so minimize the risk of food poisoning. * ### 7. Name and address of manufacturer, 8. Country of origin, 9. Weight of volume ### 7. Name and address of manufacturer These must be stated on the package so that the consumer has a point of contact if they need any information. ### 8. Country of origin The label must clearly state where the food is from, especially if the name or trademark is misleading - such as if the product is called `English Brie Cheese` when it is produced in France. ### 9. Weight of volume The volume of the product must be shown on the label. ### 10. Instructions of use * Instruction on how to prepare and cook the product must be printed on the package. * Oven temperature and cooking time are stated if the product needs heating instructions on microwave cooking may also be given. * These instruction are given to consume the food at its best and to reduce the risk of food poisoning by usually heating to a core temperature of 75°C. ### Presentation The label must be legible and easy to read. Also, it must be written in English, however, the manufacturer may also include other languages. ### Sectioning All of the following must be in the same field of vision: * Product name * Date * mark * Weight * Quantity * Alcohol strength (if applicable). ### Thank You