Voluntary Report - public distribution

**Date:** 9/30/2003

**GAIN Report Number:** E23186

E23186

**European Union**

**Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards**

**New Allergen Labeling**

**2003**

**Approved by:**

![](media/image1.wmf)Christine Strossman

#### U.S. Mission to the European Union, Brussels

**Prepared by:**

Hilde Brans

**Report Highlights:**

On September 29, 2003, the Council and the European Parliament adopted
an important amendment to the EU\'s general food labeling directive.
Listing all sub-ingredients of compound ingredients on the label will
become mandatory thus enabling consumers to identify any allergenic
ingredients. The new rules will also extend to alcoholic beverages.

Includes PSD Changes: No

Includes Trade Matrix: No

Unscheduled Report

Brussels USEU \[BE2\]

\[E2\]

# NEW ALLERGEN LABELING

On September 29, 2003, the Council and the European Parliament adopted
an important amendment to the EU's general food labeling directive
(Directive 2000/13/EC). Listing all sub-ingredients of compound
ingredients on the label will become mandatory thus enabling consumers
to identify any allergenic ingredients. A list of ingredients liable to
cause allergies or intolerances is provided in the amendment to the
labeling directive. The new rules will also extend to alcoholic
beverages.

The new rules abolish the current "25% rule", under which it is not
necessary to list all the components of compound ingredients if they
make up less than 25% of the final food product. For example, the label
on a food product containing less than 25% mayonnaise, did not have to
list all the ingredients used in the mayonnaise. Because mayonnaise may
contain allergenic ingredients such as eggs and mustard, all the
ingredients will have to be declared under the new rules.

Some labeling exceptions will no longer be accepted for allergens.
Peanut oil can no longer be labeled as vegetable oil because peanuts are
included in the list of potential allergenic ingredients. Similarly, the
source of a natural flavor such as a nut will have to be indicated,
while it can currently be labeled as "natural flavor". Alcoholic
beverages were previously exempt from ingredient labeling. Under the new
rules, all ingredients that are on the allergen list must be declared
which means that sulphite present in wines will have to be indicated.

List of potential allergenic ingredients to be labeled:

-   Cereals containing gluten and products thereof

-   Crustaceans and products thereof

-   Eggs and products thereof

-   Fish and products thereof

-   Peanuts and products thereof

-   Soybeans and products thereof

-   Milk and dairy products (including lactose)

-   Nuts and nut products

-   Celery and products thereof

-   Mustard and products thereof

-   Sesame seeds and products thereof

-   Sulphur dioxide and sulphites at concentrations of more than 10
    mg/kg or 10 mg/liter

The new directive will be published in the EU's Official Journal in late
2003. Member states then have one year to transpose the directive into
national laws, after which a one-year transition period is granted to
manufacturers in order to modify the labeling of their products.
Consumers should see the concrete results of these new labeling
provisions in 2005.

**Visit our website:** our website
**[www.useu.be/agri/usda.html]{.underline}** provides a broad range of
useful information on EU import rules and food laws and allows easy
access to USEU reports, trade information and other practical
information. More information on EU labeling rules can be found at
www.useu.be/agri/label.html. E-mail: AgUSEUBrussels@usda.gov

**Related reports from USEU Brussels:**

  --------------- ------------------------------------ ------------------
  **Report        **Title**                            **Date Released**
  Number**                                             

  E23182          EU Directives affecting food         9/29/03
                  supplements, herbal medicines and    
                  certain dietetic foods               

  E23136          New rules on nutrition and health    7/18/03
                  claims proposed                      
  --------------- ------------------------------------ ------------------