EN    EN EN  
EN    EN  COMMISSION OF THE E UROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
Brussels, 30.1.2008 
COM(2008) 40 final 
2008/0028 (COD)   
Proposal for a 
REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL 
on the provision of food information to consumers 
(presented by the Commission) 
  
{SEC(2008) 92} {SEC(2008) 93} {SEC(2008) 94} {SEC(2008) 95}  
EN 2   EN EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM  
1. C ONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL  
• Grounds for and objectives of the proposal 
 The draft proposal consolidates and update s two areas of labelling legislation, 
the general food and nutri tion labelling re spectively covered by Directives 
2000/13/EC and 90/496/EEC. Directive 2000/13/EC has been amended several times and the evolution of  both the food market and consumers' expectations 
renders its update and modernisation necessary. 
 Directive 90/496/EEC requires the Comm ission to report to the European 
Parliament and the Council on the ap plication of the Directive. The 
interinstitutional procedures have changed and in certain cases the Commission must submit an impact assessment w ith proposals for new legislation. The 
revision of the nutrition labelling le gislation is accompanied by an impact 
assessment giving an overview of the application of Di rective 90/496/EEC. 
Therefore, a separate report on the im plementation of the Directive has not 
been prepared. 
• General context  
 General labelling - The main political w ill that motivated the first "horizontal" 
legislative instrument on food labelling (Directive 79/112/EEC) was to provide 
rules for the labelling of foods as a tool  for the free circulation of foods in the 
Community. Over time the protection of consumers' rights emerged as a 
specific objective of the European Community. 
 In 2003 DG SANCO in close co-opera tion with stakeholders, launched an 
evaluation of the food labelling legislation in order to reassess its effectiveness 
and legal basis, and to identify the need s and expectations of today's consumers 
for food information, taking into acc ount the technical and logistical 
constraints. The conclusions, published in 2004, identified the focus for a 
future proposal. 
 Nutrition labelling - The recent Wh ite Paper on a Stra tegy for Europe on 
Nutrition, Overweight and Obesity relate d health issues stressed the need for 
consumers to have access to clear, consis tent and evidence-based information. 
Nutrition labelling is an establishe d way for providing information to 
consumers to support health conscious food choices. There is wide agreement that the effectiveness of nutrition labell ing can be strengthened as a means to 
support consumers' ability to choose a balanced diet. 
 There have been initiatives by stake holders to encourage the inclusion of 
nutrition information on the front of packs.  There is divergence in the labelling 
schemes being used which can create barriers to trade.  
EN 3   EN • Existing provisions in the area of the proposal  
 The proposal merges and amends the following legislation :: 
– Directive 2000/13/EC of  20 March 2000 on the approximation of the 
laws of the Member States relating  to the labelli ng, presentation and 
advertising of foodstuffs. 
 This Directive lays down common labelling requirements applicable to 
all foods to be delivered  to the final consumer, and to foods supplied to 
mass caterers. It establishes th e mandatory labelling information. 
 The proposal introduces certain ge neral principles regarding the 
provision of food information and de velops a governance mechanism to 
take account of develo pments that would enable consumers to make 
informed food choices. The mandatory  requirements remain broadly the 
same with the option for the Commission to propose new requirements for specific issues. 
– Council Directive 90/496/EEC of  24 September 1990 on nutrition 
labelling for foodstuffs. 
 The proposal introduces mandatory la belling of key nutritional elements 
in the principal field of vision. 
 In addition to the merging of Directives 2000/13/EC and 90/496/EEC the 
following texts are recast in the text: 
– Commission Directive 87/250/EEC of 15 April 1987 on the indication of 
alcoholic strength by volume in the la belling of alcoholic beverages for 
sale to the ultimate consumer 
– Commission Directive 94/54/EC of  18 November 1994 concerning the 
compulsory indication on the labelling of certain foodstuffs of particulars 
other than those provided for in Council Directive 79/112/EEC 
– Commission Directive 1999/10/EC of 8 March 1999 providing for 
derogations from the provisions of  Article 7 of Council Directive 
79/112/EEC as regards the labelling of foodstuffs 
– Commission Directive 2002/67/EC of 18 July 2002 on the labelling of 
foodstuffs containing quinine, and of foodstuffs containing caffeine 
– Commission Regulation (EC) No 60 8/2004 of 31 March 2004 concerning 
the labelling of foods and food ingredients w ith added phytosterols, 
phytosterol esters, phytostanols and/or phytostanol esters 
– Commission Directive 2004/77/EC of  29 April 2004 amending Directive 
94/54/EC as regards the labelli ng of certain foods containing 
glycyrrhizinic acid a nd its ammonium salt.  
EN 4   EN • Consistency with the other policies and objectives of the Union 
 The proposal is in line with the Commission's Better Regulation Policy, the 
Lisbon Strategy and the EU's Sustainable Development strategy. The emphasis is on simplifying the regulatory process,  thus reducing the administrative 
burden and improving the competitiven ess of the European food industry, 
while ensuring the safety of food, main taining high level of public health 
protection and taking global aspects into  consideration. Ther e is an ongoing 
exercise on the measurement of administrative costs from the horizontal labelling provisions, the outcome of wh ich could provide relevant information. 
2. C
ONSULTATION OF INTERESTED PARTIES AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT  
• Consultation of interested parties 
 Consultation methods, main secto rs targeted and general profile of 
respondents  
 There were broad surveys of all intere sted parties seeking their views on the 
provisions and application of existing le gislation and the needs for change. The 
respondents were from governmental and NGOs, industry and individuals. 
Certain consultations were targeted at Member States, industry or consumers. 
 Summary of responses and how th ey have been taken into account  
 Consumers demand more and "better" in formation on labels and are interested 
in clear, simple, comprehensive, standardised and authoritative information. Industry considers there are too many labelling requireme nts which involve 
implementation of detailed, technical rule s. The volume and dispersal of texts 
undermines the clarity and coherence of the rules. The cost of changes is a 
concern to industry. Member  States wish to balan ce the needs of consumers 
and industry, taking into account, any issues  that are specific  to their country. 
 Specific aspects highlighted in the c onsultation on the general labelling were: 
– consumers find it difficult to read and understand labels; 
– there are a number of foods from wh ich information on allergens is 
missing; 
– origin labelling is a problematic area; 
– there is a legal limbo concerning i ngredient listing of alcoholic 
beverages. 
 For nutrition labelling it is believed th at the inclusion of nutrition information 
is an important source of information for the consumer. There is dissatisfaction among stakeholders on the legislation but  views diverge on how to improve it. 
– Some consumers require or prefer a comprehensive overview of the 
nutrient content, while ot hers have concerns rega rding only a fraction of  
EN 5   EN this. Consumers and public health NGOs want mandatory full nutrition 
labelling that is easy to understand. 
– Industry is concerned by the prescriptiv e nature of the legislation and the 
effect on the design of packaging. They  want a more flexible voluntary 
approach. 
– Member States are aware of the need  to reduce barriers to the internal 
market which is facilitated by a harm onised approach. However, there is 
increasing pressure from some for increased flexibility at national level, in particular, where innovative nutrit ion labelling systems are being used. 
 An open consultation was conducted over the internet from 13 March 2006 to 
16 June 2006. The Commission received 175 response(s). The results are available on  http://ec.europa.eu/food/ food/labellingnutrition/bette rregulation/index_en.htm. 
• Collection and use of expertise 
 There was no need for external expertise. 
• Impact assessment  
 Certain basic alternative approaches were considered: 
 No intervention - This would maintain  the current situation with scattered 
legislation with the foll owing negative effects: 
– piecemeal and confusing rules undermin ing the effective implementation; 
– unjustified burdens on food business because of outdated, redundant or 
unclear requirements; 
– inconsistent consumer use of labels; 
– ineffectiveness of labelli ng as a communication tool; 
– failure of the legislation to adapt to changing markets and consumers' 
legitimate demands. 
 Intervention was considered  in the context of deregul ation, national legislation, 
non-statutory approach or upda ting Community legislation. 
 Deregulation - This would entail the a bolition of the basic policy instruments 
on horizontal food labelling rules with a direct impact on vertical labelling 
rules.  
EN 6   EN  Although food manufacturers would continue  to apply the current rules for a 
short period of time, they would pr ogressively remove information they 
consider as a burden. Non- harmonised rules would impa ir the internal market, 
lead to poor information and reduce the level of consumer protection. Existing 
rules have proven their merits in allowing free circulation of goods and 
consumers' protection. Dismantling them  would meet resistance from most 
Member States and consumers given that they have been used to the current requirements and any change could be s een as an abandonme nt of a valuable 
"acquis". Therefore, deregulation was not considered a viable approach. 
 National legislation - The repeal of  the harmonised rules would result in 
creation of national rules with  the following consequences: 
– different national rules would impede the internal market; 
– distortion of fair competition; 
– increased administrative burden for industry; 
– inconsistent approach in content and availability of information creating 
confusion for consumers; 
– different level of protection for EU citizens. 
 Alternative non-statutory approach (sel f-regulation, co-regulation, guidance) - 
The different features of consumer info rmation and current trends towards the 
development of a "new legislative cu lture" called for the assessment of an 
approach that could strike the balance between flexibility and prescription and 
between action at the national and action at EU level. A multi-level bottom-up governance (local/national/c ommunity) based on the principle of commitment 
to formal, measurable best practice could be a viable alternative. 
 Moving the already harmonised detailed requirements to such an approach 
would have no added value given that  this would unnecessarily complicate 
current understanding among stakeholde rs and could be perceived as a 
deregulation. Although, as far as any new policy issues are concerned, the 
introduction of a more elaborate and sustainable approach to consumer 
information emerging from best practices  and from a constant dialogue with 
stakeholders has the potentia l to achieve beneficial re sults both for industry and 
consumers. 
 The impacts of the main options for th e revision of the general and nutrition 
labelling provisions were examined in  relation to taking no action, voluntary 
action or prescriptive Community require ments were examined in the impact 
assessment.  
EN 7   EN  The Commission carried out an imp act assessment listed in the Work 
Programme, whose report is accessible on the Commission website. The Commission completed the impact assessment reports on the options for the revision of Directive 2000/13/EC and Directive 90/496/EEC which are 
presented in parallel with this propo sal as Commission Staff Working Papers. 
 The impact assessment indicated that  the impact on manufacturers can be 
attenuated by providing transition periods that allow for labelling changes to be 
made during the normal cycle for label ch anges that are in operation within a 
business. 
3. L
EGAL ELEMENTS OF THE PROPOSAL  
• Summary of the proposed action 
 Adoption of a Regulation of  the European Parliament and of the Council on the 
provision of food information to c onsumers. The proposal modernises, 
simplifies and clarifies the current f ood labelling scene. In particular: 
– Recasting of the different horizontal la belling provisions. The merging of 
those texts (directives) into a single pi ece of legislation (regulation) will 
maximise synergies and increase the clarity and consistency of Community rules. This is a powerfu l simplification method that should 
provide economic operators and enfor cement authorities with a clearer 
and more streamlined regulatory framework;  
– To ensure coherence between horizontal and vertical rules; 
– Rationalisation (update, clarification)  of the compulsory information 
required by Article 3(1) of Directive 2000/13/EC;  
– Setting-up of a flexible bottom-up mechanism (through national 
schemes) that would enable industry to innovate, and allow for some aspects of the labelling rules to be adapted to different and continuously 
changing markets and consumer demands. 
 In addition, it introduces clear principles  to draw a clearer borderline between 
mandatory and voluntary information. The main changes with respect to general labelling issues are: 
– The clarification of the responsibili ties regarding food labelling for the 
different food business operators along the supply chain;  
– To improve the legibility of the information provided on the labelling a 
minimum print size for the mandatory information is introduced; 
– The introduction of a requirement that information on allergenic 
ingredients should be available fo r non-prepacked foods sold through 
retail and catering outlets;  
EN 8   EN – Given the specificities of wine, spir its and beer, the proposal provides for 
the Commission to report on the applicat ion of current rules on ingredient 
listing and mandatory nutrition labe lling on these products with the 
possibility of specific measures to be adopted.  
– With respect to the labelling of the country of origin or place of 
provenance of a food, the basic requirem ent in the legislation remains the 
same. Therefore, such labelling is voluntary, but if the failure to give 
such information might mislead the consumer, the labelling becomes mandatory. Both the mandatory or th e voluntary indication of the country 
of origin or place of provenance of a food as a marketing tool, should not 
deceive the consumer and should be  based on harmonised criteria. The 
country of origin should be determined in accordance with the provisions on non-preferential origin followi ng the Community Custom Code . The 
place of provenance would refer to any place that is not the country of 
origin as determined by the Community Customs Code. Rules for determining the place of provenance will be adopted following Comitology procedure. In addition, criteria are in troduced for the 
declaration of country of origin  or place of provenance of multi-
ingredient products and th e country of origin or place of provenance of 
meat, other than beef and veal. These criteria would equally apply to the 
voluntary declaration of "E C" origin labelling; 
– The proposal clarifies the conditions under which Member States may 
adopt national rule s on origin labelling. 
 The rules on nutrition labelling are r ecast with the horizontal food labelling 
provisions. The proposal makes nutrition labelling mandatory in the principal 
field of vision of a food label. Allows for the development of best practice in 
the presentation of nutrition informa tion, including alternative forms of 
expression of the nutrition information in relation to overall daily nutrient 
requirements or graphical forms of presentation. 
 The main new aspects of the pr oposal on nutrition labelling are: 
– The mandatory declaration is for en ergy, fat, saturates, carbohydrates 
with specific reference to sugars and salt expressed as amounts per 100g or per 100 ml or per portion in the prin cipal field of vision  (front of pack) 
whilst nutrients from a defined lis t may be declared voluntarily. In 
selecting the mandatory elements acc ount has been taken of: research 
indicating that consumers can feel overwhelmed by excessive 
information; the scientific advice about the most important nutrients 
bearing a relationship to the risk of development of obesity and non-
communicable diseases; while a voiding excessive burden on food 
businesses, in particular sma ll and medium size enterprises; 
– In the case of alcoholic drinks, dero gations are provided for wine, spirits 
and beer, and will be subject to a future Commission report;  
EN 9   EN – The mandatory elements must also be declared in relation to reference 
intakes whilst other presentation formats may be developed through 
voluntary national schemes. 
 In order to address the problems resu lting from the piecemeal legislation, the 
new proposal will amend, recast and replace provisions already in place under the current horizontal food la belling legislation leadi ng to the repeal of the 
following legislation: 
 Directives 2000/13/EC, 90/496/EE C, 87/250/EEC, 94/54/EC, 1999/10/EC, 
2002/67/EC, 2004/77/EC and Regulation (EC) No 608/2004. 
• Legal basis 
 Article 95  
• Subsidiarity principle 
 The subsidiarity principle applies inso far as the proposal does not fall under the 
exclusive competence of the Community. 
 The objectives of the proposal cannot be  sufficiently achieved by the Member 
States for the following reason(s). 
 Food labelling protects consumers a nd informs their decision making. It is 
considered that action at the EU level w ould deliver better results than a series 
of individual actions by Member States because: 
(i) a harmonised approach may simplify administrative burden on food 
companies operating either trans-nationally or Community wide, and 
(ii) uniform action ensures Community  wide minimum standards reducing 
inequity for citizens across the EU . Different labelling requirements 
could undermine the current single market opportunities for the food chain with a major impact on trad e given the high volume of intra-
Community trade which in 2003 accounted  for over 75% of all trade with 
flows of around € 120 billion. One surv ey of the food industry indicates 
that 65% of companies exported thei r products to other Member States 
and in this survey over 60% of the respondents favoured harmonisation 
of general food labelling th rough European legislation. 
 The core of the Community action is setting the conditions for the labelling of 
food within the EU which cannot be appropriately a ddressed by Member States 
alone if the common internal market is to function smoothly. As to the details 
of the Regulation applicable, a more participative and flexible way of 
designing and enforcing it will be offered by the governance model for the 
development of national schemes. 
 Community action will better achieve th e objectives of the proposal for the 
following reason(s).  
EN 10   EN  Experience shows that Member Stat es cannot achieve a harmonised common 
market satisfactorily and that the EU can  do better and more efficiently for the 
provision of information to consumers.  The new proposal provides also space 
for softer intervention mechanism at national and EU level. 
 Community competence is used taki ng full account of the principles of 
subsidiarity and proportiona lity acknowledging that, with respect to certain 
aspects, total uniformity of labels thr oughout the EU is not necessarily the only 
and desired way to reach the objectives sought. It would, on the contrary, dismantle the potential for rapid adjustment to changing needs and circumstances of the applicable rules. 
 Harmonisation is provided for prepacked foods that would potentially be part 
of intracommunity trade. Member States may introduce rules when the products are not subject to intracommunity  trade, such as non-prepacked foods 
and foods provided by mass caterers. 
 The proposal therefore complies wi th the subsidiarity principle. 
• Proportionality principle 
 The proposal complies with the propor tionality principle for the following 
reason(s). 
 The proposal harmonise s the regulatory framewo rk for the horizontal 
provisions regarding food labelling and t hus contributes to consumer protection 
by ensuring that consumers receive appropr iate information to enable them to 
make informed, safe, healthy and sust ainable choices. The proposed measures 
are sufficient in terms of reaching th e objectives of ensuring consumers are 
enabled to make informed choices a nd to securing the sm ooth functioning of 
the internal market. At the same time they do not impose an excessive or 
unjustified burden. 
 The absence of harmonisation would result  in a proliferation of national rules 
resulting in increased bur den for the industry and lack of clarity for the 
consumers. The financial burden is mi nimised as most of the provisions 
currently exist whilst sufficient time is allowed for any new requirements to be part of the regular modificati on of labels by manufacturers. 
• Choice of instruments  
 Proposed instruments: regulation, co-regulation. 
 Other means would not be adequate for the following reason(s).  
EN 11   EN  The existing rules are, in general, pres criptive with little flexibility for Member 
States in how they should be applied. A Directive would have lead to an inconsistent approach in the Community leading to uncertainty for both consumers and the industry. A Regulation provides a consistent approach for 
industry to follow and reduces the admini strative burden as they not need to 
familiarise themselves with the individual Regulations in the Member States. Guidelines, self-regulatory or volunt ary approaches would have led to 
inconsistency and a potential reduction in  the amount of information provided 
to consumers, which would not be accep table. However, there are aspects of 
the legislation for which a more flexible  approach was cons idered appropriate 
and for those aspects an alternative fo rm of governance ba sed on soft law and 
voluntary commitments is deve loped in the draft proposal. 
4. B
UDGETARY IMPLICATION  
None. 
5. A DDITIONAL INFORMATION  
• Simulation, pilot phase and transitory period 
 There will be a transitory period for the proposal.  
• Simplification 
 The proposal provides for simplification of legislation.  
 The use of a Regulation as the legal instrument supports the objective of 
simplification because it guarantees that all actors have to follow at the same 
time the same rules. 
 The combination of the Directive 2000/13/EC with Directive 90/496/EEC on 
nutrition labelling into one instrument simplifies the regulatory framework. In 
addition, the proposal simplifies the stru cture of the 2000/13/EC legislation, by 
recasting and replacing provisions alrea dy in place under the current horizontal 
food labelling legislation. By addressi ng certain specific policy issues the 
proposal will contribute significantly to easier comp liance and greater clarity 
for stakeholders.  
 The proposal is included in the Commi ssion's rolling programme for up-date 
and simplification of the acquis communa utaire and its Work and Legislative 
Programme under the reference 2006/SANCO/001. 
• Repeal of existing legislation 
 The adoption of the proposal will lead to the repeal of existing legislation.  
EN 12   EN • Recasting 
 The proposal involves recasting 
• European Economic Area 
 The proposed act concerns an EEA matter and should therefore extend to the 
European Economic Area. 
• Detailed explanation of the proposal 
 The Regulation provides the basis for the assurance of a high level of consumer 
protection in relation to food in establishing general principles and 
requirements of food informati on law (Chapters II and III). 
 Chapter IV (mandatory information) simplifies the existing legislation while 
maintaining the core mandatory labelling particulars. In taking the definitions 
and detailed or specific ru les into annexes, the text is easier to follow and 
amend. 
 The rules for the labelling of particular s of the place of origin are clarified. 
 Section 3 of Chapter IV specifies th e nutrition information for energy value 
and the amounts of fat, sa turates, carbohydrates  with specific reference sugars 
and salt is made mandator y, and requires its presentati on in the principal field 
of vision of the label. 
 In Chapter VII a food information gove rnance system for na tional schemes is 
created to encourage the establishment at Member State level an interactive 
and sustained process of information ex change in order to allow national non 
binding schemes to be developed draw ing on best practi ces. At Community 
level the Commission shall encourag e and organise the exchange of 
information between the Member States and with itself on activities related to the development of national schemes.
   
EN 13   EN 2008/0028 (COD) 
Proposal for a 
REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL 
on the provision of food information to consumers  
(Text with EEA relevance) 
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE CO UNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 
Having regard to the Treaty esta blishing the European Communit y, and in particular Article 
95 thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission1, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Eu ropean Economic and Social Committee2, 
Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty3, 
Whereas: (1) Article 153 of the Treaty provides that the Community is to contribute to the 
attainment of a high level of consumer prot ection by the measures it adopts pursuant to 
Article 95 thereof. 
(2) The free movement of safe and wholesome f ood is an essential aspect of the internal 
market and contributes signifi cantly to the health and well -being of citizens, and to 
their social and economic interests. 
(3) In order to achieve a high level of hea lth protection for consumers and to guarantee 
their right to information, it should be en sured that consumers are appropriately 
informed as regards food they consume. Consumers choices can be influenced by, inter alia  , health, economic, environmental, social and ethical considerations. 
(4) Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the Eur opean Parliament and of the Council of 
28 January 2002 laying down th e general principles and requirements of food law, 
establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in 
matters of food safety
4 provides that it is a general pr inciple of food law to provide a 
basis for consumers to make informed choices  in relation to food they consume and to 
prevent any practices that may mislead the consumer. 
                                                 
1 OJ C xxx, xx.xx.xxxx. p. xx. 
2 OJ C xxx, xx.xx.xxxx. p. xx. 
3 Opinion of the European Parliament of  …………….., Council Comm on Position of ………….. 
4 OJ L 31, 1.2.2002, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 575/2006 
(OJ L 100, 8.4.2006, p. 3).  
EN 14   EN (5) Directive 2005/29/EC of the European Pa rliament and of the Council of 11 May 2005 
concerning unfair busine ss-to-consumer commercial practices in the internal market5 
covers certain aspects of the provision of information to consumers specifically to 
prevent misleading actions and omissions of  information. The general principles on 
unfair commercial practices should be comp lemented by specific rules concerning the 
provision of food information to consumers. 
(6) Community rules on food labelling appl icable to all foods  are laid down in 
Directive 2000/13/EC of the European  Parliament and of the Council of 
20 March 2000 on the approximation of the laws  of the Member States relating to the 
labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs6. The majority of the provisions 
laid down in that Directive date back  to 1978 and should therefore be updated. 
(7) Council Directive 90/496/EEC of 24 September 1990 on nutrition labelling for 
foodstuffs7 lays down rules on the content and pr esentation of nutriti on information on 
prepacked foods. The inclusion of nutrition information is voluntary unless a nutrition 
related claim is made concerning the food. Th e majority of the provisions laid down in 
that Directive date back to 1990 and should therefore be updated. 
(8) The general labelling requirements ar e complemented by a number of provisions 
applicable to all foods in part icular circumstances or to ce rtain categories  of foods. In 
addition, there are a number of specific rules which are applicable to specific foods. 
(9) While the original objec tives and the core component s of the curr ent labelling 
legislation are still valid, it is  necessary to streamline it in order to ensure easier 
compliance and greater clarity for stakeholde rs and to modernise it in order to take 
account of new developments in the field of food information. 
(10) There is public interest in the relationship between diet and health and in the choice of 
an appropriate diet to suit individual  needs. The Commission White Paper on a 
Strategy for Europe on Nutrition, Overwei ght and Obesity related health issues8 noted 
that nutrition labelling is an important tool  to inform consumers about the composition 
of the foods and help them make an informed choice. The EU consumer policy strategy 2007 - 2013 underlined that allowing co nsumers to make informed choice is 
essential both to effective competition and consumer welfare. Knowledge of the basic principles of nutrition and appropriate nutri tion information on foods would contribute 
significantly towards enabling the consumer to make such an informed choice. 
(11) In order to enhance legal certainty and ensure rationality and consistency of 
enforcement, it is appropri ate to repeal Directives 90/496/EEC and 2000/13/EC and to 
replace them by a single Regulation which ensures certainty for both consumers and 
the industry and reduces th e administrative burden.  
                                                
 
5 OJ L 149, 11.6.2005, p. 22. 
6 OJ L 109, 6.5.2000, p. 29. Directive as last amended by Commission Directive 2006/142/EC (OJ L 368, 
23.12.2006, p. 110). 
7 OJ L 276, 6.10.1990, p. 40. Directive as last amended by Commission Directive 2003/120/EC 
(OJ L 333, 20.12.2003, p. 51.) 
8 COM(2007) 279.  
EN 15   EN (12) For the sake of clarity, it  is appropriate to repeal and include in this Regulation other 
horizontal acts, namely Commission Dir ective 87/250/EEC of 15 April 1987 on the 
indication of alcoholic strength by volume in  the labelling of alcoholic beverages for 
sale to the ultimate consumer9, Commission Directive 94/54 /EC of 18 November 1994 
concerning the compulsory indication on th e labelling of certain foodstuffs of 
particulars other than those provid ed for in Council Directive 79/112/EEC10, 
Commission Directive 1999/10/EC of 8 Ma rch 1999 providing for derogations from 
the provisions of Artic le 7 of Council Directive 79/112/ EEC as regards the labelling of 
foodstuffs11, Commission Directive 2002/67/EC of 18 July 2002 on the labelling of 
foodstuffs containing quinine, and of  foodstuffs containing caffeine12, Commission 
Regulation (EC) No 608/2004 of 31 March 2004 concerning the labelling of foods and 
food ingredients with added phytosterols, phytos terol esters, phyto stanols and/or 
phytostanol esters13 and Commission Directive 2004/77/EC of 29 April 2004 
amending Directive 94/54/EC as regards th e labelling of certain foods containing 
glycyrrhizinic acid and its ammonium salt14. 
(13) It is necessary to set common definitions, principles, re quirements and procedures so 
as to form a clear framework and a co mmon basis for Community and national 
measures governing food information. 
(14) In order to follow a comprehensive and evolutionary approach to the information 
provided to consumers rela ting to food they consume,  there should be a broad 
definition of food information law covering ru les of a general and specific nature as 
well as a broad definition of food informa tion covering information provided also by 
other means than the label. 
(15) Community rules should apply only to unde rtakings, the concept of which implies a 
certain continuity of activiti es and a certain degree of orga nisation. Operations such as 
the occasional handling, serving and selling of  food by private persons at events such 
as charities, or local community fairs and m eetings are not covered by the scope of this 
regulation. 
(16) Food information law should provide sufficient flexibility to be able  to keep up to date 
with new information requirements from c onsumers and ensure a balance between the 
protection of the internal market and the di fferences in the percep tion of consumers in 
the Member States. 
(17) The prime consideration for requiring manda tory food information s hould be to enable 
consumers to identify and make appropriate use of a food and to  make choices that 
suit their individual dietary needs. 
(18) In order to enable food information la w to adapt to changing consumers' needs for 
information, any considerations about the need for mandatory food information should 
                                                 
9 OJ L 113, 30.4.1987, p. 57. 
10 OJ L 300, 23.11.1994, p. 14. Directive as last amended by Directive 2004/77/EC (OJ L 162, 30.4.2004, 
p. 76). 
11 OJ L 69, 16.3.1999, p. 22. 
12 OJ L 191, 19.7.2002, p. 20. 
13 OJ L 97, 1.4.2004, p. 44. 
14 OJ L 162, 30.4.2004, p. 76.   
EN 16   EN also take account of the wide ly demonstrated interest from  the majority of consumers 
in the disclosure of certain information.  
(19) New mandatory food information requireme nts should however only  be established if 
and where necessary, in accordance with the pr inciples of subsidiarity, proportionality 
and sustainability. 
(20) The rules on food information should prohibit the use of information that would 
mislead the consumer or attribute medicinal pr operties to foods. To be effective, this 
prohibition should also apply to the a dvertising and presentation of foods. 
(21) In order to prevent a fragmentation of th e rules concerning the responsibility of food 
business operators with respect  to food information it is appropriate to clarify the 
responsibilities of food busine ss operators in this area. 
(22) A list should be drawn up of all mandatory information which should in principle be 
provided for all foods intended for the final consumer and the mass caterers. That list 
should maintain the information that is already required under existing legislation 
given that it is generally considered as a valuable acquis for consumer information. 
(23) In order to take account of changes and developments in the field of food information, 
provisions should be made to empower the Commission to amend the list of mandatory information by adding or rem oving particulars and for enabling the 
availability of certain pa rticulars through alternative means. Consultation with 
stakeholders should facilitate timely and we ll targeted changes of food information 
requirements. 
(24) When used in the produc tion of foods and still present,  certain ingredients or other 
substances are the cause of allergies or intolerances in consumers, and some of those allergies or intolerances constitute a dange r to the health of t hose concerned. It is 
important that information on the presence of  food additives, pro cessing aids and other 
substances with allergenic effect should be  given to enable consumers suffering from a 
food allergy or intolerance to make informed and safe choices. 
(25) Food labels should be clear and understan dable to assist consumers wanting to make 
better-informed food and dietar y choices. Studies show that legibility is an important 
element in maximising the possibility that labelled information can influence its audience and that the small print size is  one of the main causes of consumer 
dissatisfaction with food labels. 
(26) In order to ensure the provision of food information, it is necessary to consider all 
ways of supplying food to consumers, in cluding selling food by means of distance 
communication. Although it is clear that any food supplie d through distant selling 
should meet the same information requirement s as food sold in s hops, it is necessary 
to clarify that in such ca ses the relevant mandatory food information should also be 
available before the purchase is concluded. 
(27) With a view to provide consumers with f ood information that is necessary to make an 
informed choice, alcoholic mixed beverages should also provide information on their 
ingredients.   
EN 17   EN (28) It is also important to  provide consumers with information on the other alcoholic 
beverages. Specific Community rules alrea dy exist on the labelling of wine. Council 
Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 of 17 Ma y 1999 on the common organisation of the 
market in wine15 provides an exhaustive set of tec hnical standards which fully cover 
all oenological practices, manufacturi ng methods and means of presentation and 
labelling of wines, thus ensuring that all stages in the chain are covered and that 
consumers are protected and properly informed. In particular, this legislation describes 
in a precise and exhaustive manner the substa nces likely to be used in the production 
process, together with the conditions for their use via a positive list of oenological 
practices and treatments; any practice not incl uded in this list is prohibited. Therefore, 
it is appropriate to exempt wine at this stage from the obligation to list the ingredients and to provide for a nutrition declaration. As  regards beer and spirits as defined in 
Article 2(1) of Regulation (EC)  No. […] of […] of the European Parliament and of the 
Council on the definition, description, presen tation, labelling and the protection of 
geographical indications of spirit drinks and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 
1576/89
16, and in order to ensure  a consistent approach and coherence with the 
conditions established for wine, the same kind of exemptions shall apply. However, 
the Commission will produce a report after five  years of the entry into force of this 
Regulation and may propose, if necessary, spec ific requirements in the context of this 
Regulation.  
(29) The indication of the country of origin or of the place of provenance of a food should 
be provided whenever its absence is likely to  mislead consumers as to the true country 
of origin or place of provenance of that pr oduct. In other cases, the provision of the 
indication of country of origin or place of pr ovenance is left to the appreciation of food 
business operators. In all cases, the indicat ion of country of origin or place of 
provenance should be provided in a manner which does not deceive the consumer and 
on the basis of clearly defined criteria wh ich ensure a level playing field for the 
industry and improve consumers' understand ing of the information related to the 
country of origin or place of provenance of a food. Such criteria should not apply to 
indications related to the name or address of the food business operator. 
(30) In some cases, food business operators may want to  indicate that the origin of a food is 
the European Community to draw the consum ers' attention to th e qualities of their 
product and to the European Union's producti on standards. Such indications should 
also comply with harmonised criteria. 
(31) The European Community's non-preferential rules of origin are laid down in Council 
Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 of 12 Oct ober 1992 establishing  the Community 
Customs Code17 and its implementing provisions in Commission Regulation (EEC) 
No 2454/93 of 2 July 1993 laying down provisions for the implementation of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 establis hing the Community Customs Code
18. 
                                                 
15 OJ L 179, 14.7.1999, p. 1. 
16 OJ L [ …], […], p.[…]. 
17 OJ L 302, 19.10.1993, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 1791/2006 
(OJ L 363, 20.12.2006, p. 1). 
18 OJ L 253, 11.10.1993, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 883/2005 
(OJ L 148, 11.6.2005, p. 5).  
EN 18   EN Determination of the country of origin of foods will be based on these rules, which are 
well known to trade operators and administra tions and should ease its implementation.  
(32) The nutrition declaratio n on a food concerns informa tion on the presence of energy 
and certain nutrients in foods. The manda tory provision of nutrition information 
should assist action in the area of nutr ition education for the public and support 
informed food choice. 
(33) The Commission White Paper on a Strate gy for Europe on Nutrition, Overweight and 
Obesity related health issues highlighted ce rtain nutritional elemen ts of importance to 
public health. Therefore, it is appropriate  that the requirements on the mandatory 
provision of nutrition information shoul d take into account such elements. 
(34) In general, consumers are not aware of the potential cont ribution of alcoholic 
beverages to their overall diet. Therefore, it is appropriate to ensure that information 
on the nutrient content of in particular mixed alcoholic beverages is provided. 
(35) In the interest of consistency and co herence of Community legislation the voluntary 
inclusion of nutrition or hea lth claims on food labels shou ld be in accordance with the 
Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 of the Europe an Parliament and of the Council of 
20 December 2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods19. 
(36) To avoid unnecessary burde ns on the industry, it is appropriate to exempt certain 
categories of foods that are unprocessed or  for which nutrition information is not a 
determining factor for consumer choice fr om the mandatory inclusion of nutrition 
declaration, unless the obligation to provide  such information is provided under other 
Community legislation. 
(37) To appeal to the average consumer and to serve the informative purpose for which it is 
introduced, and given the current level of knowledge on the subject of nutrition, the information provided should be simple and easily understood. Research has indicated 
that consumers find the information in the prin cipal field of view or ‘front of pack’ is 
useful when making purchasing decisions. Th erefore, to ensure that consumers can 
readily see the essential nutri tion information when purchasing foods such information 
should be in the principal fi eld of view of the label. 
(38) Recent developments in the expression of the nutrition declaration, other than per 
100g/100ml/portion, by some Member States a nd organisations in the food sector 
suggest that consumers like such schemes as they can help them make informed 
choices quickly. However, there is not ev idence across all the Community on how the 
average consumer understands and uses the alternative expression of the information. Therefore, it is appropriate to allow for di fferent schemes to be developed a nd to allow 
research on consumer understanding in different  Member States to continue so that, if 
appropriate, harmonised schemes may be introduced. 
(39) The declaration in the principal field of  view of the amounts of nutritional elements 
and comparative indicators in an easily re cognisable form to enable an assessment of 
                                                
 
19 OJ L 404, 30.12.2006, p. 9. Regulation as amended by …  
EN 19   EN the nutritional properties of a food should be considered in its  entirety as part of the 
nutrition declaration and not be treat ed as a group of individual claims. 
(40) Experience shows that in many cases voluntary food information is provided to the 
detriment of the clarity of the mandatory food information. Therefore, criteria should 
be provided to help food business operators and enforcement authorities to strike a 
balance between the provision of manda tory and voluntary food information. 
(41) Member States should retain the righ t, depending on local pr actical conditions and 
circumstances, to lay down rules in respect  of the provision of information concerning 
non-prepacked foods. Although in such cases the consumer demand for other information is limited, information on potential allergens is considered very important. Evidence suggests that most food aller gy incidents can be traced back to non-
prepacked food. Therefore such information should always be provided to the consumer. 
(42) Member States should not be able to a dopt provisions other than those laid down in 
this Regulation in the field it harmonise s, unless specifically indicated in it. 
(43) Food information rules should be able to  adapt to a rapidly changing social, economic 
and technological environment. 
(44) In respect of certain aspects of food info rmation that give rise to the development of 
innovative and modern commer cial practices, it is necessary to allow sufficient 
experiments and consumer research and to provide solid evidence about the best systems. Therefore, in such cases Comm unity food information law should restrict 
itself to setting out the mandatory essent ial requirements determining the level of 
consumer protection and information and leav e flexibility for the fulfilment of such 
requirements, in a manner that is compatib le with the internal market provisions. 
(45) In order to ensure that more detailed food information requirements are designed and 
established in a dialectic manner and emer ge from best practices, there should be 
flexible mechanisms at Community and na tional level based on open and transparent 
public consultation and sustained interaction between a wide range of representative 
stakeholders. Such mechanism may result in  the development of  national non-binding 
schemes on the basis of solid consumer rese arch and wide stakeholder consultation. 
There should be mechanisms for consumers to be able to identify foods labelled in 
compliance with the national scheme such as through an identification number or 
symbol. 
(46) In order to ensure a level of consiste ncy in the results achieved in the different 
Member States, it is necessary to promote the constant exchange and sharing of best practices and experience between Member States and with the Commission and promote the participation of stak eholders to such exchanges. 
(47) Member States should carry out official controls in order to enforce compliance with 
this Regulation in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 882/2004. 
(48) References to Directive 90/496/EE C in Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 and in 
Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006 of the Europe an Parliament and of the Council of 
20 December 2006 on the addition of vitamins and minerals and of certain other  
EN 20   EN substances to foods20 should be updated to take this Regulation into account. 
Regulations (EC) No 1924/2006 and (EC) No  1925/2006 should therefore be amended 
accordingly. 
(49) In order to enable interested parties, es pecially small and medium-sized enterprises, to 
provide nutrition information on their products, the appli cation of the measures to 
make nutrition information mandatory s hould be introduced gradually through 
extended transition periods with an addi tional transition period provided for micro-
businesses. 
(50) Since the objectives of the actions to be taken cannot be sufficiently achieved by the 
Member States and can therefore be be tter achieved at Community level, the 
Community may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of  subsidiarity as 
set out in Article 5 of the Treaty. In accord ance with the principle of proportionality, 
as set out in that Ar ticle, this Regulation does not go beyond what is  necessary in order 
to achieve those objectives. 
(51) With the aim of simplifying and accelera ting the procedure, the Commission should be 
entrusted with the task of adopting imple menting measures of a technical nature. 
(52) The measures necessary fo r the implementing of this Regul ation should be adopted in 
accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/ EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the 
procedures for the exercise of impl ementing powers conferred on the Commission21. 
(53) Power should be conferred on the Commi ssion in particular to amend and update the 
Annexes to this Regulation. Since those measures are of general scope and are designed to amend non-essential elements of  this Regulation, and to supplement this 
Regulation by the addition of new non-essentia l elements, they should be adopted in 
accordance with the regulatory procedure with  scrutiny provided for in Article 5a of 
Decision 1999/468/EC. 
(54) On grounds of urgency it is necessary to  apply the urgency procedure provided for in 
Article 5a(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC for th e adoption of amendmen ts to Annexes II 
and III of this Regulation, 
                                                
 
20 OJ L 404, 30.12.2006, p. 26. 
21 OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23. Decision as amended by Decision 2006/512/EC (OJ L 200, 22.7.2006, 
p. 11).  
EN 21   EN HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 
CHAPTER I 
GENERAL PROVISIONS 
Article 1 
Subject matter and scope 
1. This Regulation provides the basis for th e assurance of a high level of consumer 
protection in relation to food information, taking into acco unt the differences in the 
perception of consumers and their inform ation needs whilst ensuring the smooth 
functioning of the internal market. 
2. This Regulation establishes the general principles, requi rements and responsibilities 
governing food information, and in particular  food labelling. It lays down the means 
to guarantee the right of consumers to in formation and procedures for the provision 
of food information, taking into account the ne ed to provide sufficient flexibility to 
respond to future developments and new information requirements. 
3. This Regulation applies to all stages of the food chain, where the activities of food 
businesses concern the provision of food information to consumers. 
It shall apply to all foods intended for the final consum er, including foods delivered 
by mass caterers and foods intended  for supply to mass caterers. 
4. This Regulation shall apply without prejudice to labell ing requirements provided in 
specific Community legislation ap plicable to particular foods. 
Article 2 
Definitions 
1. For the purposes of this Regulation th e following definitions shall apply: 
(a) the definitions of ‘food’, ‘food law’ , ‘food business’, ‘food business operator’, 
‘retail’, ‘placing on the market’ and ‘f inal consumer’ in Article 2 and in 
Article 3(1), (2), (3), (7), (8) a nd (18) of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002; 
(b) the definition of ‘processing’, ‘unpr ocessed products’ and ‘processed products’ 
in Article 2(1) (m), (n) and (o) of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the 
European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs
22; 
(c) the definitions of ‘food a dditives’ and ‘processing aids ’ in Article 1(2) and in 
footnote 1 of Council Directive 89 /107/EEC of 21 December 1988 on the 
                                                 
22 OJ L 139, 30.4.2004, p. 1.  
EN 22   EN approximation of the laws of the Memb er States concerning food additives 
authorised for use in foods intended for human consumption23; 
(d) the definition of ‘flavouring’  in Article 1(2)(a) of Council 
Directive 88/388/EEC of 22 June 1988 on the approximation of the laws of the 
Member States relating to flavourings for use in foodstuffs and to source 
materials for their production24; 
(e) the definitions of ‘meat’ and ‘mechanically separated meat’ in points 1.1 and 
1.14 of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004; 
(f) the definitions of ‘claim’, ‘nutrient’ , ‘other substance’, ‘nutrition claim’ and 
‘health claim’ in Article 2(2) (1) to (5) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. 
                                                 
23 OJ L 40, 11.2.1989, p. 27. 
24 OJ L 184, 15.7.1988, p. 61.  
EN 23   EN 2. The following definitions shall also apply: 
(a) ‘food information’ means information concerning a food and made available to 
the final consumer by means of a label, other accompanying material, or any other means including modern technology tools or verbal communication. It 
does not cover commercial communications as defined by Directive 2000/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 
8 June 2000 on certain legal aspects of  information society services, in 
particular electronic commerce, in the Internal Market
25; 
(b) ‘food information law’ means the Community provisions governing the food 
information, and in particular labelli ng, including rules of  a general nature 
applicable to all foods or to specified  foods and rules which apply only to 
specific foods; 
(c) ‘mandatory food information’ means th e particulars that are required to be 
provided to the final consumer by Community legislation; 
(d) ‘mass caterers’ means any establishm ent (including a vehicle or a fixed or 
mobile stall), such as restaurants, canteens, schools and hospitals, where, in the course of a business, food is prepared fo r delivery to the final consumer and is 
ready for consumption without further preparation; 
(e) ‘prepacked food’ means any single item for presentation as such to the final 
consumer and to mass caterers, consis ting of a food and the packaging into 
which it was put before being offered for sale, whether such packaging encloses the food completely or only pa rtially, but in any ca se in such a way 
that the contents cannot be altered wit hout opening or changing the packaging; 
(f) ‘ingredient’ means any substance, in cluding food additives and food enzymes, 
and any constituent of a compound ingredient, used in the manufacture or 
preparation of a food and sti ll present in the finished product, even if in an 
altered form; residues shall not be  considered as ingredients; 
(g) 'place of provenance' means any place where a food is indicated to come from, 
and that is not the 'country of origin' as determined in accordance with Articles 
23 to 26 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92; 
(h) ‘compound ingredient’ is an ingredient th at is itself the pr oduct of more than 
one ingredient; 
(i) ‘label’ means any tag, brand, mark, pictorial or other descriptive matter 
written, printed, stencilled, marked, embo ssed or impressed on, or attached to, 
a container of food; 
(j) ‘labelling’ means any words, particul ars, trade marks, brand name, pictorial 
matter or symbol relating to a food and placed on any packaging, document, notice, label, ring or collar accomp anying or referring to such food; 
                                                
 
25 OJ L 178, 17.7.2000, p. 1.  
EN 24   EN (k) ‘field of vision’ means all the surfaces  of a package that can be read from a 
single viewing point, permitting rapid and easy access to labelling information 
by allowing consumers to read this in formation without needing to turn the 
package back and forth; 
(l) ‘legal name’ means the name of a food prescribed in the Community 
provisions applicable  to it or, in the absence of such Community provisions, 
the name provided for in the laws, re gulations and administrative provisions 
applicable in the Member State in which the food is sold to the final consumer 
or to mass caterers; 
(m) ‘customary name’ means a name which is accepted as the name of the food 
without it needing further explanation by consumers in the Member State in 
which it is sold; 
(n) ‘descriptive name’ means a name pr oviding a description of the food, and if 
necessary of its use, which is sufficien tly clear to enable the consumers to 
know its true nature and distinguish it from other products with which it might be confused; 
(o) ‘primary ingredient(s)’ means the signi ficant and/or characterising ingredients 
of a food; 
(p) ‘significant ingredient(s)’ means the i ngredient of a food th at represents more 
than 50% of this food; 
(q) ‘characterising ingredient(s)’ means a ny ingredient of a f ood which is usually 
associated with the name of the food by the consumer and for which in most cases a quantitative indication is required; 
(r) ‘essential requirements’ means the requirements whereby the level of 
consumer protection and food informati on is determined with respect to a 
given issue and which are laid down in a Community act which allows for the 
development of national scheme s referred to in Article 44; 
(s) ‘date of minimum durability of a f ood’ means the date until which the food 
retains its specific proper ties when properly stored; 
(t) ‘best practices’ means standards, sche mes, initiatives, or any other activities 
endorsed by competent authorities that  have been shown through experience 
and research to be the most effective for the majority of consumers and are 
considered as models for others to follow. 
3. For the purposes of this Regulation the count ry of origin of a f ood shall refer to the 
origin of a food as determined in acco rdance with Articles 23 to 26 of Council 
Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92. 
4. The specific definitions set out  in Annex I shall also apply.  
EN 25   EN CHAPTER II 
GENERAL PRINCIPLES ON FOOD INFORMATION 
Article 3 
General objectives  
1. The provision of food information sha ll pursue a high level of protection of 
consumers’ health and interests by providi ng a basis for final consumers to make 
informed choices and to make safe use of  food, with particular  regard to health, 
economic, environmental, social  and ethical considerations. 
2. Food information law shall aim to achieve in the Community the free movement of 
food legally produced and marketed, taking in to account, where appropriate, the need 
to protect the legitimate interests of producers and to promote the production of 
quality products. 
3. When food information law establishes new requirements, consideration shall be 
given to the need for a transitory peri od after the entry into force of the new 
requirements, during which foods beari ng labels not complying with the new 
requirements can be placed on the market and for stocks of such f oods that have been 
placed on the market before the end of the tr ansitory period to continue to be sold 
until exhausted. 
Article 4 
Principles governing mandatory food information  
1. Where mandatory food information is re quired by food information law, it shall 
concern information that falls, in particul ar, into one of the following categories: 
(a) information on the identity and compos ition, properties or other characteristics 
of the food; 
(b) information on the protection of consumer s’ health and the safe use of a food. 
In particular, it shall concern information on: 
(i) compositional attributes that may be harmful to the health of certain 
groups of consumers; 
(ii) durability, storage and safe use; 
(iii) the health impact, including the risks and consequences related to 
harmful and hazardous consumption of a food; 
(c) information on nutritional characteristic s so as to enable consumers, including 
those with special dietary requireme nts, to make informed choices.  
EN 26   EN 2. When considering the need for mandatory food information, account shall be taken 
of a widespread need on the pa rt of the majority of cons umers for certain information 
to which they attach signifi cant value or of any genera lly accepted benefits to the 
consumer to enable them to make informed choices. 
Article 5 
Consultation of the Authority  
Any food information law measures likely to have an effect on public health shall be adopted 
after consultation of the Eur opean Food Safety Authority. 
CHAPTER III 
GENERAL FOOD INFORMAT ION REQUIREMENTS AND 
RESPONSIBILITIES OF FOOD BUSINESS OPERATORS 
Article 6 
Basic requirement  
Any food intended for supply to the final consum er or to mass caterers shall be accompanied 
by food information in accord ance with this Regulation. 
Article 7 
Fair information practices  
1. Food information shall not be misleadi ng to a material degree, particularly: 
(a) as to the characteristics of the food and, in particular , as to its nature, identity, 
properties, composition, quantity, durabilit y, country of origin or place of 
provenance, method of ma nufacture or production; 
(b) by attributing to the food effects or properties which it does not possess; 
(c) by suggesting that the food possesses spec ial characteristics when in fact all 
similar foods possess such characteristics. 
2. Food information shall be accurate, clear , and easy to understand for the consumer. 
3. Subject to derogations provi ded for by Community legislat ion applicable to natural 
mineral waters and foods for particular nutritional uses, food in formation shall not 
attribute to any food the property of preven ting, treating or curing a human disease, 
nor refer to such properties. 
4. The prohibition referred to in paragraph 3 shall also apply to: 
(a) advertising;  
EN 27   EN (b) the presentation of foods in particular  their shape, appear ance or packaging, the 
packaging materials used, the way in whic h they are arranged and the setting in 
which they are displayed. 
Article 8 
Responsibilities  
1. Without prejudice to paragraphs 3 a nd 4, food business operators, within the 
businesses under their control, shall ensure  compliance with the requirements of food 
information law which are relevant to their activities and shall verify that such requirements are met. 
2. Food business operators, within  the business under their cont rol, shall not modify the 
information accompanying a food if such  modification would mislead the final 
consumer or otherwise reduce the level of  consumer protection, particularly with 
regard to health. 
3. Food business operators placing on the market  for the first time a food intended for 
supply to the final consumer or mass caterer shall ensure the presence and accuracy of the food information in accordance with  the applicable food information law. 
4. Food business operators responsible for re tail or distribution activities which do not 
affect food information shall act with due car e to ensure, within the limits of their 
respective activities, the presence of the app licable food information requirements, in 
particular by not supplying foods which they  know or presume to be non compliant, 
on the basis of the information in their possession as professionals. 
5. Food business operators within the busines s under their control shall ensure that 
information relating to non-prepacked food shall be transmitted to the operator receiving the food in orde r to enable, where appropriate, the provision of the 
mandatory food information specified in Articl e 9(1) points (a) to  (c) and (f) to the 
final consumer. 
6. In the following cases, food business opera tors, within the bus inesses under their 
control shall ensure that the mandatory particulars required under Article 9 shall 
appear on the external pack aging in which the food is pr esented for marketing, or on 
the commercial documents referring to the foods where it can be guaranteed that such documents either accompa ny the food to which they refe r or were sent before or 
at the same time as delivery: 
(a) where prepacked food is intended for the final consumer but marketed at a 
stage prior to sale to the final consumer and where sale to a mass caterer is not involved at that stage; 
(b) where prepacked food is intended for s upply to mass caterer s for preparation, 
processing, splitting or cutting up. 
Notwithstanding subparagraph 1, food busines s operators shall ensure that the 
particulars referred to in Article 9(1) (a), (f) and (h) also appear on the external packaging in which the food is presented for marketing.  
EN 28   EN CHAPTER IV 
MANDATORY FOOD INFORMATION  
SECTION  1 
CONTENT  AND  PRESENTATION   
Article 9 
List of mandatory particulars 
1. In accordance with Articles 10 to 34 and subject to the exceptions contained in this 
Chapter, indication of the followi ng particulars shall be mandatory. 
(a) the name of the food; (b) the list of ingredients; (c) any ingredient listed in Annex II causing allergie s or intolerances, and any 
substance derived therefrom; 
(d) the quantity of certain ingredie nts or categories of ingredients; 
(e) the net quantity of the food; (f) the date of minimum durability or the ‘use by’ date; 
(g) any special storage conditions or conditions of use; 
(h) the name or business name and address of the manufacturer or packager, or of 
a seller established within the Community; 
(i) the country of origin or place of pr ovenance where failure to indicate this 
might mislead the consumer to a material de gree as to the true country of origin 
or place of provenance of the food, in  particular if the information 
accompanying the food or the label as a whole would otherwise imply that the food has a different country of origin or place of provenance; in such cases the 
indication shall be in acco rdance with the rules laid down in Article 35(3) and 
(4) and those established in accordance with Article 35(5); 
(j) instructions for use when it would be impossible to make ap propriate use of the 
food in the absence of such instructions; 
(k) with respect to beverages containing  more than 1,2 % by volume of alcohol, 
the actual alcoholic strength by volume; 
(l) a nutrition declaration.  
EN 29   EN 2. The particulars referred to in paragraph 1 shall be indicated with words and numbers 
unless the consumers are informed, as rega rds one or more particulars, by other 
forms of expression established by im plementing measures adopted by the 
Commission. Those measures designed to amend non-essential el ements of this 
Regulation by supplementing it, shall be a dopted, in accordance with the regulatory 
procedure with scrutiny refe rred to in Article 49(3). 
3. The Commission may amend the list of mandatory particulars laid down in 
paragraph 1. Those measures designed to  amend non-essential elements of this 
Regulation by supplementing it shall be a dopted in accordance with the regulatory 
procedure with scrutiny refe rred to in Article 49(3). 
Article 10 
Additional mandatory particulars for sp ecific types or categories of food 
1. In addition to the particulars listed in Ar ticle 9(1) additional mandatory particulars 
for specific types or categories of food are laid down in Annex III. 
2. The Commission may amend Annex III. Those measures designed to amend non-
essential elements of this Regulation by supplementing it shall be adopted, in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 49(4). 
Article 11 
Derogations from the requirem ent for mandatory particulars 
For specific types or categories of foods, th e Commission may provide for derogations, in 
exceptional cases, from the requirements laid down in Article 9(1) (b) and (f), provided that 
such derogations do not result in the final consumer and mass caterer s being inadequately 
informed. Those measures designed to amend the non-essential elements of this Regulation by 
supplementing it shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny 
referred to in Article 49(3). 
Article 12 
Weights and measures  
Article 9 shall be without prejudice to more specific Community provisions regarding weights 
and measures. 
Article 13 
Availability and placement of  mandatory food information  
1. Mandatory food information shall be ava ilable and shall be easily accessible, in 
accordance with this Re gulation for all foods. 
2. In the case of prepacked food, mandatory  food information sh all appear on the 
package or on a label attached thereto.  
EN 30   EN 3. The availability of certain mandatory particulars by means other than on the package 
or on the label may be established by the Commission provided the general principles and requirements laid down in Chapter II of this Regulation are met. 
Those measures designed to amend non-esse ntial elements of this Regulation by 
supplementing it shall be adopted, in accordan ce with the regulatory procedure with 
scrutiny referred to in Article 49(3). 
4. In the case of non-prepacked food, the provisions of Article  41 shall apply.  
Article 14 
Presentation of mandatory particulars 
1. Without prejudice to specific Community legi slation applicable to particular foods as 
regards to the requirements referred to in Article 9(1)(a) to (k),  when appearing on 
the package or on the label attached ther eto, the mandatory particulars listed in 
Article 9(1) shall be printed on the package or on the label in  characters of a font size 
of at least 3mm and shall be presented in a way so as to ensure a significant contrast 
between the print and background. 
2. The particulars listed in Artic le 9(1) (a), (e) and (k) shall appear in the same field of 
vision. 
3. Detailed rules concerning the presentation of mandatory particul ars and the extension 
of the requirements referred to in paragra ph 2 to the additional mandatory particulars 
for specific categories or types of food re ferred to in Articles 10 and 38 may be 
adopted by the Commission. Those measur es designed to amend non-essential 
elements of this Regulation by supplementi ng it shall be adopted in accordance with 
the regulatory procedur e with scrutiny referred to in Article 49(3). 
4. The minimum font size referred to in paragraph 1 shall not apply in case of 
packaging or containers the largest surf ace of which has an area of less than 10 cm
2. 
5. Paragraph 2 shall not apply in the case of foods specified  in Article 17(1) and (2). 
6. Mandatory food information shall be marked in a conspicuous place in such a way as 
to be easily visible, clearl y legible and, where appropriate , indelible. It shall not in 
any way be hidden, obscured, detracted from or interrupted by any other written or 
pictorial matter or any ot her intervening material. 
Article 15 
Distance selling 
Without prejudice to the information requirements laid down in Article 9, in the case of foods 
offered for sale by means of distance co mmunication as defined in Article 2 of 
Directive 97/7/EC of the European Parlia ment and of the Council of 20 May 1997 on the 
protection of consumers in respect of distance contracts26: 
                                                 
26 OJ L 144, 4.6.1997, p. 19.  
EN 31   EN (a) mandatory food information shall be availa ble before the purcha se is concluded and 
shall appear on the material supporting the distance selling or be provided through 
other appropriate means; 
(b) the particulars provided in Article 9(1) points (d), (f), (g), (h) and (k) shall be 
mandatory only at the moment of delivery. 
Article 16 
Language requirements  
1. Without prejudice to Article 9(2), mandato ry food information shall appear in a 
language easily understood by the consumers of  the Member States where a food is 
marketed. 
2. Within their own territory, the Member States in which a food is marketed may 
stipulate that the particulars shall be gi ven in one or more languages from among the 
official languages of the Community. 
3. Paragraphs 1 and 2 shall not preclude the particulars from being indicated in several 
languages. 
Article 17 
Omission of certain mandatory particulars 
1. In the case of glass bottles intended for reuse which are indelibly marked and which 
therefore bear no label, ring or  collar only the particulars li sted in Article 9(1) (a), 
(c), (e), (f) and (l) shall be mandatory. 
2. In the case of packaging or containers the largest surface of which has an area of less 
than 10 cm2 only the particulars listed in Article 9(1) (a), (c), (e) and (f) shall be 
mandatory on the package or on the la bel. The particular s referred to in 
Article 9(1)(b) shall be provided through ot her means or shall be available at the 
request of the consumer. 
3. Without prejudice to other Community le gislation requiring mandatory nutrition 
declaration, the declaration referred to in Article 9(1)(l) shall not be mandatory for 
the foods listed in Annex IV.  
EN 32   EN SECTION  2 
DETAILED  PROVISIONS  ON  MANDATORY  PARTICULARS 
Article 18 
Name of the food 
1. The name of the food shall be its legal name. In the absence of such name, the name 
of the food shall be its customary name, or, if there is no customary name or the 
customary name is not used, a descriptive name of the food shall be provided. 
2. Specific provisions on the use of the name of the food and particulars that shall 
accompany it are laid down in Annex V. 
Article 19 
List of ingredients 
1. The list of ingredients shall be headed  or preceded by a suitable heading which 
consists of or includes the wo rd ‘ingredients’. It shall include all the ingredients of 
the food, in descending order of weight, as recorded at the time of their use in the 
manufacture of the food. 
2. Ingredients shall be designated by thei r specific name, where applicable, in 
accordance with the rules laid down in Article 18 and in Annex V. 
3. Technical rules for applying paragraphs  1 and 2 are laid down in Annex VI. 
Article 20 
Omission of the list of ingredients 
The following foods shall not be requir ed to bear a list of ingredients: 
(a) fresh fruit and vegetables, including potat oes, which have not been peeled, cut or 
similarly treated; 
(b) carbonated water, the description of whic h indicates that it has been carbonated; 
(c) fermentation vinegars derived exclusivel y from a single basic product, provided that 
no other ingredient has been added; 
(d) cheese, butter, fermented milk and cream, to which no ingredient has been added 
other than lactic products, enzymes a nd micro-organism cultures essential to 
manufacture, or in the case of cheese othe r than fresh cheese and processed cheese 
the salt needed for its manufacture; 
(e) wine as defined in Council Regulati on (EC) No 1493/1999, beer, and spirits as 
defined in Article 2(1) of Regulation (EC) No. […] of […] of the European  
EN 33   EN Parliament and of the Council on the defini tion, description, pr esentation, labelling 
and the protection of geographical indicati ons of spirit drinks and repealing Council 
Regulation (EEC) No 1576/ 89. The Commission shall produce a report after [ five 
years of the entry into fo rce of this Regulation ] concerning the appl ication of Article 
19 on these products and may accompany th is report by specific measures 
determining the rules for labelling ingred ients. Those measures designed to amend 
non-essential elements of this Regulati on, by supplementing it sh all be adopted in 
accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referr ed to in Article 49(3); 
(f) foods consisting of a single ingredient, where: 
(i) the name of the food is identical with the ingredient name; or (ii) the name of the food enables the na ture of the ingredient to be clearly 
identified. 
Article 21 
Omission of constituents of food from the list of ingredients  
The following constituents of a food shall not be re quired to be include d in the list of 
ingredients: 
(a) the constituents of an ingredient whic h have been temporarily separated during the 
manufacturing process and la ter reintroduced but not in excess of their original 
proportions; 
(b) food additives and enzymes: 
(i) whose presence in a given food is sole ly due to the fact  that they were 
contained in one or more ingredients of  that food, provided that they serve no 
technological function in the finished product; or 
(ii) which are used as processing aids; 
(c) substances used in the quantities stri ctly necessary as solvents or media for 
nutritional substances, food additives or flavouring; 
(d) substances which are not food additives but are used in the same way and with the 
same purpose as processing aids and are still present in the finished  product, even if 
in an altered form; 
(e) water: 
(i) where the water is used during the manufacturing process solely for the 
reconstitution of an ingred ient used in concentrated or dehydrated form; or 
(ii) in the case of a liquid medium which is not normally consumed.  
EN 34   EN Article 22 
Labelling of certain substances causing allergies or intolerances 
1. Any ingredient listed in Annex II or any substance originating from an ingredient 
listed in that Annex, subject to the excepti ons thereof provided for in that Annex, 
shall be indicated on the label with a precise  reference to the name of the ingredient. 
That indication shall not be  required in cases where: 
(a) the name of the food clearly refers  to the ingredient concerned; or 
(b) the ingredient listed in  Annex II from which a substa nce originates is already 
included in the list of ingredients. 
2. The list in Annex II shall be systema tically re-examined and, where necessary, 
updated by the Commission on the basis of th e most recent scientific and technical 
knowledge. 
Those measures designed to amend non-esse ntial elements of this Regulation by 
supplementing it shall be adopted in accord ance with the regulatory procedure with 
scrutiny referred to in Article 49(4). 
3. Where necessary, technical guidelines may be issued for the interpretation of the list 
in Annex II, in accordance with the pr ocedure referred to in Article 49(2). 
Article 23 
Quantitative indication of ingredients 
1. The indication of the quantity of an ingred ient or category of ingredients used in the 
manufacture or preparation of a food shall be required where: 
(a) the ingredient or catego ry of ingredients concerned appears in the name of the 
food or is usually associated with  that name by the consumer; or 
(b) the ingredient or category of ingr edients concerned is emphasised on the 
labelling in words, pict ures or graphics; or 
(c) the ingredient or category of ingredient s concerned is essential to characterise a 
food and to distinguish it from products  with which it might be confused 
because of its name or appearance. 
2. The Commission may amend paragraph 1 by adding other cases. Those measures 
designed to amend non-essential elements of this Regulation by supplementing it 
shall be adopted in accordance with the re gulatory procedure wi th scrutiny referred 
to in Article 49(3). 
3. Technical rules for applying paragra ph 1, including specific cases where the 
quantitative indication shall not be required in respect of ce rtain ingredients, are laid 
down in Annex VII.  
EN 35   EN Article 24 
Net Quantity 
1. The net quantity of a food shall be expre ssed, using litres, cen tilitres, millilitres, 
kilograms or grams, as appropriate: 
(a) in units of liquid in the case of liquids; (b) in units of mass in the case of other products. 
2. The expression of the net quantity for certain specified foods in a different manner 
than the one described in paragraph 1 ma y be established by the Commission. Those 
measures designed to amend the non-esse ntial elements of this Regulation by 
supplementing it, shall be adopted in accord ance with the regulatory procedure with 
scrutiny referred to in Article 49(3). 
3. Technical rules for applying paragra ph 1, including specific cases where the 
indication of the net quantity shall not be required, are laid down in Annex VIII. 
Article 25 
Minimum durability date and ‘use by’ date 
1. In the case of foods which, from a mi crobiological point of view, are highly 
perishable and are therefore likely after a short period to constitute an immediate danger to human health, the date of minimum durability shall be replaced by the ‘use by’ date.  
2. The appropriate date shall be expressed in accordance with Annex IX. 3. The manner of indicating the date of minimu m durability referred to in point 1(c) of 
Annex IX may be specified in accordance  with the procedure referred to in 
Article 49(2). 
Article 26 
Instructions for use 
1. The instructions for use of a food shall be indicated in such a way as to enable 
appropriate use to be made thereof. 
2. The Commission may lay down rules as regard s the way in which those instructions 
shall be indicated in the case of certain foods. Those measures designed to amend 
non-essential elements of this Regulati on, by supplementing it shall be adopted, in 
accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 49(3).  
EN 36   EN Article 27 
Alcoholic strength 
1. The rules concerning indication of the alcohol ic strength by volume shall, in the case 
of products classified under the Common Customs Tariff headings 22.04 and 22.05, 
be those laid down in the sp ecific Community provisions ap plicable to such products. 
2. The actual alcoholic strength by volume of  beverages containing more than 1,2 % by 
volume of alcohol other than those referred to in paragrap h 1 shall be indicated in 
accordance with Annex X. 
SECTION  3 
NUTRITION  DECLARATION 
Article 28 
Relation with other legislation 
1. The provisions of this Sec tion shall not apply to foods  within the scope of the 
following legislation: 
(a) Directive 2002/46/EC of the European  Parliament and of the Council of 
10 June 2002 on the approximation of the la ws of the Member States relating 
to food supplements27; 
(b) Council Directive 80/777/EEC of 15 July 1980 on the approximation of the 
laws of the Member States relating to the exploitation and marketing of natural 
mineral waters28. 
2. The provisions of this Section apply without prejudice to Council 
Directive 89/398/EEC of 3 May 1989 on th e approximation of the laws of the 
Member States relating to foodstuffs intended for particular nutritional uses29 and 
specific Directives as referred to in  Article 4(1) of that Directive. 
Article 29 
Content 
1. The nutrition declaration shall include the following (hereinafter referred to as 
"mandatory nutrition declaration"): 
(a) energy value; (b) the amounts of fat, saturates, carbohydr ates with specific reference to sugars, 
and salt. 
                                                
 
27 OJ L 183, 12.7.2002, p. 51. 
28 OJ L 229, 30.8.1980, p. 1. 
29 OJ L 186, 30.6.1989, p. 27.  
EN 37   EN This paragraph shall not apply to wine as  defined in Council Regulation (EC) No 
1493/1999, beer, and spirits as defined in Artic le 2(1) of Regulation (EC) No. […] of 
[…] of the European Parliament and of the Council on the defi nition, description, 
presentation, labelling and the protection of geographical indications  of spirit drinks 
and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 1576/89. The Commission shall produce 
a report after [ five years of the entry into force of this Regulation ] concerning the 
application of this paragraph on these pr oducts and may accompany this report by 
specific measures determining the rules for a mandatory nutrition declaration for 
these products. Those measures designed to  amend non-essential elements of this 
Regulation, by supplementing it shall be adop ted in accordance with the regulatory 
procedure with scrutiny refe rred to in Article 49(3). 
2. The nutrition declar ation may also include the am ounts of one or more of the 
following: 
(a) trans fats; (b) mono-unsaturates; (c) polyunsaturates; (d) polyols; (e) starch; (f) fibre; 
(g) protein; 
(h) any of the minerals or vitamins liste d in point 1 of Part A of Annex XI, and 
present in significant amounts as defined in point 2 of Part A of Annex XI. 
3. The declaration of the amount of substan ces which belong to or are components of 
one of the categories of nutrients referred to  in paragraph 2 shall be required where a 
nutrition and/or health claim is made. 
4. The lists in paragraphs 1 and 2 may be  amended by the Commission. Those measures 
designed to amend non-essential elements of this Regulation by supplementing it 
shall be adopted, in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 49(3). 
Article 30 
Calculation 
1. The amount of energy shall be calculated us ing the conversion factors in Annex XII. 
2. Conversion factors for the vitamins and mine rals mentioned in point 1 of Part A of 
Annex XI, in order to calculate more precise ly their content in foods, may be set and 
included in Annex XII by the Commission. Those measures designed to amend non-
essential elements of this Regulation by supplementing it shall be adopted in 
accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 49(3).  
EN 38   EN 3. The amounts of energy and nutrients referre d to in Article 29(1)  and (2) shall be 
those of the food as sold. 
Where appropriate, the information may relate  to the food after preparation, provided 
that sufficiently detailed preparation instructions are given and the information relates to the food as prepared for consumption. 
4. The declared values shall, according to the individual case, be average values based 
on: 
(a) the manufacturer’s analysis of the food; or (b) a calculation from the known or actual average values of the ingredients used; 
or 
(c) a calculation from generally established and accepted data. The rules for implementing the declaration of  energy and nutrients with regard to the 
precision of the declared values such as th e differences between the declared values 
and those established in the course of  official checks may be decided upon in 
accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 49(2). 
Article 31 
Forms of expression 
1. The amount of energy and nutrients or thei r components referred to in Article 29(1) 
and (2) shall be expressed using the m easurement units listed in Part A of 
Annex XIII. 
2. The amount of energy and nutrients referred to in paragraph 1 shall be expressed per 
100 g or per 100 ml or, subject to Ar ticle 32(2) and (3), per portion. 
3. The mandatory nutrition declaration shall be expressed, as appropriate, as a 
percentage of the reference intakes set out in Part B of Annex XI in relation to per 
100 g or per 100 ml or per portion. When pr ovided, the declaration on vitamins and 
minerals shall also be expressed as a per centage of the reference intakes set out in 
point 1 of Part A of Annex XI. 
4. The declaration of polyols and/or starch and the declaration of type of fatty acids, 
other than the mandatory declaration of saturates referred to in Article 29(1)(b), shall be presented in accordance with Annex XIII Part B. 
Article 32 
Expression on a per portion basis  
1. In addition to the nutrition declaration pe r 100g or per 100ml referred to in Article 
31(2), the information may be expressed per portion as quantified on the label, 
provided that the number of portions c ontained in the package is stated.  
EN 39   EN 2. The nutrition declaration may be expressed on  a per portion basis alone if the food is 
prepacked as an individual portion. 
3. The expression on a per portion basis al one for foods presen ted in packages 
containing multiple portions of the food, that have not been prepacked as individual portions, shall be established by the Commi ssion. Those measures designed to amend 
non-essential elements of this Regulati on by supplementing it shall be adopted, in 
accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 49(3). 
Article 33 
Additional forms of expression 
1. In addition to the forms of expression re ferred to in Article 31(2) and (3), the 
nutrition declaration may be given by othe r forms of expression provided that the 
following essential requirements are met: 
(a) the form of expression aims to f acilitate consumer understanding of the 
contribution or importance of the food to  the energy and nutr ient content of a 
diet; and 
(b) it is based either on harmonised refere nce intakes, or in their absence, on 
generally accepted scientific advice on intakes for energy or nutrients; and 
(c) it is supported by evidence of understand ing of and use of the presentation of 
the information by the average consumer. 
2. Such additional forms of expression refe rred to in paragraph 1 shall be identified 
under a national scheme refe rred to in Article 44. 
Article 34 
Presentation 
1. The particulars referred to Article 31(2) related to the mandatory nutrition 
declaration shall be included in the principa l field of vision. They shall be presented, 
where appropriate, together in a clear fo rmat in the following order: energy, fat, 
saturates, carbohydrates with specific reference to sugars, and salt. 
2. The nutrition declaration in relation to the nutrients referred to in Article 29(2) shall 
appear together in one place and, as appropria te, in the order of presentation provided 
in Part C of Annex XIII. 
When this nutrition declaration does not a ppear in the principal field of vision, it 
shall be presented in tabular form, with the numbers aligned if space permits. Where space does not permit, the declaratio n shall appear in linear form. 
3. If the mandatory nutrition declaration appears together with the declaration on 
nutrients referred to in Article 29(2), th e order of presentation of the energy and 
nutrients included in the declaration shall be , as appropriate, in the order provided in 
Part C of Annex XIII.  
EN 40   EN 4. In cases where the amount of energy or nut rient(s) in a product is negligible, the 
nutrition declaration on those elements ma y be replaced by a statement such as 
‘Contains negligible amounts of  …’ in close proximity to the nutrition declaration 
when present. 
5. Graphical forms or symbols for the presenta tion of the nutrition declaration may be 
used under a national scheme referred to in Article 44 provided the following 
essential requirements are met: 
(a) such forms of presentation sh all not mislead the consumer; and 
(b) there shall be evidence of understandi ng of such forms of presentation by the 
average consumer. 
6. Rules relating to other aspects of presentation of nutrition declaration, other than 
those referred to in paragraph 5, may be established by the Commission. Those 
measures designed to amend non-essentia l elements of this Regulation by 
supplementing it shall be adopted in accord ance with the regulatory procedure with 
scrutiny referred to in Article 49(3). 
CHAPTER V 
VOLUNTARY FOOD INFORMATION  
Article 35 
Applicable requirements 
1. Where food information covered by this Regul ation is provided on a voluntary basis, 
such information shall comply  with the relevant specific  requirements laid down in 
this Regulation.  
2. Without prejudice to labell ing in accordance with spec ific Community legislation, 
paragraphs 3 and 4 shall apply where the count ry of origin or the place of provenance 
of a food is voluntarily indicat ed to inform consumers that  a food originates or comes 
from the European Community or a given country or place.  
3. Where the country of origin or the place of  provenance of the food is not the same as 
the one of its primary ingredient(s), the c ountry of origin or place of provenance of 
those ingredient(s) sh all also be given. 
4. For meat, other than beef and veal, the indication on the country of origin or place of 
provenance may be given as a single pl ace only where animals have been born, 
reared and slaughtered in the same country  or place. In other cases information on 
each of the different places of birth, rearing and slaughter shall be given. 
5. Implementing rules concerning the applicati on of paragraph 3 shall be established by 
the Commission. Those measures designed to amend non-essential elements of this  
EN 41   EN Regulation by supplementing it shall be a dopted in accordance with the regulatory 
procedure with scrutiny refe rred to in Article 49(3). 
6. Implementing rules concerning the conditi ons and criteria of use of particulars 
voluntarily provided may be establishe d by the Commission. Those measures 
designed to amend non-essential elements of this Regulation by supplementing it 
shall be adopted in accordance with the re gulatory procedure with  scrutiny referred 
to in Article 49(3). 
Article 36 
Presentation 
Voluntary information shall not be displayed to the detriment of the space available for 
mandatory information. 
CHAPTER VI 
NATIONAL PROVISIONS 
Article 37 
Principle 
Member States may only adopt provisions in th e field of food information where this is 
provided for by this Regulation. 
Article 38 
National provisions on additional mandatory particulars 
1. In addition to the mandatory particulars refe rred to in Article 9(1) and in Article 10, 
Member States may, in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 42, require additional mandatory particulars for specific type s or categories of foods, 
justified on grounds of: 
(a) the protection of public health; (b) the protection of consumers; (c) the prevention of fraud; (d) the protection of industrial and comme rcial property rights, indications of 
provenance, registered designations of  origin and the prevention of unfair 
competition. 
2. By means of paragraph 1, Member Stat es may introduce measures concerning the 
mandatory indication of the country of or igin or place of provenance of foods only 
where there is a proven link between certain qualities of the food and its origin or 
provenance. When notifying such measures to the Commission, Member States shall  
EN 42   EN provide evidence that the majority of c onsumers attach significant value to the 
provision of this information. 
Article 39 
Milk and milk products   
Member States may adopt measures derogating from  Article 9(1) and Article 10(2) in the case 
of milk and milk products presented in glass bottles intended for reuse. 
They shall communicate to the Commission the text of those measures without delay. 
Article 40 
Alcoholic beverages  
Member States may, pending the adoption of the Community provisions re ferred to in Article 
20(e), maintain national rules as regard the lis ting of ingredients in the case of beverages 
containing more than 1,2 % by volume of alcohol. 
Article 41 
National measures for non-prepacked food 
1. Where foods are offered for sale to the fi nal consumer or to mass caterers without 
prepackaging, or where foods are packed on  the sales premises at the consumer's 
request or prepacked for dire ct sale, the Member States  may adopt detailed rules 
concerning the manner in which the particul ars specified in Articles 9 and 10 are to 
be shown. 
2. Member States may decide not to require the provision of some of the particulars 
referred to in paragraph 1, other than those referred to in Articl e 9(1) (c), provided 
that the consumer or mass caterer st ill receives sufficient information. 
3. Member States shall communicate to th e Commission the text of the measures 
referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 without delay. 
Article 42 
Notification procedure 
1. When reference is made to this Article, the Member State which deems it necessary 
to adopt new food information legislati on, shall notify in advance the Commission 
and the other Member States of the measures envisaged and give the reasons justifying them. 
2. The Commission shall cons ult the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and 
Animal Health set up by Article 58(1)  of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 if it 
considers such consultation to be useful  or if a Member State so requests.  
EN 43   EN 3. The Member State concerned may take th e envisaged measures only three months 
after the notification referred to in paragr aph 1, provided that it has not received a 
negative opinion from the Commission. 
4. If the Commission’s opinion is negative, it shall initiate the procedure referred to in 
Article 49(2) before the expiry of that three-month period in order to determine 
whether the envisaged measures may be implemented. The Commission may require certain amendments to be made to the envisaged measures. The Member State concerned may take the envisaged measures  only after the Commission has adopted 
its final decision. 
5. Directive 98/34/EC of the European Parl iament and of the Council of 22 June 1998 
laying down a procedure for th e provision of information in the field of technical 
standards and regulations
30 shall not apply to the measures falling within the 
notification procedure specifi ed in paragraphs 1 to 4. 
Article 43 
Detailed rules 
Detailed rules for the applica tion of this Chapter may be adopted by the Commission. Those 
measures designed to amend non-essential elements of this Regulation by supplementing it shall be adopted in accordance with the pr ocedure referred to in Article 49(2). 
CHAPTER VII 
DEVELOPMENT  OF NATIONAL  SCHEMES 
Article 44 
National Schemes 
1. Member States may adopt, recommend or otherwise endorse national schemes 
consisting of exclusively non-binding rule s, such as recommendations, guidance, 
standards or any other non bindi ng rules, (hereinafter refe rred to as the ‘national 
schemes’) aimed at ensuring the applica tion of the following provisions and in 
compliance with the essential requirements set out therein: 
(a) Article 33(2), relating to additional forms of expression of the nutritional 
declaration; 
(b) Article 34(5), relating to the pres entation of the nutrition declaration. 
2. The implementation by national schemes of  other provisions of food information 
law, in addition to those listed in paragra ph 1, and the relevant essential requirements 
may be established by the Commission. Those measures designed to amend non-
essential elements of this Regulation by supplementing it shall be adopted in 
accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 49(3). 
                                                 
30 OJ L 204, 21.7.1998, p. 37.    
EN 44   EN 3. National schemes may be developed by Memb er States on their own initiative or at 
the request of stakeholders in complia nce with the general principles and 
requirements laid down in Chapter II  and III of this Regulation, and: 
(a) as a result of sound consumer research; and (b) following extensive consultation with a wide range of stakeholders drawing on 
best practices. 
4. National schemes shall include appropriate mechanisms to allow consumers to 
identify foods that are labelled in complia nce with national schemes, to monitor the 
level of compliance with the sche me and to assess its impact. 
5. Member States shall provi de the Commission with th e details of the national 
schemes referred to in paragraph 1, including an identifier for f oods that are labelled 
in compliance with that national scheme. The Commission shall make those details available to the public, in particular through a dedicated page on the Internet. 
6. The Commission shall encourage and organi se the exchange of information between 
Member States and with itself on matters relating to the adoption and implementation 
of the national schemes. It sh all encourage the participation of stakeholders to such 
exchange, in particular through the Advi sory Group on the Food Chain Animal and 
Plant Health set up by Commissi on Decision 2004/613/EC of 6 August 2004 
concerning the creation of an advisory gr oup on the food chain and animal and plant 
health
31. 
7. The Commission, after consulting with Member States, may adopt Guidelines 
concerning the application of this Article. 
Article 45 
Presumption of conformity 
1. Any food information provided in confor mity with a national scheme shall be 
presumed to comply with the essential requ irements referred to in Article 44(1) and 
(2). 
2. The application of national schemes shall not give rise to obstacles to the free 
movement of products. 
Article 46 
Community measures 
1. If the Commission considers that a national scheme is not in compliance with the 
provisions of this Regulation, it may adopt  a decision, after having informed the 
Committee referred to in Article 49(1), re questing a Member St ate to repeal or 
amend that national scheme. 
                                                 
31 OJ L 275, 25.8.2004, p. 17.  
EN 45   EN 2. The Commission may adopt implementing measures relating to the provisions 
referred to in Article 44(1) and (2). Those measures de signed to amend non-essential 
elements of this Regulation by supplementing it shall be adopted in  accordance with 
the regulatory procedur e with scrutiny referred to in Article 49(3). 
Article 47 
Implementing rules 
Detailed rules for the applica tion of this Chapter may be adopted by the Commission. Those 
measures designed to amend non-essential elements of this Regulation by supplementing it shall be adopted in accordance with the pr ocedure referred to in Article 49(2).  
CHAPTER VIII 
IMPLEMENTING, AMENDING AND FINAL PROVISIONS 
Article 48 
Technical adaptations 
Subject to the provisions relati ng to the amendments to Annexe s II and III referred to in 
Article 10(2) and Article 22(2), the Annexe s may be amended by the Commission. Those 
measures designed to amend non-essential elements of this Regulation by supplementing it shall be adopted in accordance with the regu latory procedure with scrutiny referred to in 
Article 49(3). 
Article 49 
Committee 
1. The Commission shall be assisted by the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and 
Animal Health. 
2. Where reference is made to th is paragraph, Articles 5 and 7 of 
Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having re gard to the provisions of Article 8 
thereof. 
The period laid down in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at three 
months. 
3. Where reference is made to this paragr aph, Article 5a(1) to (4) and Article 7 of 
Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having re gard to the provisions of Article 8 
thereof. 
4. Where reference is made to this paragr aph, Article 5a(1), (2 ), (4) and (6), and 
Article 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall appl y, having regard to the provisions of 
Article 8 thereof.  
EN 46   EN Article 50 
Amendments to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006  
In Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, th e first and second para graphs are replaced 
by the following: 
“The obligation and the modalities fo r providing information pursuant to 
[Chapter IV, Section 3 of Regulation (EC) No. …of the European Parliament and of 
the Council]* where a nutrition and/or health claim is made shall apply mutatis 
mutandis , with the exception of  generic advertising. 
In addition, and as the case may be, the am ount(s) of the substa nce(s) to which a 
nutrition or health claim rela tes that does not appear in the nutrition labelling shall 
also be stated in the same field of vision as the nutrition declaration and be expressed 
in accordance with Articles 30 to 32 of [Regulation (EC) No …]. 
* OJ L …,dd/mm/yyyy, p.  ...”. 
Article 51 
Amendments to Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006  
1. In Article 6 of Regulation (EC) 1925/2006 pa ragraph 6 is replaced by the following: 
“6. The addition of a vitamin or a mineral to a food shall result in the presence of 
that vitamin or mineral in the food in at  least a significant amount where this is 
defined according to [point 2 of Part A of Annex XI of Regulation (EC) No 
…]*. The minimum amounts, including any lower amounts, by derogation 
from the significant amounts mentioned above, for specific foods or categories 
of foods shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in 
Article 14(2). 
* OJ L …,dd/mm/yyyy, p.  ...”. 
2. In Article 7 of Regulation (EC) 1925/2006 paragraph 3 is replaced by the following: 
“3. Nutrition labelling of products to which vitamins and minerals have been 
added and which are covered by this Regulation shall be compulsory. The 
information to be provided shall consist of that specified in Article 29(1) of 
[Regulation (EC) No …] and of the tota l amounts present of the vitamins and 
minerals when added to the food.”. 
Article 52 
Repeal 
1. Directives 2000/13/EC, 87/250/ EC, 94/54/EC, 1999/10/EC, 2002/67/EC, 
2004/77/EC and Regulation (EC) No 608/2004 are repealed with effect from the date 
of the entry into force of this Regulation.  
EN 47   EN 2. Directive 90/496/EEC is re pealed from [5 years after the entry into force]. 
3. References to the repealed acts shall be construed as references  to this Regulation. 
Article 53 
Entry into force  
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in 
the Official Journal of  the European Union . 
Article 14(1) shall apply from [ the first day of the month 3 ye ars after the entry into force ]. 
Articles 29 to 34 shall apply from [ the first day of the month 3 years after the entry into force ] 
except in the case of foods labelled by food busin ess operators with, on the date of entry into 
force, less than 10 employees a nd whose annual turnover and/or  annual balanc e sheet total 
does not exceed EUR 2 million where they shall apply [ the first day of the month 5 years after 
the entry into force ]. 
This Regulation shall be binding in  its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. 
Done at Brussels, 
For the European Parliament For the Council 
The President The President  
EN 48   EN ANNEX I  
SPECIFIC DEFINITIONS 
As referred to in Article 2(4) 
1. ‘nutrition declaration’ or ‘nutrition labelling’ means information consisting of: 
(a) energy value; or (b) energy value and one or mo re of the following nutrients: 
– fat, 
– carbohydrate, 
– fibre, 
– protein, 
– salt, 
– vitamins and minerals listed in Anne x XI, Part A; point 1 and present in 
significant amounts as defined in  Annex XI, Part A; point 2. 
2. ‘fat’ means total lipids,  and includes phospholipids; 
3. ‘saturates’ means fatty acids without double bond; 
4. ‘trans fat’ means fatty acids with at least one non-conjugated (namely interrupted by 
at least one methylene group) carbon-car bon double bond in the tr ans configuration; 
5. ‘mono-unsaturates’ means fatty acids with one cis double bond; 
6. ‘polyunsaturates’ means fatty acids with cis, cis-methylene interrupted double bonds; 
7. ‘carbohydrate’ means any carbohydrate which is metabolized in man, and includes 
polyols; 
8. ‘sugars’ means all monosaccharides and di saccharides present in food, but excludes 
polyols; 
9. ‘polyols’ means alcohols contai ning more than two hydroxyl groups; 
10 ‘protein’ means the protein content calcu lated using the formula: protein = total 
Kjeldahl nitrogen × 6,25; 
11. ‘salt’ means the salt content calculated  using the formula: salt = sodium × 2,5; 
12 ‘average value’ means the value which be st represents the amount of the nutrient 
which a given food contains, and reflects allo wances for seasonal variability, patterns 
of consumption and other factors which may cause the actual value to vary; 
13. ‘principal field of vision’ means the field of  vision that is most likely to be displayed 
or visible under normal or custom ary conditions of sale or use.  
EN 49   EN ANNEX II  
INGREDIENTS CAUSING ALLERGIES OR INTOLERANCES 
1. Cereals containing gluten (namely wheat, ry e, barley, oats, spelt, kamut or their 
hybridised strains) and products thereof, except: 
(a) wheat based glucose syrups including dextrose32; 
(b) wheat based maltodextrins1; 
(c) glucose syrups based on barley; (d) cereals used for making di stillates or ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin for 
spirit drinks and other beverages 
containing more than 1,2 % by volume of alcohol . 
2. Crustaceans and products thereof. 3. Eggs and products thereof. 4. Fish and products thereof, except: 
(a) fish gelatine used as carrier fo r vitamin or carotenoid preparations; 
(b) fish gelatine or Isinglass used as fining agent in beer and wine. 
5. Peanuts and products thereof. 6. Soybeans and products thereof, except: 
(a) fully refined soybean oil and fat
 1; 
(b) natural mixed tocopherols (E306), natu ral D-alpha tocophero l, natural D-alpha 
tocopherol acetate, natura l D-alpha tocopherol succinate from soybean sources; 
(c) vegetable oils derived phytosterols and phytosterol esters from soybean 
sources; 
(d) plant stanol ester produced from vege table oil sterols from soybean sources. 
7. Milk and products thereof (including lactose), except: 
(a) whey used for making distillates or ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin for spirit 
drinks and other beverages containing more than 1,2 % by volume of alcohol ; 
(b) lactitol. 
                                                 
32 And the products thereof, in so far as the process that they have undergone is not likel y to increase the 
level of allergenicity assessed by the Authority for the relevant product from which they originated.  
EN 50   EN 8. Nuts, namely almonds ( Amygdalus communis L. ), hazelnuts ( Corylus avellana ), 
walnuts ( Juglans regia ), cashews ( Anacardium occidentale ), pecan nuts ( Carya 
illinoinensis  (Wangenh.) K. Koch ), Brazil nuts ( Bertholletia excelsa ), pistachio nuts 
(Pistacia vera ), macadamia nuts and Queensland nuts ( Macadamia ternifolia ), and 
products thereof, except: 
(a) nuts used for making distillates or ethyl  alcohol of agricultural origin for spirit 
drinks and other beverages containing more than 1,2 % by volume of alcohol . 
9. Celery and products thereof. 10. Mustard and products thereof. 11. Sesame seeds and products thereof. 12. Sulphur dioxide and sulphites at concentr ations of more than 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/litre 
expressed as SO
2. 
13. Lupin and products thereof. 14. Molluscs and products thereof.  
EN 51   EN ANNEX III  
FOODS FOR WHICH THE LABELLING MUST INCLUDE ONE OR MORE 
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS 
TYPE OR CATEGORY OF FOOD  P ARTICULARS  
1. F OODS PACKAGED IN CERTAIN GASES  
1.1 Foods whose durability has been 
extended by means of packaging gases 
authorised pursuant to Council 
Directive 89/107/EEC33 ‘Packaged in a protective atmosphere’ 
2. F OODS CONTAINING SWEETENERS  
2.1 Foods containing a sweetener or 
sweeteners authorised pursuant to 
Directive 89/107/EEC ‘with sweetener(s)’ this statement shall 
accompany the name of the food. 
2.2 Foods containing both an added sugar or 
sugars and a sweetener or sweeteners 
authorised pursuant to 
Directive 89/107/EEC ‘with sugar(s) and sweetener(s)’ this 
statement shall accompany the name of the 
food. 
2.3 Foods containing aspartame authorised 
pursuant to Directive 89/107/EEC ‘contains a source of phenylalanine’ 
2.4 Foods containing more than 10 % added 
polyols authorised pursuant to 
Directive 89/107/EEC ‘excessive consumption may produce laxative 
effects’ 
3. F OODS CONTAINING GLYCYRRHIZINIC ACID OR ITS AMMONIUM SALT  
3.1 Confectionery or beverages containing 
glycyrrhizinic acid or  its ammonium salt 
due to the addition of the substance(s) as 
such or the liquorice plant Glycyrrhiza glabra, at concentration of 100 mg/kg or 
10 mg/l or above. ‘contains liquorice’ shall be added 
immediately after the list of ingredients, 
unless the term “liquorice” is already included in the list of ingredients or in the name of the food. In absence of a list of 
ingredients, the stat ement shall accompany 
the name of the food. 
3.2 Confectionary containing glycyrrhizinic 
acid or its ammonium salt due to the 
addition of the substance(s) as such or the liquorice plant Glycyrrhiza glabra at 
concentrations of 4 g/kg or above. ‘contains liquorice - people suffering from 
hypertension should avoid excessive 
consumption’ shall be added immediately after the list of ingredients. In absence of list of ingredients, the statement shall accompany 
the name of the food. 
                                                 
33 OJ L 40, 11.2.1989, p. 27.  
EN 52   EN 3.3 Beverages containing glycyrrhizinic acid 
or its ammonium salt due to the addition 
of the substance(s) as such or the liquorice plant Glycyrrhiza glabra at concentrations of 50 mg/l or above, or of 
300 mg/l or above in the case of beverages containing more than 1,2 % 
by volume of alcohol
34. ‘contains liquorice - people suffering from 
hypertension should avoid excessive 
consumption’ shall be added immediately after the list of ingredients. In absence of list of ingredients, the statement shall accompany 
the name of the food. 
4. B EVERAGES WITH HIGH CAFFEINE CONTENT  
4.1 Beverages, with the exception of those 
based on coffee, tea or coffee or tea extract where the name of the food includes the term “coffee” or “tea”, 
which:  
– are intended for consumption 
without modification and contain 
caffeine, from whatever source, in a 
proportion in excess of 150 mg/l, or 
– are in concentrated or dried form 
and after recons titution contain 
caffeine, from whatever source, in a 
proportion in excess of 150 mg/l ‘High caffeine content’ in the same field of 
vision as the name of the beverage, followed by a reference in brackets and in accordance with Article 14(5) of this Regulation to the 
caffeine content expressed in mg/100 ml. 
                                                 
34 The level shall apply to the products as proposed ready for consumption or as reconstituted according to 
the instructions of the manufacturers.  
EN 53   EN 5. F OODS WITH ADDED PHYTOSTEROLS , PHYTOSTEROL ESTERS , PHYTOSTANOLS OR 
PHYTOSTANOL ESTERS  
5.1 Foods or food ingredients with added 
phytosterols, phytosterol esters, 
phytostanols or phytostanol esters (1) ‘with added plant st erols’ or ‘with added 
plant stanols’ in the same field of vision 
as the name of the food; 
(2) the amount of added phytosterols, 
phytosterol esters, phytostanols or phytostanol esters co ntent (expressed in 
% or as g of free plant sterols/plant 
stanols per 100 g or 100 ml of the food) 
shall be stated in the list of ingredients; 
(3) a statement that the food is intended 
exclusively for people who want to 
lower their blood cholesterol level; 
(4) a statement that patients on cholesterol 
lowering medication should only consume the product under medical 
supervision; 
(5) an easily visible statement that the food 
may not be nutritiona lly appropriate for 
pregnant or breastfeeding women and 
children under the age of five years; 
(6) advice that the food is  to be used as part 
of a balanced and varied diet, including 
regular consumption of fruit and vegetables to help maintain carotenoid 
levels; 
(7) in the same field of vision as the 
statement required under point 3) above, 
a statement that the consumption of more than 3 g/day of added plant 
sterols/plant stanols should be avoided; 
(8) a definition of a portion of the food or 
food ingredient concerned (preferably in 
g or ml) with the amount of the plant sterol/plant stanol that each portion 
contains.  
EN 54   EN ANNEX IV  
FOODS WHICH ARE EXEMPTED FR OM THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE 
MANDATORY NUTRITION DECLARATION 
– unprocessed products that comp rise a single ingredient or  category of ingredients; 
– processed products which the only processi ng they have been subjected to is 
smoking or maturing and that comprise a singl e ingredient or categ ory of ingredients; 
– waters intended for human consumption, including those where the only added 
ingredients are carbon dioxi de and/or flavourings; 
– a herb, a spice or mixtures thereof; 
– salt and salt substitutes; 
– products covered by Directive 1999/4/EC of  the European Parliament and of the 
Council of 22 February 1999 relating to  coffee extracts and chicory extracts35, whole 
or milled coffee beans and whole or milled decaffeinated coffee beans; 
– herbal infusion, tea, decaffeinated tea, instant or soluble tea or tea extract, 
decaffeinated instant or soluble tea or  tea extract, which do not contain added 
ingredients; 
– fermented vinegars and substitutes for vine gar, including those where the only added 
ingredients are flavourings; 
– flavourings; 
– food additives; 
– processing aids; 
– food enzymes; 
– gelatine; 
– jam setting compounds; 
– yeast; 
– food in packaging or containers the largest surface of which has an  area of less than 
25 cm2; 
– food sold by private persons in the context of occas ional activities, a nd not as part of 
an undertaking that would imply a certain con tinuity of activities and a certain degree 
of organisation; 
                                                 
35 OJ L 66, 13.3.1999, p. 26.  
EN 55   EN – food directly supplied by the manufacturer of  small quantities of products to the final 
consumer or to local reta il establishments di rectly supplying the final consumer; 
– food in inner package not designed for sale  without the outer package (nutrition 
information shall be provided on the outer package unless it bel ongs to the categories 
of foods that are exempted under this Annex).  
EN 56   EN ANNEX V  
NAME OF THE FOOD AND SPECIFIC  ACCOMPANYING PARTICULARS 
PART A – NAME OF THE FOOD  
1. The use in the Member State of marketi ng of the name of the food under which the 
product is legally manufactur ed and marketed in the Member State of production 
shall be allowed. 
However, where the application of the other provisions of this Regulation, in 
particular those set out in Article 9, would not enable c onsumers in the Member State 
of marketing to know the true nature of the food and to distinguish it from foods with 
which they could confuse it, the name of the food shall be accompanied by other 
descriptive information which shall appear  in proximity to the name of the food. 
2. In exceptional cases, the name  of the food of the Member  State of production shall 
not be used in the Member State of mark eting when the food which it designates is 
so different, as regards its composition or manufacture, from the food known under 
that name that the provisions of point 1 are not sufficient to ensure, in the Member 
State of marketing, correct information for purchaser. 
3. No name protected as intellectual prope rty, brand name or fancy name may be 
substituted for the name of the food. 
PART B – MANDATORY PARTICULARS ACCOMPANYING THE NAME OF THE FOOD  
1. The name of the food shall include or be accompanied by part iculars as to the 
physical condition of the food or the specif ic treatment which it has undergone (for 
example, powdered, freeze-dried, deep-froze n, quick-frozen, concentrated, smoked) 
in all cases where omission of such in formation could mislead the purchaser. 
2. Foods treated with ionising radiation shall bear one of  the following indications: 
‘irradiated’ or ‘treated with ionising radiation’.  
EN 57   EN PART C – SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS CONCERNING THE DESIGNATION OF ‘MINCED MEAT ’ 
1. Composition criteria checked on the basis of a daily average: 
 Fat content Connective tissue: 
meat protein ratio 
— lean minced meat ≤ 7 % ≤ 12 
— minced pure beef ≤ 20 % ≤ 15 
— minced meat containing pigmeat ≤ 30 % ≤ 18 
— minced meat of other species ≤ 25 % ≤ 15 
 
2. By way of derogation from the requirements laid down in Chapter IV of Section V of 
Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004, the following words shall appear on the 
labelling: 
– ‘percentage of fat under…’, 
– ‘connective tissue: meat protein ratio under…’. 
3. The Member States may allow the placing on their national market of minced meat 
which does not comply with the criteria laid  down in point 1 of this Part under a 
national mark that cannot be confused with the marks provided for in Article 5(1) of 
Regulation (EC) No 853/2004.  
EN 58   EN ANNEX VI  
INDICATION AND DESIGNATION OF INGREDIENTS 
PART A – SPECIFIC PROVISIONS CONCERNING THE INDICATION OF INGREDIENTS BY 
DESCENDING ORDER OF WEIGHT  
Category of ingredient Provision concerning indication by weight 
1. Added water and volatile products Shall be listed in order of their weight in the 
finished product. The amount of water added as an ingredient in a food shall be calculated by deducting from the total amount of the finished product the total amount of the other ingredients used. This amount shall not be required to be taken into  consideration if it 
does not exceed 5 % by weight of the finished product. 
2. Ingredients used in concentrated or 
dehydrated form and reconstituted at the time of manufacture May be listed in order of weight as recorded 
before their concentration or dehydration. 
3. Ingredients used in concentrated or 
dehydrated foods, which are intended to be reconstituted by the addition of water May be listed in order of proportion in the 
reconstituted product provi ded that the list of 
ingredients is accompanied by an expression, such as ‘ingredients of the reconstituted product’, or ‘ingredients of the ready-to-use product’. 
4. Fruit, vegetables or mushrooms, none of 
which significantly predominates in terms of weight and which are used in proportions that are likely to vary, used in a mixture as ingredients of a food May be grouped together in the list of 
ingredients under the de signation ‘fruit’, 
‘vegetables’ or ‘mushrooms’ followed by the phrase ‘in varying prop ortions’, immediately 
followed by a list of the fruit, vegetables or 
mushrooms present. In such cases, the mixture shall be included in the list of ingredients in accordanc e with Article 19 (1), 
on the basis of the total weight of the fruit, vegetables or mushrooms present. 
5. Mixtures of spices or herbs, where none 
significantly predomin ates in proportion 
by weight  May be listed in another order provided that 
that list of ingredients is accompanied by an expression such as ‘in variable proportion’. 
6. Ingredients constituting less than 2 % of 
the finished product May be listed in a di fferent order after the 
other ingredients.  
EN 59   EN Category of ingredient Provision concerning indication by weight 
7. Ingredients which are similar or 
mutually substitutable, likely to be used in the manufacture or preparation of a food without altering its composition, its nature or its perceive d value, and in so 
far as they constitute less than 2 % of the finished product May be referred to in the list of ingredients 
by means of the phrase ‘contains … and/or …’, where at least one of no more than two 
ingredients is present in  the finished product. 
This provision shall not apply to food additives or to ingredient s listed in Part C of 
this Annex. 
PART B – DESIGNATION OF CERTAIN INGREDIENT S BY THE NAME OF A CATEGORY RATHER 
THAN A SPECIFIC NAME  
Ingredients which belong to one of the categories of foods listed below a nd are constituents of 
another food shall only be re quired to be named by the de signation of that category.  
Definition of category of food Designation 
1. Refined oils other than ol ive oil ‘Oil’, together with 
– either the adjective 
‘vegetable’ or ‘animal’, as appropriate, or 
– an indication of their 
specific vegetable or animal origin 
The adjective ‘hydrogenated’ 
must accompany the indication of a hydrogenated oil unless the amount of saturates and trans fats are included in the nutrition 
declaration  
EN 60   EN Definition of category of food Designation 
2. Refined fats ‘Fat’, together with 
– either the adjective 
‘vegetable’ or ‘animal’, as appropriate, or 
– an indication of their 
specific vegetable or animal origin 
The adjective ‘hydrogenated’ 
must accompany the indication of a hydrogenated fat unless the amount of saturates and trans fats are included in the nutrition declaration 
3. Mixtures of flour obtained from two or more 
cereal species ‘Flour’, followed by a list of the 
cereals from which it has been obtained, in desc ending order by 
weight 
4. Starches, and starches  modified by physical 
means or by enzymes ‘Starch’ 
5. All species of fish wher e the fish constitutes an 
ingredient of another f ood and provided that the 
name and presentation of such food does not refer to a specific species of fish ‘Fish’ 
6. All types of cheese where the cheese or mixture 
of cheeses constitutes an  ingredient of another 
food and provided that the name and presentation of such food does not refer to a specific type of cheese ‘Cheese’ 
7. All spices not exceedi ng 2 % by weight of the 
food ‘Spice(s)’ or ‘mixed spices’ 
8. All herbs or parts of herbs not exceeding 2 % by 
weight of the food ‘Herb(s)’ or ‘mixed herbs’ 
9. All types of gum prep arations used in the 
manufacture of gum base for chewing gum ‘Gum base’ 
10. All types of crumbed baked cereal products  ‘Crumbs’ or ‘rusks’ as appropriate  
EN 61   EN Definition of category of food Designation 
11. All types of sucrose ‘Sugar’ 
12. Anhydrous dextrose or dext rose monohydrate ‘Dextrose’ 
13. Glucose syrup and anhydrous glucose syrup ‘Glucose syrup’ 
14. All types of milk protein (caseins, caseinates and 
whey proteins) and mixtures thereof ‘Milk proteins’ 
15. Press, expeller or refined cocoa butter ‘Cocoa butter’ 
16. All types of wine as defined in Council 
Regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 ‘Wine’ 
17. Skeletal muscles36 of mammalian and bird species 
recognised as fit for human consumption with naturally included or adherent tissue, where the total fat and connective tissue content does not exceed the values indicated below and where the meat constitutes an ingredient of another food. The products covered by the definition of ‘mechanically separated meat’ are excluded from this definition. 
 Maximum fat and connective tissue contents for 
ingredients designated by  the term ‘… meat’ ‘… meat’ and the name(s)
37 of the 
animal species from which it comes 
Species Fat (%) Connective 
tissue38 (%) 
Mammals (other than 
rabbits and porcines) and mixtures of species with mammals predominating 25 25  
Porcines 30 25  
Birds and rabbits 15 10  
                                                 
36 The diaphragm and the masseters are part of the skel etal muscles, while the heart, tongue, the muscles 
of the head (other than the masseters), the muscles of the carpus, the tarsus and the tail are excluded. 
37 For labelling in English, this designation may be re placed by the generic name of the ingredient for the 
animal species concerned. 
38 The connective tissue content is calculated on the basis of the ratio between collagen content and meat 
protein content. The collagen content means the hydroxyproline content multiplied by a factor of 8.  
EN 62   EN Definition of category of food Designation 
 If these maximum limits are exceeded, but all 
other criteria for the definition of ‘meat’ are satisfied, the ‘… meat’ content must be adjusted downwards accordingly and the list of ingredients must mention, in addition to the term ‘… meat’, the presence of fat and/or connective tissue.  
18. All types of products cove red by the definition of 
‘mechanically separated meat’. ‘mechanically separated meat’ and 
the name(s) (3) of the animal 
species from which it comes 
PART C – DESIGNATION OF CERTAIN INGREDIENTS BY THE NAME OF THEIR CATEGORY 
FOLLOWED BY THEIR SPECIFIC NAME OR EC NUMBER  
Food additives and enzymes other than those speci fied in Article 21(b) belonging to one of 
the categories listed in this Part must be desi gnated by the name of that  category, followed by 
their specific name or, if appropriate, EC number . If an ingredient belongs to more than one 
of the categories, the ca tegory appropriate to th e principal function in the case of the food in 
question shall be indicated. However, the de signation ‘modified starch’ must always be 
accompanied by the indication of its specific ve getable origin, when that ingredient may 
contain gluten. 
Acid 
Acidity regulator Anti-caking agent Anti-foaming agent Antioxidant Bulking agent Colour Emulsifier Emulsifying salts
39 
Firming agent Flavour enhancer Flour treatment agent Gelling agent Glazing agent Humectant Modified starch
40 
                                                 
39 Only for processed cheeses and products based on processed cheeses.  
EN 63   EN Preservative 
Propellent gas Raising agent Stabiliser Sweetener Thickener 
P
ART D – DESIGNATION OF FLAVOURINGS IN THE LIST OF INGREDIENTS  
1. Flavourings shall be designated either by the word ‘flavouring(s)’ or by a more 
specific name or description of the flavouring. 
2. Quinine and/or caffeine used as a flavour ing in the production or preparation of a 
food shall be mentioned by name in the list of ingredients immediately after the term 
‘flavouring(s)’. 
3. The word ‘natural’ or any other word ha ving substantially the same meaning may be 
used only for flavourings in which the fl avouring component contains exclusively 
flavouring substances as defined in Article 1(2)(b)(i) of Directive 88/388/EEC and/or 
flavouring preparations as  defined in Article 1(2)(c) of that Directive. 
4. If the name of the flavouring contains a refe rence to the vegetable or animal nature or 
origin of the incorporated substances, the word ‘natural’ or any other word having 
substantially the same mean ing may not be used unless the flavouring component has 
been isolated by appropriate physical pr ocesses, enzymatic or microbiological 
processes or traditional food- preparation processes solely or almost solely from the 
food or the flavouring source concerned. 
PART E – DESIGNATION OF COMPOUND INGREDIENTS  
1. A compound ingredient may be included in  the list of ingredients, under its own 
designation in so far as this is laid down by law or established by custom, in terms of 
its overall weight, and immediately followed by a lis t of its ingredients. 
2. The list of ingredients for compound ingredients shall not be compulsory: 
(a) where the composition of the compound ingredient is defined in current 
Community legislation, and in so far as the compound ingredient constitutes less than 2 % of the finished product; howev er, this provision shall not apply to 
food additives, subject to the provisi ons of Article 21 (a) to (d); or 
(b) for compound ingredients consisting of mixtures of spices and/or herbs that 
constitute less than 2 % of the finish ed product, with the exception of food 
additives, subject to the provision s of Article 21 (a) to (d); or 
(c) where the compound ingredient is a food for which a list of ingredients is not 
required under Community legislation. 
                                                                                                                                                        
 
40 The specific name or EC number shall not be required to be indicated.  
EN 64   EN ANNEX VII  
QUANTITATIVE INDICATION OF INGREDIENTS 
1. The quantitative indicati on shall not be required: 
(a) in respect of an ingredient  or category of ingredients: 
(i) the drained net weight of which is indicated in accordan ce with point 5 of 
Annex VIII; or 
(ii) the quantities of which are al ready mandatory on the labelling under 
Community provisions; or 
(iii) which is used in small quantitie s for the purposes of flavouring; or 
(iv) which, while appearing in the name of the food, is not such as to govern 
the choice of the cons umer in the country of marketing because the 
variation in quantity is not essential to characterise the food or does not 
distinguish it from similar foods; or 
(b) where specific Community provisions s tipulate precisely the quantity of an 
ingredient or of a category of ingred ients without providing for the indication 
thereof on the labelling; or 
(c) in the cases referred to in point s 4 and 5 of Part A of Annex VI. 
2. Article 23(1) (a) and (b) sh all not apply in the case of: 
(a) any ingredient or cat egory of ingredients cove red by the indication ‘with 
sweetener(s)’ or ‘with sugar(s) and sweetener(s)’ if that indication accompanies the name of the food, pursuant Annex III; or 
(b) any added vitamin and mineral if that  substance is subject to a nutrition 
declaration . 
3. The indication of quantity of an ingred ient or category of ingredients shall: 
(a) be expressed as a percentage, whic h shall correspond to the quantity of the 
ingredient or ingredients at the time of its/their use; and 
(b) appear either in or imme diately next to the name of the food or in the list of 
ingredients in connection with the ingr edient or category of ingredients in 
question.  
EN 65   EN 4. By way of derogation from point 3, 
(a) where foods have lost moisture followi ng heat treatment or other treatment, the 
quantity shall be expressed as a per centage which shall correspond to the 
quantity of the ingredient(s ) used, related to the fini shed product, unless that 
quantity or the total quantity of all the ingredients indicated on the labelling exceeds 100 %, in which case the quantity shall be indicated on the basis of the weight of the ingredient(s) used to  prepare 100 g of finished product; 
(b) the quantity of volatile ingredients shall be indicated on the basis of their 
proportion by weight in the finished product; 
(c) the quantity of ingredients used in concentrated or dehydrated form and 
reconstituted during manufacture may be  indicated on the basis of their 
proportion by weight as recorded before  their concentration or dehydration; 
(d) in the case of concentrated or de hydrated foods which are intended to be 
reconstituted by the addition of water, the quantity of the ingredients may be 
indicated on the basis of their proportion by weight in the reconstituted product.  
EN 66   EN ANNEX VIII  
NET QUANTITY DECLARATION 
1. The net quantity shall not be ma ndatory in the case of foods: 
(a) which are subject to considerable loss es in their volume or mass and which are 
sold by number or weighed in the presence of the purchaser; or 
(b) the net quantity of which is less than 5 g or 5 ml; however, this provision shall 
not apply to spices and herbs. 
2. Where the indication of a certain type of quantity (such as the nominal quantity, 
minimum quantity, average quantity) is re quired by Community provisions or, where 
there are none, by national provisions, this quantity shall be regarded as the net 
quantity for the purposes of this Regulation. 
3. Where a prepacked item consists of two or more individual prepacked items 
containing the same quantity of the same pr oduct, the net quantity shall be indicated 
by mentioning the net quantity contained in  each individual package and the total 
number of such packages. The indication of  those particulars shall not, however, be 
mandatory where the total number of individual packages can be clearly seen and easily counted from the outside and where at  least one indication of the net quantity 
contained in each individual package can be clearly seen from the outside. 
4. Where a prepacked item consists of two or more individual packages which are not 
regarded as units of sale, the net quantity  shall be given by indicating the total net 
quantity and the total number of individual packages. 
5. Where a solid food is presented in a liqui d medium, the drained net weight of the 
food shall also be indicated. 
For the purposes of this point, ‘liquid medium’ shall mean the following products, 
possibly in mixtures and also where frozen  or quick-frozen, provi ded that the liquid 
is merely an adjunct to the essential elements of that preparation and is thus not a decisive factor for the purchase: water, aqueous solutions of salts, brine, aqueous 
solutions of food acids, vinegar, aqueous so lutions of sugars, a queous solutions of 
other sweetening substances, fruit or vege table juices in the case of fruit or 
vegetables.  
EN 67   EN ANNEX IX  
DATE OF MINIMUM DURABILITY  
1. The date of minimum durability shall be indicated as follows: 
(a) The date shall be preceded by the words: 
– ‘Best before …’ when the date in cludes an indication of the day, 
– ‘Best before end …’ in other cases. 
(b) The words referred to in point (a) shall be accompanied by: 
– either the date itself, or 
– a reference to where the date is given on the labelling. 
 If need be, these particulars shall be followed by a description of the storage 
conditions which must be observed if th e product is to keep for the specified 
period. 
(c) The date shall consist of the day, month and year in uncoded chronological 
form. 
 However, in the case of foods: 
– which will not keep for more than three months, an indication of the day 
and the month shall be sufficient, 
– which will keep for more than three months but not more than 18 
months, an indication of the month and year shall be sufficient, 
– which will keep for more than 18 months, an indication of the year shall 
be sufficient. 
(d) Subject to Community provisions impos ing other types of date indication, an 
indication of the date of minimum durability shall not be required for: 
– fresh fruit and vegetables, includi ng potatoes, which have not been 
peeled, cut or similarly treated; this derogation shall not apply to 
sprouting seeds and similar produ cts such as legume sprouts, 
– wines, liqueur wines, sparkling wi nes, aromatised wines and similar 
products obtained from fruits other than grapes, and beverages falling within CN codes 22060091, 22060093 and 22060099 and manufactured from grapes or grape musts, 
– beverages containing 10 % or more by volume of alcohol,  
EN 68   EN – soft drinks, fruit juices , fruit nectars and alcohol ic beverages containing 
more than 1,2 % by volume of alcohol in individual containers of more 
than five litres, intended for supply to mass caterers, 
– bakers’ or pastry cooks’ wares which, given the nature of their content, 
are normally consumed within 24 hours of their manufacture, 
– vinegar, 
– cooking salt, 
– solid sugar, 
– confectionery products consisting almo st solely of flavoured and/or 
coloured sugars, 
– chewing gums and similar chewing products, 
– individual portions of ice-cream. 
2. The ‘use by’ date shall be indicated as follows: 
(a) It shall be preceded by the words ‘use by …’; (b) The words in point (a) shall be accompanied by: 
– either the date itself, or 
– a reference to where the date is given on the labelling. 
 Those particulars shall be followed by a description of th e storage conditions 
which must be observed. 
(c) The date shall consist of the day, th e month and, possibly, the year, in that 
order and in uncoded form.  
EN 69   EN ANNEX X  
ALCOHOLIC STRENGTH 
The actual alcoholic strength by volume of beverages containi ng more than 1,2 % by volume 
of alcohol shall be indicated by a figure to not more than one  decimal place. It shall be 
followed by the symbol ‘% vol.’ and may be  preceded by the word ‘alcohol’ or the 
abbreviation ‘alc’. 
The alcoholic strength shall be determined at 20°C. Positive and negative allowed tolerances in resp ect of the indication of the alcoholic strength 
by volume and expressed in absolu te values shall be as listed in the following table. They 
shall apply without prejudice to the tolerances deriving from the method of analysis used for 
determining the alcoholic strength. 
Description of beverage Positive or negative tolerance 
1. Beers having an alcoholic strength not 
exceeding 5,5 % vol.; beverages classified 
under subheading 22.07 B II of the 
Common Customs Tariff and made from grapes 0,5 % vol. 
2. Beers having an alcoholic strength 
exceeding 5,5 % vol.; beverages classified under subheading 22.07 B I of the Common Customs Tariff and made from grapes; 
ciders, perries, fruit wines and the like, 
obtained from fruits other than grapes, whether or not semi-sparkling or sparkling; beverages based on fermented honey 1 % vol. 
3. Beverages containing macerated fruit or 
parts of plants 1,5 % vol. 
4. Any other beverages containing more than 
1,2 % by volume of alcohol 0,3 % vol.  
EN 70   EN ANNEX XI  
REFERENCE INTAKES 
PART A – REFERENCE INTAKES FOR VITAMINS AND MINERALS (ADULTS ) 
1. Vitamins and minerals which may be  declared and their recommended daily 
allowances (RDAs) 
 Vitamin A (µg) 
 Vitamin D (µg)  Vitamin E (mg)  Vitamin C (mg)  Thiamin (mg)  Riboflavin (mg)  Niacin (mg)  Vitamin B6 (mg)  Folacin (µg) 800 
5 
10 60 
1,4 1,6 
18 
2 
200  Vitamin B12 (µg) 
 Biotin (mg)  Pantothenic acid (mg)  Calcium (mg)  Phosphorus (mg)  Iron (mg)  Magnesium (mg)  Zinc (mg)  Iodine (µg) 1 
0,15 
6 
800 800 
14 
300 
15 
150 
2. Significant amount of vitamins and minerals 
As a rule, 15 % of the recommended allo wance specified in point 1 supplied by 
100 g or 100 ml or per package if the package contains only a single portion should be taken into consideration in decidi ng what constitutes a significant amount. 
P
ART B – REFERENCE INTAKES FOR ENERGY AND SELECTED NUTRIENTS OTHER THAN 
VITAMINS AND MINERALS (ADULTS ) 
Energy or nutrient Reference Intake 
Energy 8400 kJ (2000 kcal) 
Total fat 70 g 
Saturates 20 g 
Carbohydrate 230 g 
Sugars 90 g 
Salt 6 g  
EN 71   EN ANNEX XII  
CONVERSION FACTORS 
CONVERSION FACTORS FOR THE CALCULATION OF ENERGY  
The energy value to be declared shall be calc ulated using the followi ng conversion factors: 
— carbohydrate (except 
polyols) 4 kcal/g —17 kJ/g 
— polyols 2,4 kcal/g —10 kJ/g 
— protein 4 kcal/g —17 kJ/g 
— fat 9 kcal/g —37 kJ/g 
— salatrims 6 kcal/g — 25 kJ/g 
— alcohol (ethanol) 7 kcal/g —29 kJ/g 
— organic acid 3 kcal/g — 13 kJ/g  
EN 72   EN ANNEX XIII  
EXPRESSION AND PRESENTATION OF NUTRITION DECLARATION 
PART A – EXPRESSION OF THE NUTRITION DECLARATION  
The units to be used in the nutrition declaration shall be the following: 
— energy  kJ and kcal 
— fat  
— carbohydrate 
— fibre 
— protein 
— salt grams (g) 
— vitamins and minerals the units specified in 
point 1 of Part A of Annex XI 
— other substances units as appropriate 
for the individual substances concerned  
PART B – ORDER OF PRESENTATION OF NUTRITION DECLARATION ON COMPONENTS OF 
CARBOHYDRATE AND FAT  
1. Where polyols and/or starch are declared, this declaration shall be included in the 
following order: 
carbohydrate g 
of which: 
— sugars g 
— polyols g 
— starch g  
EN 73   EN 2. Where the amount and/or type of fatty aci d is declared, this declaration shall be 
included in the following order: 
fat g 
of which: 
— saturates g 
— trans fats g 
— mono-unsaturates g 
— polyunsaturates g 
PART C – ORDER OF PRESENTATION OF ENERGY AND NUTRIENTS APPEARING IN A 
NUTRITION DECLARATION  
The order of presentation of the information on the energy and nutrients, as appropriate, shall 
be the following: 
energy kJ and kcal 
fat g 
 of which 
— saturates g 
— trans fats g 
— mono-unsaturates g 
— polyunsaturates g 
carbohydrate g 
 of which 
— sugars g 
— polyols g 
— starch g 
fibre g 
protein g 
salt g 
vitamins and minerals the units specified in point 1 
of Part A of Annex XI  
EN 74   EN LEGISLATIVE FINANCIAL STATEMENT  
1. NAME  OF THE  PROPOSAL: 
Proposal for a Regulation of the European  Parliament and of the Council on the 
provision of food information to consumers  
2. ABM  / ABB  FRAMEWORK 
Policy Area(s) concerned and associated Ac tivity/Activities: Health and Consumer 
Protection - Food Safety, Animal healt h, Animal Welfare and Plant Health 
3. BUDGET  LINES 
3.1. Budget lines (operational lines and related technical and administrative 
assistance lines (ex- B..A lines)) including headings: 
No financial implications. 
3.2. Duration of the action a nd of the financial impact: 
Open ended 
3.3. Budgetary characteristics: 
Budget line Type of 
expenditure New EFTA 
contributionContributions 
from 
applicant 
countries Heading in 
financial 
perspective
        
EN 75   EN 4. SUMMARY  OF RESOURCES 
4.1. Financial Resources 
4.1.1. Summary of commitment appropriations (CA) and payment appropriations (PA) 
EUR million (to 3 decimal places) 
Expenditure type Sectio
n no.  Yea
r n n + 1 n + 2 n + 3 n + 4 n + 5 
and 
later Total 
Operational expenditure41         
Commitment 
Appropriations (CA) 8.1. a        
Payment 
Appropriations (PA)  b         
Administrative expenditure  within reference amount42     
Technical & 
administrative assistance (NDA) 8.2.4. c        
TOTAL REFERENCE AMOUNT        
Commitment 
Appropriations  a + c        
Payment 
Appropriations  b + c        
Administrative expenditure not  included in reference amount43   
Human resources and 
associated expenditure (NDA) 8.2.5. d        
Administrative costs, 
other than human resources and associated costs, not included in reference amount (NDA) 8.2.6. e        
                                                 
41 Expenditure that does not fall under Chap ter xx 01 of the Title xx concerned. 
42 Expenditure within article xx 01 04 of Title xx. 
43 Expenditure within chapter xx 01 other than articles xx 01 04 or xx 01 05.  
EN 76   EN Total indicative financial cost of intervention 
TOTAL CA including 
cost of Human Resources  a+c
+d
+e        
TOTAL PA including 
cost of Human Resources  b+c
+d
+e        
Co-financing details  
If the proposal involves co-financing by Member States, or other bodies (please 
specify which), an estimate of the level of  this co-financing s hould be indicated in 
the table below (additional lines may be adde d if different bodies are foreseen for the 
provision of the co-financing): 
EUR million (to 3 decimal places) 
Co-financing body 
 Yea
r n n + 1 n + 2 n + 3 n + 4 n + 5 
and later Total 
…………………… f        
TOTAL CA including 
co-financing a+c
+d
+e
+f        
4.1.2. Compatibility with Financial Programming 
X Proposal is compatible with existing financial programming. 
 Proposal will entail reprogramming of the relevant heading in the financial 
perspective. 
 Proposal may require application of th e provisions of th e Interinstitutional 
Agreement44 (i.e. flexibility instrument or re vision of the financial perspective). 
                                                 
44 See points 19 and 24 of the Interinstitutional agreement.  
EN 77   EN 4.1.3. Financial impact on Revenue 
X Proposal has no financial implications on revenue 
 Proposal has financial impact – th e effect on revenue is as follows: 
EUR million (to one decimal place) 
  Situation following action 
Budget line Revenue Prior 
to 
actio
n  
[Year 
n-1] [Yea
r n] [n+1] [n+2] [n+3
] [n+4] [n+5]
45 
(a) Revenue in 
absolute terms         
(b) Change in 
revenue  ∆       
4.2. Human Resources FTE (including officials, temporary and external staff) – see 
detail under point 8.2.1. 
Annual requirements Year n n + 1 n + 2 n + 3 n + 4 n + 5 
and 
later 
Total number of human resources       
5. CHARACTERISTICS  AND  OBJECTIVES 
Details of the context of the proposal ar e required in the Explanatory Memorandum. 
This section of the Legislative Financia l Statement should include the following 
specific complementary information: 
5.1. Need to be met in the short or long term 
The proposed Regulation on the provision of food information to consumers recasts 
and updates the present rules n food labelling th at are applicable to foods in general. 
It establishes a flexible bottom-up mechan ism that would enable  stakeholders to 
innovate on food labelling, and the labelling rules to adapt to different and continuously changing markets and consumer demands. 
                                                
 
45 Additional columns should be added if necessary i.e. if the duration of the action exceeds 6 years.  
EN 78   EN The rules on nutrition labelling are recast with the general food labelling provisions. 
The proposal makes nutrition labelling mandato ry in the principal field of vision of 
the food label and allows for the developmen t of best practice in the presentation of 
nutrition information. 
There is a transition period of 3 years for the application of the new rules. 
5.2. Value-added of Community involvement and coherence of the proposal with 
other financial instrume nts and possible synergy 
5.3. Objectives, expected results  and related indicators of the proposal in the context 
of the ABM framework 
The main objectives of the legislation are to: 
– enable consumers to make informed, sa fe, healthy and sustainable choices; 
– provide consumers with relevant, useful and legitimately expected information; 
– ensure the smooth functioning of the internal market; 
– foster a pro-competitive market environment. 
Taking these objectives into account, the br oad scope of the revision reflects the 
following specific objectives: 
– ensure consistency and clarity in  the provision of information; 
– protect consumers’ hea lth and address specific  consumer demands for 
information; 
– avoid misleading labelling; 
– enable industry innovation a llowing them to make use of labelling to promote 
their products. 
The following indicators will be monitored:  the notification by Member States of 
national schemes related to the provisi on of food information to consumers. 
5.4. Method of Implementation (indicative) 
Show below the method(s)46 chosen for the implementation of the action. 
X Centralised Management 
X directly by the Commission 
                                                 
46 If more than one method is indicated please prov ide additional details in the "Relevant comments" 
section of this point.  
EN 79   EN  indirectly by delegation to: 
 executive Agencies 
 bodies set up by the Communities as  referred to in art. 185 of the 
Financial Regulation 
 national public-sector bodies/bodies with public-service mission 
 Shared or decentralised management 
 with Member states 
 with Third countries 
 Joint management with international organisations (please specify) 
Relevant comments: 
6. MONITORING  AND  EVALUATION 
6.1. Monitoring system 
The general monitoring of the legislat ion on labelling is included in the 
Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 on official controls of food and feed. This Regulation 
foresees that the Member States implement efficiently the requirements of the food legislation. The Commission (Food and Vete rinary Office) controls the correct 
enforcement of the Member States. 
The monitoring would be done by the Comm ission and Member States for example 
through reports from Member States, NGOs and self monitoring activities of the 
industry. 
6.2. Evaluation 
6.2.1. Ex-ante evaluation 
6.2.2. Measures taken following an intermediate/e x-post evaluation (lessons learned from 
similar experiences in the past) 
6.2.3. Terms and frequency of future evaluation 
The Commission should carry out an evaluation of the new legislation as from 5 to 7 
years after the full application of the legisl ation in order to assess its relevance to 
stakeholders' needs. In particular, such  evaluation should focus on the uptake and 
efficiency of the national schemes in view  of assessing the need for Community rules 
on aspects for which national non-binding schemes have been adopted. 
7. A
NTI-FRAUD MEASURES   
EN 80   EN 8. DETAILS  OF RESOURCES 
8.1. Objectives of the proposal in  terms of their financial cost 
Commitment appropriations in EUR million (to 3 decimal places) 
Year n Year n+1 Year n+2 Year n+3 Year n+4 Year n+5 
and later TOTAL (Headings 
of Objectives, actions and outputs should be 
provided) Type 
of 
output Av. 
cost 
No. 
out-
puts To-
tal 
cost No. 
out-
puts To-
tal 
cost No. 
out-
puts To-
tal 
cost No. 
out-
puts To-
tal 
cost No. 
out-
puts To-
tal 
cost No. 
out-
puts To-
tal 
cost No. 
out-
puts To-
tal 
cost 
OPERA-TIONAL OBJEC-TIVE No.1
47   
              
TOTAL COST                 
                                                 
47 As described under Section 5.3.  
EN 81   EN 8.2. Administrative Expenditure 
8.2.1. Number and type of human resources 
Types of 
post  Staff to be assigned to manage ment of the action using existing 
and/or additional resources (number of posts/FTEs) 
  Year nYear 
n+1 Year 
n+2 Year 
n+3 Year 
n+4 Year 
n+5 
A*/AD 3,5 3,5 3,5 3,5 3,5 3,5 Officials or 
temporary 
staff48 (XX 
01 01) B*, 
C*/AST 1/0.2 1/0.2 1/0.2 1/0.2 1/0.2 1/0.2 
Staff financed49 by art. 
XX 01 02       
Other staff50 financed 
by art. XX 01 04/05       
TOTAL 4,7 4,7 4,7 4,7 4,7 4,7 
8.2.2. Description of tasks deriving from the action 
Implementing the Regulation, e.g. adoption of guidelines and implementing 
measures, management of the notification of  national measures in  consultation with 
the Standing Committee on the Food Chai n and Animal Health. The Commission 
shall also facilitate the exchange of inform ation between Member St ates and itself on 
national schemes and make available to the public the details of the national schems 
and monitor their develo pment and application. 
                                                 
48 Cost of which is NOT covered by the reference amount. 
49 Cost of which is NOT covered by the reference amount. 
50 Cost of which is included within the reference amount.  
EN 82   EN 8.2.3. Sources of human resources (statutory) 
When more than one source is stated, pleas e indicate the number of posts originating 
from each of the sources 
X Posts currently allocated to the manage ment of the programme to be replaced 
or extended 
 Posts pre-allocated within the APS/PDB exercise for year n 
 Posts to be requested in the next APS/PDB procedure 
 Posts to be redeployed using existi ng resources within the managing service 
(internal redeployment) 
 Posts required for year n although not fo reseen in the APS/PDB exercise of the 
year in question 
8.2.4.  Other Administrative expenditure include d in reference amount (XX 01 04/05 – 
Expenditure on administrative management)  
EUR million (to 3 decimal places) 
Budget line 
(number and heading) Year 
n Year 
n+1 Year 
n+2 Year 
n+3 Year 
n+4 Year 
n+5 
and 
later TOTA
L 
1. Technical and administrative 
assistance (including related staff costs)        
Executive agencies51        
 Other technical and 
administrative assistance        
- intra muros         
- extra muros        
Total Technical and administrative 
assistance        
                                                 
51 Reference should be made to the specific legisla tive financial statement for the Executive Agency(ies) 
concerned.  
EN 83   EN 8.2.5.  Financial cost of human r esources and associated costs not included in the reference 
amount  
EUR million (to 3 decimal places) 
Type of human resources Year n Year 
n+1 Year 
n+2 Year 
n+3 Year 
n+4 Year 
n+5 and 
later 
Officials and temporary staff (XX 01 01)       
Staff financed by Art XX 
01 02 (auxiliary, END, contract staff, etc.) 
(specify budget line)       
Total cost of Human 
Resources and associated costs (NOT in reference amount)       
Calculation– Officials and Temporary agents 
Reference should be made to Point 8.2.1, if applicable 
Calculation– Staff financed under art. XX 01 02 
Reference should be made to Point 8.2.1, if applicable  
EN 84   EN  
8.2.6. Other administrative expenditure not included in  reference amount  
EUR million (to 3 decimal places)
 Year 
n Year 
n+1 Year 
n+2 Year 
n+3 Year 
n+4 Year 
n+5 
and 
later TOTAL
XX 01 02 11 01 – Missions        
XX 01 02 11 02 – Meetings & 
Conferences        
XX 01 02 11 03 – Committees52         
XX 01 02 11 04 – Studies & 
consultations        
XX 01 02 11 05 - Information 
systems        
2. Total Other Management 
Expenditure (XX 01 02 11)        
3. Other expenditure of an 
administrative nature (specify including reference to budget line)        
Total Administrative expenditure, 
other than human resources and associated costs (NOT included in reference amount)       
 
 
Calculation - Other administrative expe nditure not included in reference amount 
                                                 
52 Specify the type of committee and the group to which it belongs.