New food-labelling rules due by mid-2007 

A stakeholder debate was organised by the Brussels-based think-tank Friends of Europe, with the support of Kellogg's, on 24 January 2007.

An official said that the Commission had no view on the way forward yet but that it would produce an official proposal for the new labelling rule by mid-2007. The new rules are set to address issues such as what is mandatory or voluntary information, how much information should be provided and where should the label be placed. 

The options for the type of labelling vary from traditional 'back-of-the-pack' numerical labelling to a simplified front-of-pack scheme using colour codes, both, or labelling based on guideline daily amounts (GDA s).

The speakers from industry, academia and the European Parliament debated the issue - all agreed on the need for a consistent labelling scheme to be used across Europe. However, an SME representative expressed his fear over the impact of the new rules on small- and medium-sized companies (SMEs), which, according to him, produce more than 50% of EU food.

The Commission responded by promising either exemptions for certain products and industry sectors or longer time-periods for the introduction of labelling.

Kellogg's, and other large food companies, such as Danone, Kraft or Nestlé, have announced their own labelling scheme based on guideline daily amounts (GDAs). "Consumers have a hard time navigating through the very technical information of nutrition labels, but we have some promising research results on consumers' using and understanding of the GDAs," said Marta Baffigo, from Kellogg's Europe.

However, the European Consumers' Organisation (BEUC)  food officer Ruth Veale said that the French consumer organisation CLCV has consumer-research data proving that, in particular, the lowest socio-economic groups cannot understand the GDAs. BEUC could support the GDA scheme, if it was supported with an interpretative element such as a logo or colour coding, as consumers need help in interpreting technical information.

Which?, the British consumer association has long campaigned for the introduction of a 'traffic-light sytem' on food packaging, arguing that a colour-coded scheme is the quickest and easiest way to help people make healthier food choices.

UEAPME, the European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, has voiced concern over the impact the new labelling rules could have on small companies (such as bakeries) if they were obliged to introduce such labels on their various, constantly changing products. 

"We have very little information on...how much labelling affects consumers' purchasing choices," said Klaus Grunert from the Centre for research on customer relations in the food sector in Denmark. "We need more research and data on the kind of decision-making consumers use in shops. We also need to know that consumers like simplicity of information, but not at the expense of completeness of information." 

"We need to remember that the strating points in this discussion are health, food and obesity," said MEP Dorette Corbey. "We should have a European simplified labelling scheme. All information on food packages should be readable and understandable for consumers, on the front-of pack. The technical information concerning for example allergies can be put at the back of the pack," she added.