EU Regulation 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (FIC) sets out mandatory labelling requirements for food sold in the EU. FIC has applied since December 2014 and has been amended by several delegated and implementing regulations.
Mandatory Labelling Information
All pre-packaged food sold in the EU must carry: the name of the food; a list of ingredients; allergen information (highlighted in the ingredients list); the quantity of certain ingredients; the net quantity; the date of minimum durability or use-by date; storage conditions and/or conditions of use; the name and address of the food business operator; the country of origin or place of provenance (for certain foods); instructions for use (where necessary); the actual alcoholic strength (for beverages with more than 1.2% alcohol); and a nutrition declaration.
Allergen Labelling
The 14 major allergens (cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, nuts, celery, mustard, sesame seeds, sulphur dioxide and sulphites, lupin, and molluscs) must be emphasised in the ingredients list using a different font, style, or background colour. Allergen information must also be provided for non-pre-packaged food sold in food service establishments.
Country of Origin
Country of origin labelling is mandatory for: fresh, chilled, and frozen meat of pigs, sheep, goats, and poultry; unprocessed foods; single-ingredient products; and ingredients that constitute more than 50% of a food. The EU is progressively extending mandatory origin labelling to additional food categories.