Important new changes to the labelling of food are due to
come into effect very soon and mean that any potential allergens or ingredients
that could lead to harmful reactions will have to be clearly displayed on all
pre-packed and loose folds that are sold directly to consumers.
The new legislation will come into effect on December 13 2014, therefore if you are set to implement any new labelling
designs or styles for printing then now is the time to ensure that they apply
with current EU directives.
The labelling rules according to European Directives
2003/89/EC and 2006/142/EC, already in force, are designed to ensure that all
consumers are given adequate ingredient listings enabling them to make informed
choices so that they are able to identify any potential reactions before they
may occur.
The new rules however, from the Food Information for
Consumers Regulation (EU) No. 169/2011 do mean slight changes are coming this
December.
This regulation builds on current provisions already in
place for pre packed food and extends them now to sold non packed or pre-packed
for direct sale food produce.
It is hoped that this more consistent approach will make it
simpler for the allergic consumer to understand and determine if a food is
likely to be harmful.
According to the regulatory list, there are a total of 14 allergens which must appear on
labels if they are contained within the product being sold, these include:
·
Gluten
·
Crustaceans
·
Eggs
·
Milk
·
Fish
·
Peanuts
·
Molluscs
·
Nuts
·
Soy
·
Celery
·
Mustard
·
Sesame
·
Lupin
·
Sulphur
If you currently rely on printing machines to have your food
packaging prepared, whether cardboard, plastic or film, ensure that it is ready
for the new regulations.
You can find further guidance here.
For all your paper and packaging printing requirements, take
a look at our range of printing machines
here or contact our specialist
team of staff today.
