EC Food Information Proposal: Update
Once the details of the proposal have been published, the Agency will be launching a UK-wide public consultation, taking views from stakeholders, including the food industry, consumer and enforcement groups, and the general public.
01/02/08 The European Commission has adopted a proposal for new legislation on the provision of food information to consumers. The adoption of a proposal is the first stage in the development of new EU regulations.
Once the details of the proposal have been published, the Agency will be launching a UK-wide public consultation, taking views from stakeholders, including the food industry, consumer and enforcement groups, and the general public. This consultation will help the Government develop its negotiating position in the coming months.
Nutrition labelling is one element of the EC's proposal, and the most recent draft allows for national schemes, such as the FSA's traffic light approach, to continue. An independent evaluation of the three labelling schemes in use in the UK is now under way. The results of this study will tell the Agency what is working best for consumers and will inform future negotiations on this EC proposal.
Commenting, Stephen Pugh, head of the Food Labelling Branch at the Agency, said: 'We welcome the potential benefits such a proposal represents for consumers. We know from our own research that clear labelling, including easy to use nutritional information is essential in helping people to make informed decisions about what they choose to buy and eat.
'We look forward to seeing the text and working with the European Commission and other Member States in delivering better food information and labelling for the benefit of consumers.'
