Food labelling is a real fund of information. It helps you decode what is in your plate. To help you judge the quality of a product for yourself, i.e. if it meets your expectations, here is the compulsory and optional information required on packaging.
STATUTORY GENERAL INFORMATION
The name of the food
The legal name of the food includes the description of the product, the type of food as well as the processing it has undergone (dehydrated, frozen, smoked, sterilized, etc.)
NB:
The role of brands is to personalize the product and protect against infringement.
List of ingredients and additives
Ingredients are all the constituents used in the production of a food product, including spices and additives.
The weight of each one is always indicated in descending order on the label.
Additives are usually added in small quantities during production, with the precise aim of increasing the length of storage or improving the texture of this product.
They are indicated per category and may be designated by their name or three- or four-figure European (E) code; there are thus:
- Colourings, covered by codes between E100 and E199
- Preservatives, between E200 and E299
- Anti-oxidizers between E300 and E399, to avoid oxidation responsible for the loss of quality of a product.
- Sweeteners between E400 and E421
- Emulsifiers, stabilizers, gelling agents, thickeners, anti-caking agents
In the case of a complex ingredient, consisting of several ingredients, for example béchamel sauce, the precise composition of the ingredient will be listed on the packaging or label.
Net quantity
The net quantity corresponds to the weight of the consumable part of the product (drained) expressed in grams (g) or litres or millilitres (l or ml) if it is a liquid.
This is not compulsory if the ingredient weighs less than 5 g (except for spices) or less than 20 g in the case of confectionary.
Durability indication
This date defines the end of the period during which the product maintains its specific properties.
There are two "types":
- The Minimum Durability to be indicated by "best before" followed by the date, month
Eating perishable food after the indicated date is a danger for health. That is why the product must be withdrawn from sale.
- Use-by date to be indicated by "use by" followed by the date (expressed in day/month or day/month/year.
It indicates the date up to and including which the food will retain its flavour or nutritional value. Although the manufacturer does not guarantee optimal quality of the product, it is still edible and incurs no danger to health.
Lot marking requirements
The production lot marking always consists of a unit of time, place, production process and product.
It is useful in the case of a defect, contamination or complaint to identify the origins of the product and, if necessary, withdraw other products in the same lot from sale. Tests will be made to determine the cause of the problem and prevent it in the future.
The name and address of the entity marketing the product
This can be the name and address of a manufacturer, packer, distributor, packaging company or an importer located in the European Union.
STATEMENTS THAT MAY BE COMPULSORY IN CERTAIN CASES
Health mark
Panier de Yoplait
Irrefutable proof that the product has been inspected by the Ministry of Agriculture officials, it is compulsory for animal products (meat, delicatessen, milk and dairy products, eggs, fish…).
For all European products, the health mark includes the country of origin, for example, "F" for France as well as the European Union logo.
For French products the number of the county of origin and the municipality's registration number together with the producing establishment's number are indicated.
PDO - Protected Designation of Origin
This is compulsory in case of possible confusion with another locality.
Instructions for use
The instructions for use are compulsory if their absence could incur inappropriate use of the food.
Nutrition labelling
French decree n° 93-1130 dated 27/9/93 currently sets out nutrition labelling rules. It regulates:
- Nutritional claims, i.e. all presentations or advertising setting out or suggesting that a food has nutritional properties relating to the energy supplies or nutrients it contains.
For example, "naturally rich in calcium".
- Nutrition labelling or all information featured on the label relating to the energy value of the product and the nutrients it contains.
Nutrition labelling may be compulsory if the manufacturer makes a nutritional claim concerning the source, richness or lightening of a nutrient (sugar, fibre, calcium, fat, etc).
The flavours present and product storage conditions are also mentioned on outer yoghurt packs.
OPTIONAL STATEMENTS
They concern official indications of quality (e.g. appellation d'origine contrôlé -AOC-, label rouge, atout qualité certifié…)
Recycling logo:
It states that the manufacturer takes part in a waste recycling programme.
GENERAL CLAIMS
A claim is a statement that asserts or suggests that a product has specific characteristics linked to its origin, its nature, its composition, its nutritional properties, its production, its transformation…
For example, the use of the word "fresh" is exclusively used to describe products undergoing no processing whatsoever (except for refrigeration, pasteurisation and vacuum-packing) whose use-by date does not exceed 30 days.
ILLEGAL STATEMENTS
Certain statements are forbidden by law, for the health of and respect for the consumer. These are mainly:
- Statements liable to create confusion in the mind of the consumer
- Statements tending to make one believe that a product has certain characteristics that all food of the same type have
- Statements indicating a preventive, treatment and curative role for an illness.
