Consumers Get Better Information About Foodstuffs

The Minister for Consumer Affairs, Mr. Tom Kitt, T.D., today (Friday, 31th March, 2000) announced the making of Regulations on food labelling which have the two-fold aim of providing the consumer with better information and ensuring fair trade. 

Minister Kitt explained that this initiative draws together existing labelling requirements as well as improvements to those requirements, under the one set of comprehensive Regulations.  He hoped that this approach would foster better compliance and facilitate enforcement. 

The Minister said "Up to now, most pre-packaged foods have had to be labelled with the name of the food; the net quantity of the product; the durability date ('use by', 'best before'); the list of ingredients; and the name or business name and address of the manufacturer, packer or seller established within the European Union.  From now on, however, greater transparency will be introduced, for example, by means of a mandatory requirement that where a manufacturer chooses to emphasise the presence of a particular ingredient in a product, the quantity of that ingredient present must also be shown".

In practice, this means, a ham and mushroom pizza will have to separately quantify the ham and mushroom content.  Similarly, a strawberry yoghurt will have to indicate the percentage of strawberry in the product.  Minister Kitt expressed his appreciation of the work undertaken by IBEC in preparing guidelines on these new requirements.

"The Regulations give effect, in an integrated package, to 11 EU Directives.  They cover foodstuffs for both the home market and for export to other  EU Member States and, as such, they represent a major step in providing Irish consumers with essential and accurate information about food.  As Minister for Consumer Affairs I consider it crucial that consumers be able to make choices about the foodstuffs they buy in as full a knowledge of the facts as possible", said Minister Kitt. 

The Regulations will be enforced by the Director of Consumer Affairs and by designated Environmental Health Officers of the Minister for Health and Children.

With the support of Minister Kitt, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is preparing comprehensive guidelines on 'Food Labelling in Ireland'.  The work of the FSAI - led Group (on which officials of the Minister's Department and the Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs are represented) relates not only to these Regulations but also to complementary labelling Regulations made by the Ministers for Health and Children (e.g., as regards nutrition or novel foods) and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (e.g., jams, jellies and marmalade must indicate the fruit and sugar content in a specified manner).