Food manufacturers ‘should not rush into EU labelling changes’

FOOD manufacturers should not rush into making new EU labelling changes which come into effect today, according to a leading industry expert.

While the Regulation on Food Information (FIR) changes are scheduled to replace the existing EU food labelling directives, the EU has allowed for a transitional period until 2014 for most changes, with nutritional labelling not becoming mandatory until 2016.

Ashbury Labelling’s head of regulatory affairs, Lorraine Eve, told food manufacturers attending a food industry conference in Brussels that they should wait until industry debates iron out any contentious issues such as allergen declarations on food labelling.