Greg Hrinya, Associate Editor09.17.15
A recent article in Business Insider explored a number of ways in which American food labels differ from those in Europe. While these labels are meant to be informative, especially regarding the contents we’re putting into our bodies, rules and regulations can sometimes get in the way.
According to Business Insider, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), the entity responsible for American food labeling, “requires packaged food to state the name of the food, the amount of product, the name and address of the manufacturer, packer or distributor, the ingredients (listed in descending order) and the presence of any of the following eight common allergens: milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts and soybeans.” Nutrients, serving sizes and the percent of someone’s recommended daily intake are also included.
These regulations were put into place in the early 1990’s and only incurred one minor change: the inclusion of trans fats on labels in 2006. The FDA has proposed several new proposed changes, though. The two main changes are a bigger typeface for calories and more information about a product’s added sugar.
There is no specific date for when the proposed changes could take effect. The FDA is currently conducting research and should render a decision in late September. Any changes are typically given a two-year window for compliance.
Lauren Kotwicki, an FDA spokesperson, believes the label still needs one major overhaul. “If the FDA established a recommended daily value for sugar, that would be a big step forward,” she told Business Insider.
The EU has only recently caught up to the US’ strict level of food labeling. The European body passed “a comprehensive provision” in December 2014 that will become mandatory in December 2016. Despite more rules and regulations, American food labeling will still contain far more information, as European food labels “are still technically voluntary.”
“Both US and EU legislation is based on international standards set up by the Codex Alimentarius,” says Enrico Brivio, a spokesperson for the European Commission on health and food safety.
Font size, allergen and other critical nutritional information will also be included in Europe. The biggest difference between the two labels involves calorie presentation. In the US, calories are defined based on the number of servings. In Europe, calories are based on 100g (3.5 ounces) or mL. Essentially, Europe has one uniform standard per 100g, whereas the US has varying serving sizes. Other differences include salt definitions, additive classifications and food dyes.
According to Business Insider, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), the entity responsible for American food labeling, “requires packaged food to state the name of the food, the amount of product, the name and address of the manufacturer, packer or distributor, the ingredients (listed in descending order) and the presence of any of the following eight common allergens: milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts and soybeans.” Nutrients, serving sizes and the percent of someone’s recommended daily intake are also included.
These regulations were put into place in the early 1990’s and only incurred one minor change: the inclusion of trans fats on labels in 2006. The FDA has proposed several new proposed changes, though. The two main changes are a bigger typeface for calories and more information about a product’s added sugar.
There is no specific date for when the proposed changes could take effect. The FDA is currently conducting research and should render a decision in late September. Any changes are typically given a two-year window for compliance.
Lauren Kotwicki, an FDA spokesperson, believes the label still needs one major overhaul. “If the FDA established a recommended daily value for sugar, that would be a big step forward,” she told Business Insider.
The EU has only recently caught up to the US’ strict level of food labeling. The European body passed “a comprehensive provision” in December 2014 that will become mandatory in December 2016. Despite more rules and regulations, American food labeling will still contain far more information, as European food labels “are still technically voluntary.”
“Both US and EU legislation is based on international standards set up by the Codex Alimentarius,” says Enrico Brivio, a spokesperson for the European Commission on health and food safety.
Font size, allergen and other critical nutritional information will also be included in Europe. The biggest difference between the two labels involves calorie presentation. In the US, calories are defined based on the number of servings. In Europe, calories are based on 100g (3.5 ounces) or mL. Essentially, Europe has one uniform standard per 100g, whereas the US has varying serving sizes. Other differences include salt definitions, additive classifications and food dyes.