Regulatory affairs for food products.
Labeling & legislation.
Everyone who markets products has to deal with labeling laws. Are the mandatory requirements listed correctly and does all voluntary information, such as claims and labels, comply with the law? Rules that are contained in many separate laws.
We are happy to help, whether it is food, supplements, baby food, weight management products or pet food. Our consultants provide daily label checks based on national and international laws and regulations and offer support in the preparation of declarations.
Legally correct translations of your label texts and nutritional calculations are also entrusted to us.
What can we help our clients with?
- European directives and regulations on labeling, food supplements, baby food, food for weight control as well as pet food.
- National laws and regulations.
- International law, e.g. America, Canada, China.
- Dutch, English, French and German.
- Nutritional values.
- Claims, marketing copy and layout and design.
- Hallmarks, such as organic, Fairtrade, Better Life and Rainforest Alliance.
Our approach.
In response to your inquiry, one of our consultants will contact you. We will then look together at what specific requirements you have for label control.
We incorporate our findings and recommendations into a label validation report. We always strive to ensure that the report allows you to easily brief your design firm on any adjustments to the label.
Whether it's a check of a single label or you want regular recipe changes or new introductions checked, our experienced consultants are always at your service.
Related trainings.
Frequently asked questions.
The mandatory information that must appear on a label of a consumer package is listed in Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011, Article 9:
a. name of the food;
b. list of ingredients;
c. allergens;
d. kiwd (quantity of certain ingredients or categories of ingredients);
e. net quantity;
f. date of minimum durability or use-by date;
g. special storage conditions and/or conditions of use;
h. name or business name and address of the food business operator;
i. indication of the origin or place of provenance of the food;
j. instructions for use, if the food is difficult to use without instructions for use;
k. for beverages containing more than 1.2% alcohol by volume: the actual alcoholic strength by volume;
l. nutrition declaration.
These are the legally required statements according to European legislation. For some product groups, additional, European or national legal rules apply in addition to these general rules. These can be found in our search help.
The labeling of food traded in countries outside Europe is subject to the laws of the relevant country.
Our consultants provide full label management based on recipes and specifications. This can range from advice and support in preparing declarations to full label validation of your label on the basis of national and international laws and regulations. Legally correct translations of your label declarations into various languages are also entrusted to us.
Not only label texts but also marketing texts, design and image on the label are included in the legal check. In addition to label checks, your entire website can also be screened for correctness of legally required statements and correct use of nutrition, health and sustainability claims.
Formatting your legal label texts requires a product specification or raw material specifications. For a label check, a working drawing or design is necessary. In addition to the legally required statements, marketing texts, images, layout and font size of the text are also taken into account during label validation.
Précon has the Food Law Guide, an online database tracking all European and national legislation. Our editors keep daily track of legal changes, announcements and obligations and translate them into understandable explanations. For our clients, it is possible to take out a subscription to the Food Law Guide and thus be always up to date themselves.
Because legislation is subject to change, it is advisable to do a check of the label each time a label change is made. Of course, it may be that in the meantime a legal rule has been amended or renewed, so the information on your label is no longer adequate. For example, the dye annatto is not yet mentioned with the term 'bixin' or 'norbixin' along with it, or you are still using the dye titanium dioxide (E 171), which has now been rejected by EFSA. Also, after a recipe change, the ingredients, allergens and nutritional values may need to be adjusted.
In Europe, according to Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011, the mandatory particulars (Article 9, a to l) must be available at all times. On a consumer package, this information must be presented on the label. On a trade unit, for example a carton intended exclusively for brokering and therefore not for the consumer, only the legal name, the date of minimum durability, the storage instruction and the name and address of the operator have to be shown. However, all mandatory information must be available to the consumer at the time of purchase for such packaging.
As a producer or retail organization you are responsible for the texts on the label and other commercial expressions, such as the website or an advertisement. To ensure that all this information is compliant with legislation and the information is comprehensible and attractive to the consumer, a lot of knowledge is needed. Précon offers various courses in which the topics of labeling, claims, additives and origin labeling are extensively discussed. In all our training courses many practical examples are treated and the student gets to work practically to learn how the legislation should be applied in practice.
Training courses can be taken in class or online. There is also the possibility to customize a training with company-specific questions and examples.
Need help with safe & fair products?
Our professionals will be happy to help you!