Proper food labelling is an essential element for communicating and informing consumers about a product. A general principle of food legislation is to provide consumers with information that enables them to make informed choices when selecting food products and to prevent unfair information practices.
General requirements for food labelling are standardized under Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers. The basic requirement of labelling is to provide consumers with information that is fair, clear, and easy to understand.
Any misleading or unfair information practices are prohibited, especially those that may mislead consumers regarding:
- the characteristics of the food,
- the composition of the food,
- the quantity of the food,
- the shelf life or expiry date,
- the country or place of origin,
- the method of production or processing,
- claims about effects or properties that the food does not possess,
- suggesting that a food has special characteristics when all similar foods have the same characteristics, particularly with regard to the presence or absence of certain ingredients and/or nutrients.
J.S. Hamilton laboratories provide professional services in the field of food labelling compliance and declaration verification, including verification of product labels in the Slovenian language.