FSA Interested Party Letter, 27 June 2008

LABELLING - Commission Proposal Amending Directive 90/496/EEC Nutrition Labelling of Foodstuffs

Further to previous letters, the Standing Committee voted to accept the text of the Commission's proposal for amending Directive 90/496/EEC Nutrition Labelling of Foodstuffs on 23 June 2008.

The proposal includes:

• a definition of dietary fibre
• energy conversion factors (ECFs) for fibre (2 kcal / g) and erythritol (0 kcal / g).
• updated RDAs for vitamins and minerals

In addition it was agreed EFSA will be asked to give an assessment of suitable ECFs for tagatose and polydextrose.

Once the amending Directive is published, Member States will have 1 year to implement this into national legislation, and businesses will have a 4 year transition period to change labels.

For related news item, see:

• 23 June 2008 LABELLING - Committee Discussions: Exchange of views and possible opinion on the revision of Council Directive 90/496/EEC on nutrition labelling for foodstuffs – technical issues