Food Law News - EU - 1999

7 January 1999: LABELLING - Quantitative Ingredient Declarations ("QUID")


JFSSG Letter, 7 January 1999

Quantitative Ingredient Declarations ("QUID")

The letter follows the meeting of the Standing Committee for Foodstuffs which considered both the draft Derogations Directive and the General Guidelines at its meeting on 17-18 December.

Derogations Directive (111/5263/98 rev 3)

This was agreed, with some very minor amendments. The agreed derogations make clear that QUID declarations will not be required when the declarations “with sweetener(s)” or “with sugar(s) and sweetener(s)” appear by law on the label, or when the amounts of certain added vitamins or minerals are given in required nutrition labelling. They also permit foods which lose moisture during heat or other treatment to base any QUID declaration on the weight of the final product. Volatile ingredients (such as brandy in a cake) may be declared on the basis of the ingoing ingredient expressed as a percentage of the weight of the final product. Ingredients used in concentrated or dehydrated form which are reconstituted during manufacture may be indicated as “whole” ingredients. And concentrated or dehydrated foods intended to be reconstituted by the consumer before consumption may give QUID declarations on the basis of the reconstituted product.

Member States have until 1 September 1999 to take account of these changes in national laws and, in the UK, the JFSSG are aiming to issue draft implementing regulations for consultation as soon as possible. It is intended that they will come into force on 1 July 1999. The final implementation date of 14 February 2000 introduced by the Food Labelling (Amendment) Regulations 1998 will also apply to the new provisions.

General guidelines (III/5260-rev4/98)

These were also agreed.

UK Guidance Notes

As mentioned in a letter of 9 November (not recorded on these pages), a final draft of the UK's Guidance Notes has been prepared. The letter includes a copy and comments are requested by 26 February 1999.

For previous item, see 14 August 1998.


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