19 August 1997: LABELLING - Draft Food Labelling (Amendment) Regulations to Implement ‘QUID’

Draft Food Labelling (Amendment) Regulations to Implement ‘QUID’

The amendments which implement QUID:

• require the quantity of certain ingredients to be indicated;
• clarify that names prescribed for foods by EC law must be used
• require food brought into Great Britain from other EU member states or from EEA states to comply with detailed rules on food names;
• clarify that single ingredient foods are exempt from ingredient listing only in certain cases; and
• require the names ‘starch’ and ‘modified starch’, when used as names for ingredients in ingredients lists, to indicate their specific vegetable origin if they are likely to contain gluten.

The opportunity is being taken to make other amendments which:

• tighten the exemption for food brought into Great Britain from other member states of the EU of EEA states to make clear this applies only if the parallel requirements of the food labelling Directive and other relevant Directives are met;
• adjust the rule for calculating the percentage of milk fat in cream so that added ingredients, such as alcohol, are excluded;
• require foods claiming to be reduced or low energy to carry nutrition labelling; and
• update the defence in relation to exports and to make some minor drafting corrections.

Certain printing errors occurred in the publication of the Food Labelling Regulations 1996 (SI 1996 No 1499). These are being corrected by the Stationary Office and do not need to be included in the amending Regulations. The letter includes a listing of the changes.

The Ministry has requested responses by 19 November 1997.