On Tuesday, Parliament adopted a position for negotiations on the revision of the so-called “breakfast directives” by 522 votes, 13 against and 65 abstentions. The proposal will update the rules on the composition, name, labeling and presentation of some “breakfast” products.
Clear country of origin marking
Deputies agree that the label of the honey package should indicate the country where the honey was collected. They add that the country of origin of the fruit used should be indicated on the labels of fruit juices, jams, fruit jellies, marmalades and also sweetened chestnut puree. If honey or fruit from more than one country is used in the composition of the product, the deputies want the countries of origin to be indicated on the label in descending order, according to the proportion of the relevant raw material in the product.
To curb honey fraud, MEPs want to introduce a honey supply chain traceability system. They also want the EU to set up a ‘honey reference laboratory’ to improve controls and detect honey dilution through systematic testing of honey.
Labeling of sugar content
Members of the European Parliament propose to allow the label “contains only natural sugar” on fruit juices. To meet the growing demand for low-sugar products, reformulated fruit juices could be labeled “reduced sugar fruit juice”.
New techniques to extract natural sugar from fruit juices, jams, jellies or milk should not contain added sweeteners to compensate for the impact of sugar reduction on the taste, texture and quality of the product, MEPs say. They add that reduced-sugar foods should not be labeled with positive attributes, such as health benefits.
Quote
Rapporteur Alexander Bernhuber (EPP, Austria) said:
“This day brings good news for label transparency. More accurate indications of the country of origin of products will make it easier for consumers to make choices in favor of healthier and locally sourced products. We will put an end to cheating on honey packaging labels if they must in future clearly state the countries of origin or, in the case of mixed honey, the countries of origin of all raw materials in proportion. This, along with other measures, will protect consumers and beekeepers from diluted honey and facilitate informed consumer choice by providing greater transparency.”
Next steps
Parliament is now ready to start negotiations with EU governments on the final version of the legislation.
General Information
On April 21, 2023, the European Commission proposed a review of the EU’s marketing standards for some “breakfast” directives to update the current standards, which are more than 20 years old.
2023-12-12 15:41:37
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