EU law forces UK ministers to rethink food labelling

Health ministers from the four countries of the United Kingdom have launched a consultation on what system food manufacturers should use to show consumers the nutritional content of products.

The move comes after the European Union passed legislation last July designed to improve the clarity and degree of information provided on food packaging across the EU.1

The new rules make it compulsory for the first time for food labels to include details of the energy, protein, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugar, and salt levels. The rules took three years to agree, and the parts concerning labelling come into force in 2016.

John Dalli, the EU health and consumer commissioner, …