“Today's revised marketing standards for certain breakfast products demonstrate our determination to improve European products and fight food fraud. Greater transparency will allow consumers to make more informed and health-conscious choices,” said David Clarinval, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture, whose the country holds the six-month presidency of the EU Council.
A new category of fruit juices
The new regulations provide, among other things, that in the case of honey mixtures, specific countries of origin will be indicated on the label in descending order of weight and their percentage. Member States may decide that honey placed on their market may only be credited to the four countries with the highest share, as long as together they account for more than 50%. mixtures.
The breakfast directives will also introduce a new categorization of fruit juices: “fruit juice with reduced sugar content”, “fruit juice with reduced sugar content from concentrated juice” and “concentrated fruit juice with reduced sugar content”. The label will be able to include the statement “fruit juices contain only naturally occurring sugars”.
The minimum mandatory fruit content in jams will increase from 350 to 450 g per kilogram, and in extra jams – from 450 to 500 g per kilogram. In the case of dehydrated milk, a processing process enabling the production of lactose-free products from it will be allowed.
The rules will be published in the Official Journal of the EU and will enter into force 20 days after publication. The new solutions will come into force throughout the European Union after two years.
From Brussels Artur Ciechanowicz
