The European Court of Auditors (ECA) published a special report on Monday on food labeling in the EU. In it he criticized the fact that hundreds of different labeling systems and incomplete legal provisions would encourage consumer deception.
European consumers would be bombarded with more and more quality seals, logos and ratings on food. In its report, the ECA criticizes that these can not only be confusing but also misleading.
“Confusion instead of clarity”
“Rather than providing clarity, food labels often lead to confusion; “There are hundreds of different labeling systems, advertising promises and logos that buyers have to decipher,” the member of the Court of Auditors responsible for the audit, Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, said at a press conference on Monday.
“Companies are very creative when it comes to the information on the packaging. EU regulations are not keeping pace with the ever-evolving market, leaving around 450 million consumers exposed, intentionally or unintentionally, to misleading messages.”
Labels were actually supposed to help
According to the researchers, food labeling should actually help people make informed decisions when shopping. Labels contain information about the contents and properties of food. Manufacturers often try to make products more attractive by emphasizing perceived benefits such as ‘healthy’, ‘organic’ or ‘gluten-free’. The report emphasizes that EU rules would guarantee basic information on labels.
However, major regulatory shortcomings were also identified: even products with a high fat, sugar or salt content could be described as “healthy” or “nutritious”, for example sugary energy bars as “high protein products”.
Nutritional information on the front of packs such as “Nutri-Score” or “NutrInform” is not used in all EU countries because none of the systems are well established, the report continues. These misleading trends would be further reinforced by the flood of voluntary labels, logos and claims.
Austria does not use “Nutri-Score”
According to the ECA, Austria is one of fifteen EU countries that do not have a specific recommendation regarding nutritional information on the front of the pack. For example, Germany, France and the Benelux countries recommend the use of the ‘Nutri-Score’ label.
The report also includes an analysis of annual food labeling controls. In Austria, more than three-quarters of all checks focused on checking origin labeling, according to the ECA, while other EU countries focused on animal products or other products.
“Vegan” and “vegetarian” are not regulated
The Court also criticizes the fact that some consumers may even feel disadvantaged by labels. According to the report, vegetarians and vegans are particularly affected: the use of the labels “vegan” or “vegetarian” is not regulated as there is no EU-wide definition.
The report therefore strongly recommends that the European Commission close the gaps in the EU regulatory framework and regularly analyze labeling practices. The Commission should encourage Member States to strengthen their controls on voluntary labeling and online retailing by providing guidance and examples of good practice. Awareness campaigns or guides should help consumers better understand food labelling.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
