Clear labels on honey jars for country of origin, MEPs say in ‘breakfast directives’

EU governments will start talks with members of the European Parliament who have just agreed on stricter labels for agri-food products such as honey, fruit juice, jam, jellies and marmalades.

Current standards are over 20 years old, but the revision of EU marketing standards for certain ‘breakfast’ directives started earlier this year in a proposal from the European Commission.

With 522 votes in favour (13 against, 65 abstentions), the EP’s proposal updates rules on the composition, name, labelling and presentation of certain ‘breakfast’ foodstuffs.

Under the proposed rules, the country where honey has been harvested must appear on the label. For fruit juices, jams, jellies, marmalades and sweetened chestnut purée the country of origin of the fruit used must also be indicated on the front-label.

If the honey or fruit used originates in more than one country, MEPs want the countries of origin to be indicated on the label in descending order according to the proportion they make up of the final product.

“A more precise indication of the countries of origin of products will provide more transparency and will make it easier for consumers to choose healthier and more regional products,” said Austrian MEP Alexander Bernhuber (EPP).

|We will stop fraudulent practices around honey labels, which in the future will have to clearly state the countries of origin and, in the case of blended honeys, the respective proportions of the countries of origin as percentages. This together with other measures will protect consumers and beekeepers from adulterated honey, and facilitate informed consumer choices through more transparency.”

To limit fraud, MEPs want to set-up a traceability system for the honey supply chain to track product origin, with an exemption for small EU beekeepers. They also want the EU to form a reference laboratory for honey to improve controls and to detect adulteration through systematic testing.

MEPs also said the label ‘contains only naturally occurring sugars’ should be allowed for fruit juices.

But in a bid to meet the growing demand for low-sugar products, reformulated fruit juices may be labelled ‘reduced-sugar fruit juice’.

And new techniques that remove naturally occurring sugars in fruit juices, jams, jellies or milk should not lead to the use of sweeteners to compensate for the effect of sugar reduction on the taste, texture and quality of the final product, MEPs say. They add that labels of the reduced-sugar foodstuff must not contain claims regarding positive properties, such as health benefits.