Compared with the complex nutrition composition table, in order to help consumers make healthier choices and identify food nutrition information more clearly, countries/organizations/regions around the world gradually include the information of "Front-of-pack” (FOP) on food labels. According to the definition of CAC, FOP is a form of supplementary nutrition information that presents simplified nutrition information on the front-of-pack of pre-packaged foods. It can include symbols/graphics, text or a combination thereof that provide information on the overall nutritional value of the food and/or on nutrients included in the FOP.

Today, Foodmate will take you to know the requirements of countries/organizations/regions around the world of FOP and introduce the relevant requirements of CAC, EU, UK, US and Canada FOP.

CAC

In 2021, CAC revised the Guidelines on Nutrition Labelling, added Appendix 2 - GUIDELINES ON FRONT-OF-PACK NUTRITION LABELLING and established the scope of application of FOP, the definition of Front-of-pack nutrition labeling and the principles for establishing the system.

European Union (EU)

In EU, FOP is a simplified nutrition information provided on the front of food packaging which to help consumers choose food they need. According to the current EU regulations on nutrition labeling, it is not mandatory to mark nutrition information on the front of the package, but under certain conditions, food business operators can provide voluntarily.

Although EU has not yet formulated unified FOP marking requirements, several EU members have formulated or plan to formulate voluntary FOP marking requirements, including Switzerland, Denmark, Lithuania, Finland, Slovenia, France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Italy.

United Kingdom (UK)

UK launched a voluntary FOP program in 2013, which clearly shows the content of energy, fat, saturated fat, salt and sugar in the product through "multiple traffic light labels", as shown in the picture below. In 2020, UK will ask the public for advice on how to ensure that UK labels effectively provide healthier choices, and plans to modify "multiple traffic light labels".

United States (US)

In the United States, FOP labeling is voluntary information , but the labeling information is subject to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. If it violates the relevant regulations on nutrition labeling, it will be regarded as a wrong label.

However, in order to standardize the nutrition labeling on the front of packaging, US has developed a voluntary nutrition labeling plan on the front of packaging, which regulates the requirements for nutrition labeling on the front of packaging for 19 types of products. For food that meets the standards, FOP can be labeled after certification. FOP mark consists of two parts, one is green mark, indicating that food meets nutritional standards; and the other part states the energy per serving and the number of servings, as shown in the picture below.

Canada

In 2022, Canada revised the nutrition labeling regulations and formulated the rules for FOP , stipulating that prepackaged foods that meet or exceed the standard sodium, sugar and saturated fat levels should be compulsorily labeled with FOP.

The FOP logo is black and white with magnifying glass, and highlights the high content of food: sodium, sugar, saturated fat or any combination. The logo is bilingual, with English as the first language.

The examples of labels with high sodium and saturated fat content on prepackaged products are shown in the picture below.

Summary

In 2022, CAC gave suggestions and reference information on FOP, and pointed out that countries can formulate standards or regulations that meet their own requirements according to the actual situation. Some EU member states have formulated the FOP marking requirements and some of them are in the process, which vary from country to country. Therefore, regarding how to correctly mark FOP which is still in the discussion among the EU member states. US is also preparing proposed regulations for FOP, but neither the European Union nor US has issued formal regulations. UK plans to optimize the FOP which has implemented for many years. Canada revised its nutrition labeling regulations in 2022 and formulated specific requirements for FOP.

To food enterprises exporting the food to the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Canada, and planning to improve product competitiveness by marking FOP, it is necessary to fully understand the relevant regulations on export FOP. Foodmate has rich experience in reviewing the labels of exported overseas food, hence is able to provide you with professional guidance. Welcome to inquire for more advice.