Due to the confusing nature of food names, consumers may have difficulty in understanding the true attributes of the products. So food manufacturing companies need to clearly indicate the food names indicating the true nature of the products, making sure that consumers can understand them well. But how can the companies do it legally and compliantly? Foodmate has compiled the relevant requirements for reference only.

1.What is the “true nature”

It can reflect the inherent properties, characteristics, and features of the food, and has the function of clarifying the essence of the product and distinguishing different products.

The dedicated name that reflects the true nature of the food usually refers to the name has been established in respect of a certain food under a national, industrial or local standard.

If there are multiple of the above names, any one of them can be selected, or an equivalent name that does not cause ambiguity.

In the absence of any such name, either a common or usual name which is not misleading or confusing to the consumer shall be used.

2.Principle of authenticity of food names

To ensure that consumers understand product information through the true nature names, the labels shall not be described or presented in a manner that is false, exaggerated, misleading, or deceptive; or is likely to create an erroneous impression by means of different word size or color contrast.

"Falsification" refers to the fact that the design and production of food labels are not based on facts, and false and incorrect information is given on the label.

"Exaggeration" means deliberately exaggerate a certain fact or function.

"Mislead consumers" means that the information indicated on the label can cause consumers to have wrong associations.

"Deceptive words and graphics" refer to the words and graphics indicated on the label, which cause consumers to misunderstand the true nature of the food.

For graphics used to explain the auxiliary eating method on the food label or to decorate the product, such as indicating the cooking-related recipe on the label of the seasoning product, even the recipe contains food graphics that are not in the non-seasoning product, it does not belong to the deception or misguidance of consumers.Enterprises can add relevant descriptions such as "the picture is only for the decoration of the ingredients".

3.The forms of food name that are likely to confuse the true attribute

3.1 Name without identified true nature

When the essential property of the product cannot be determined by the food name, the dedicated name that reflects the true property should be marked on the same page and adjacent position of the food name.

For example, "Spicy Shredded Chicken": ingredients: wheat flour, vegetable oil, water, salt, soy dietary fiber powder, white granulated sugar, monosodium glutamate, chili, spice, glycerol monostearate, disodium5'-ribonucleotide, and food flavoring.

The food name "Spicy Shredded Chicken" easily leads consumers to misunderstand it as a meat product.based on the product ingredient list and product form, it can be determined that the product is a seasoned flour product, so the product name should be modified to "Spicy Vegetarian Shredded Chicken (Seasoned Flour Product)".

3.2 Use the font size or color difference to mislead consumers

The food name intentionally conceals the true nature of the food by changing the font size or color difference, such as marking the true nature name small and not obvious, or adjusting the background color of the label to make the true nature name basically the same as the background color, or moving the true nature name away from the name of the food.

For example, "fruit juice drink", where the font size of "fruit juice" is significantly larger than that of "drink", and the color of the word "drink" is basically the same as the background color, which makes consumers easily misidentify the food as "fruit juice" rather than "drink".

3.3 The food name does not match the ingredient list

When only the essence and flavoring related to the flavor are added to the food, it is not allowed to only label the name of the food ingredients in the product name.

For example, "Creamed melon seeds", ingredient list: melon seeds, salt, white granulated sugar, food additives (sodiumcyclamate, food flavoring).

The food is called "creamed melon seeds", but there are no related ingredients such as "cream" in the ingredient list, only "edible essence". This is a case of falsely labeled food names that mislead consumers, so the product name should be changed to "creamy-flavored melon seeds".

Conclusion

When defining the true nature of a product, enterprises need to consider comprehensively the composition of the product's ingredients, the process, the implementation standards, and the production license. For example, there are many overlaps in the composition of raw and auxiliary materials and the process between pastries and biscuits. Enterprises need to determine the true nature name of the product based on the above factors.