Nutrition labelling and nutrition claims

A claim is defined as “a statement that states, suggests or implies that a food product contains special characteristics linked to its origin, nutritional properties, nature, transformation, composition or any other aspect.”

We have put together this information sheet to help you use the nutritional data from this project for nutrition labelling.

Do not hesitate to contact organisations qualified to help you with this. 

Regulations in place on nutrition labelling and claims

International level :

A joint FAO/WHO (United Nations) Commission created the Codex Alimentarius which publishes international standards for food products.  .

  • General Standard For The Labelling of Prepackaged Foods  (CODEX STAN 1-1985 Rev. 1-1991)
  • CODEX General Guidelines on Claims (CAC/GL 1-1979 Rev. 1-1991)
  • Guidelines on Nutrition Labelling (CAC/GL 2-1985)
  • Guidelines for Use of Nutrition and Health Claims (CAC/GL 23-1997 Rev. 1-2004).

European level :

  • FDirective 2000/13/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 March 2000 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs. 
    http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2000:109:0029:0042:FR:PDF
  • FCouncil Directive 90/496/EEC of 24 September 1990 on nutrition labelling rules of foodstuffs.
  • F Regulation EC No 1924/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on Nutrition and Health claims made on foods

Important note: for European Community law, it is important to note that regulations (for example 1924/2006) are obligatory in their entirety and are directly applied in all Member States. However, directives fix targets that must be reached but the means to reach them are left to each Member state.

European Directives must be transformed into national law (in France as decrees or orders).

French level :

F Order of 3 December 1993 implementing decree n°93-1130 (consolidated version of 17 November 2004) relating to the labelling of nutritional qualities of foodstuffs.
http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000484070&dateTexte=20080402&fastPos=2&fastReqId=1055289996&oldAction=rechTexte