New trading standards for agri-food products

On Friday 21 April 2023, the Commission proposed a revision of trading standards for a number of agri-food products, such as fruit and vegetables, fruit juices and jams, honey, poultry or eggs. This should help consumers make better informed choices for a healthier diet, and also reduce food waste.

The Commission's proposals include the following:

Origin labelling: clearer, mandatory origin labelling for honey, nuts and dried fruits, ripened bananas and trimmed, processed and cut fruit and vegetables (such as packaged lettuce leaves). The country, or countries of origin in the case of mixtures, must be indicated on the label. Indicating the country of origin will increase transparency for consumers. It should also promote the production of those products in the EU.

Food waste: the proposed revisions address food waste and packaging waste. For example, so-called 'ugly' fruit and vegetables (with external defects but still suitable for local/direct consumption) sold locally and directly by producers to consumers would be exempted from meeting marketing standards. Valorising them in their 'fresh' state would give consumers more opportunities to buy fresh fruit and vegetables at more affordable prices and benefit producers operating in short supply chains. Certain products affected by natural disasters or other exceptional circumstances can also be sold if they can be safely consumed.

Packaging: products intended for donation can be exempted from the main labelling rules. This will reduce paperwork and labelling, thereby facilitating operators' involvement in donations. 

Fruit juices: fruit juices may be labelled 'with no added sugars' to clarify that, unlike fruit nectars, fruit juices by definition cannot contain added sugars - a feature most consumers are unaware of. Moreover, to meet increasing consumer demand for products with a lower sugar content, fruit juices with a reworked formula would be allowed to be labelled 'fruit juice with reduced sugar content'. To further simplify and accommodate consumer tastes, the term 'coconut water' may now be used alongside 'coconut juice'.

Jams and marmalades: the minimum fruit content of jams will be increased from 350 to 450 grams per kilogram of finished product (550 grams for extra quality). The general increase in the fruit content would offer consumers a product with less free sugars and more fruit than at present. The term 'marmalade', hitherto allowed only for citrus jams, would now be allowed to be used for all jams to align the name of the product with the most common locally.

Eggs: solar panels are now allowed in outdoor areas used for free-range egg production. This will encourage energy supply from renewable sources. Eggs would also be marked immediately on the farm, which will improve traceability.

Next steps

The proposals for fresh fruit and vegetables, eggs and poultry are covered by delegated and implementing acts. The texts will be available for public feedback for a month. The delegated acts will then be adopted and sent to the European Parliament and the Council for a two-month scrutiny period. The Commission will publish them at the end of that procedure.

Ec.europa.eu