Food Standards Agency releases label guidance

- Published: 09 June, 2010

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is aiming to lift the administrative burdens on the meat industry with the launch of a new guideline.

The new guidance for the meat products industry is said to make the process of correctly labelling any added ingredients easier.

This has come about as under the Meat Products Regulations 2003, certain added ingredients must be mentioned in the name of any meat product that could otherwise be mistaken for plain meat, but has added ingredients such as water, starches or ingredients of animal origin.

The guidance consists of flow diagrams that reduce the time taken on deciding how to label a product. The FSA added it consulted on several approaches last year and there was strong support for the flow diagram approach.

Reducing the burdens of the 2003 regulation will benefit businesses across the UK, it said, and consumers will benefit too, as the guidance will help ensure they are getting accurate information with which to make an informed choice.

For more information go to http://tinyurl.com/2vdnsu5

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