Yogurts that show beautiful images of bananas but contain no traces of them, except in the form of aromas. Chocolate bars with a high sugar content that have the presence of vitamin C in their packaging. Products that claim to be “natural” without meeting any sustainability criteria. The European Court of Auditors (ECA) published, on Monday, November 25, a study on the labeling of food products, in which it concludes that the European Union (EU) does not sufficiently regulate the profusion of logos, claims and slogans that can mislead consumers.
“The EU has been a pioneer in providing nutritional information and protecting consumer health, and today basic information on nutrients or allergens is found in all manufactured foods”clarifies Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, responsible for this audit. However, he continues, European standards are being surpassed by the evolution of the agri-food market and by the inventiveness of manufacturers in terms of increasingly attractive, but not always well-founded, slogans.
“Rather than providing clarity, food labels too often cause confusionthe Court’s listeners lament. Europe’s 450 million consumers are exposed to messages that, whether deliberately or not, are misleading. » The Treaty on the Functioning of the EU requires the EU to provide a high level of protection to consumers and guarantee their right to information. But despite legislation adopted in the 2000s, many shortcomings remain.
In particular, two regulations, on claims and on consumer information, adopted respectively in 2006 and 2011, required specific actions by the Commission in several areas (to regulate nutritional profiles, the presence of gluten or the origin of the country , For example). However, as of September 2024, work had only been completed in four of the eleven identified action areas.
“Endless creativity”
An example among others, the terms of “vegan” AND “vegetarian » are not subject to any common European definition and can be mentioned on packaging without control. “It is shocking to see that these terms, so widely used, are not subject to any regulation”M noteme Pentus-Rosimannus. Likewise, so-called botanical claims, about the supposed benefits of a particular plant, are not regulated in any way. Thus, a manufacturer can claim that the presence of an ingredient such as ginger strengthens the immune system or muscle recovery, without this being based on scientific evaluation. The audit was able to identify almost 280 of these botanical claims in use.
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