Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Food labelling'

Organic food is claimed to be one of the fastest growing food categories worldwide, with annual sale growth rates of 20-30%. While the uptake of organic foods is higher in G7 countries, organic consumption rates in Australia are significantly lower than other comparable Western markets, despite general positive attitudes towards organics, and significant organic production areas. Impediments to organic food uptake have been identified previously from both a supply- and demand-side perspective. Impediments include availability, pricing and certification. The aims of this research are twofold. First, this research seeks to understand what Australian consumers currently understand about organic certification schemes and labelling. Second, it incorporates a large-scale national survey that examines preferences for organic alternatives. This research applies a choice-based method, best-worst (BW) scaling, in three organic food categories to understand the trade-offs that respondents are willing to make.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith Business School
Griffith Business School
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Legal regulation shapes the form and content of food labels. Whether in developed or developing countries, national laws outline obligations for labelling that reflect a combination of safety, commercial, and proprietary objectives based on a country's unique circumstances. This dissertation mines one particular dimension of the interplay between national and international law. While focusing on the narrow issue of food labelling legislation, it canvasses the national and international obligations affecting food labels that arise from intellectual property law, trade regulation and consumer protection. National food labelling regimes share some similar legislative provisions. French, Canadian, and Ghanaian law all recognize three categories of food labelling elements for pre-packaged foods: (1) mandatory labelling elements; (2) prohibited elements; and (3) reserved elements. As well, failure to comply with food labelling laws can result in criminal or civil liability, although implementation varies from country to country, with "food-centred" cultures more apt to vigorously enforce food labelling laws. Yet, it not simply national law that dictates the final form of food labels. International legal obligations increasingly play a pivotal role. While early international agreements were driven by States' desires to harmonize certain commercial and intellectual property laws, a shift occurred with the GATT 1947. This Agreement did not look to harmonize private law regimes amongst trading partners, but rather it set out general obligations that prohibited certain national measures which inhibited trade. The pendulum has swung even further with the establishment of the WTO. National governments, in light of their WTO obligations, must now (a) undertake positive law reform; (b) make national measures WTO-compatible; and (c) submit to compulsory trade dispute resolution, all of which can affect national food labelling laws. Clear international obligations established to address commercial or health concerns permit States to maintain national measures while still pursuing trade liberalization. However, international obligations applied to discipline national measures like the marking of food quality and the provision of new consumer information tread on national cultural sensitivities. Until further consensus evolves concerning how international obligations should be applied to such national food labelling measures, significant conflicts between national and international obligations will continue.

A comparison of front of pack nutritional food labelling formats in Northern Ireland using a discrete choice experiment. Food choice is a central factor in weight control and overall health. In today's society there are complex information issues in choosing foods which make up a healthy diet. One method used to assist consumers in making informed food choices is front of pack nutritional food labelling (FoPL). Many versions of FoPL exist in the food market place in Northern Ireland (NI). This variety of FoPL and lack of specific regulation has led to claims of consumer confusion and low usage. The need to clarify food nutrition composition to consumers comes at a time when a growing number of people are classified as overweight or obese. This is due to changing lifestyles and food choice behaviour which has influenced a general increase in the levels of food consumption in Nllike many other modern societies. Consequently, this is having an adverse impact on the demand for public health services .. A Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) survey which is a stated preference method, is employed in this research. A specially designed DCE survey was developed and administered to obtain the necessary data. An objective of this thesis is to establish if 'framing effects' exist in FoPL, i.e. do alternative combinations of interpretive elements in FoPL elicit different food nutrition preferences? A further objective is to investigate the extent to which nutritional attributes on FoPL are ignored and if alternative FoPL result in more being considered. In the DeE literature this issue is frequently referred to as attribute non attendance (ANA). Herein a practical approach is taken to ANA and applied to a real life situation. Another objective is to contribute to the DeE methodology literature though showcasing an array of specifically chosen DeE models and techniques. The results will be used for policy appraisal and to inform development of the most effective FoPL.

The food supply and nutrient content of processed foods are influenced by interpretative labelling and reformulation programs, such as the Heart Foundation Tick Program (“Tick”) and the Health Star Rating. The aim of this thesis was to explore and assess the impact of food reformulation in Australia. The research has two key objectives: 1. to quantitatively investigate changes to a sample nutrient, sodium, in a selected food category (bread), due to reformulation in response to “Tick” guidelines; 2. to explore and describe food industry experiences of reformulation and the process required to achieve eligibility for interpretative labelling programs. Eighteen bread types which participated in “Tick” between 2010 and 2015 were reviewed for sodium content pre- and post-reformulation, and an estimate of change in sodium was calculated. The median sodium level (mg/100 g) reduced from 446 (IQR 430-459) to 400 (IQR 346-400), (p<0.0001). Taking sales into account, this translated to a theoretical reduction in sodium of 6,391 kg, equivalent to 15,978 kg of salt (p=0.002). In objective two, ten interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview format. Persons interviewed worked for the food industry and had participated in “Tick”. Eight themes were identified using a thematic analysis approach. These included external influences, criteria guidelines, consumer considerations, practical elements, communication, volume/extent of work, and staff training and support. This research provides insights into the complexity of the food supply and describes important elements, such as comprehensive systems for monitoring, evaluation and reporting; potential for food reformulation; the value of the food industry in the process; consumer and retailer influence; the benefit of trusted endorsement; the perceived value of guidelines; and the significance of health literacy.

Alanine and phenylalanine based model systems were utilized in this thesis to elucidate selected Maillard reaction pathways through isotope labelling, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) based techniques. The formation of glycosylamines from reducing sugars and amino acids is a well-known process in the initial phase of the Maillard reaction. They play a critical role in both the initiation and propagation stages, however, little attention has been paid so far on the ability of these imines to undergo isomerization and thus contribute to the diversity of Maillard reaction products. In this study, imine isomerization through 5-oxazolidinone formation was explored in phenylalanine and alanine sugar models systems. Spectroscopic evidence was provided for its formation by taking advantage of the strong carbonyl absorption band centered at 1784 cm-1 in the phenylalanine/glyceraldehyde and at 1778 cm-1 in phenylalanine/glycolaldehyde model system. The importance of 5-oxazolidinone formation lies in its ability to decarboxylate to azomethine ylide and subsequently form two isomeric imines, each capable of producing distinct Maillard reaction products. Evidence for the formation of such ylides was also provided through their ability to undergo 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with dipolarophiles. Regarding the role of oxygen in the Maillard reaction, it was found that molecular oxygen can influence carbon-carbon bond cleavage through the formation and degradation of 1,2-dioxetane moieties generated from enol structures abundantly formed in the Maillard reaction from their corresponding ketones and aldehydes such as phenylacetaldehyde the Strecker aldehyde of phenylalanine and subsequently can be oxidized into benzaldehyde. Furthermore, the α-dicarbonyl compounds generated during the Maillard reaction play a significant role as precursors of important flavour-active
Cette thèse comporte une étude approfondie des routes réactionnelles de la réaction de Maillard dans des systèmes modèles à base d'alanine et de phénylalanine à l'aide de techniques basées sur les principes d'incorporation d'isotopes lourds avec la pyrolyse couplée à la chromatographie phase gazeuse et la spectrométrie de masse (Py-CG/SM) et ainsi que la spectroscopie infrarouge à transformée de Fourier (IR-TF). La formation des glycosylamines par des sucres réducteurs et des acides aminés est un processus bien connu dans la phase initiale de la réaction de Maillard. Ceux-ci jouent un rôle critique dans les étapes de déclenchement et de propagation. Cependant, peu d'attention est orientée vers la capacité de ces imines à subir l'isomérisation et de contribuer à la diversité des produits de la réaction de Maillard. Dans cette étude, l'isomérisation d'imine par la formation du 5-oxazolidinone fut explorée dans des systèmes modèles de phénylalanine/sucre et alanine/sucre. Les preuves spectroscopiques pour la formation du 5-oxazolidinone furent obtenues par la bande intense d'absorption carbonylique centrée à 1784 cm-1 dans le système modèle phénylalanine/glycéraldéhyde et à 1778 cm-1 dans le phénylalanine/glycolaldéhyde. L'importance de la formation du 5-oxazolidinone résulte dans sa capacité à se décarboxyler formant ainsi un ylide d'azomethine ayant l'habileté de produire deux imines isomériques, chacune capable de fabriquer des produits distincts de Maillard. De plus, la formation de tels ylides fut également démontrée par la réaction de leur groupement 1,3-dipolaire avec des dipolarophiles par cycloaddition. Parallèlement, une étude sur le rôle de l'oxygène dans la réaction Maillard, nous a permis de constater que l'oxygène moléculaire peut influencer la rupture des liens carbone-carbone par la formation et la dégradation du 1,2-dioxetane. Ceci dit, le 1,2-dio

Isotope labelling technique in conjunction with pyrolysis Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) was utilized to conduct an in-depth investigation into the formation of lysine specific products in the Maillard reaction. Following the pyrolysis of the lysine/glucose models including their labelled counterparts for 20s at 250°C and extensive data analysis it was concluded that lysine can generate piperidine, a reactive secondary amine capable of undergoing Maillard type interactions. The formation of piperidine has been postulated to follow two pathways depending on whether lysine pyrolysis is conducted in the presence or absence of sugars. In the presence of glucose, lysine similar to asparagine and phenylalanine can undergo carbonyl-assisted decarboxylative-deamination reaction to generate Nε-pent-4-ene-1-amine, which is the counterpart of acrylamide - a known food toxicant. Nε-pent-4-ene-1-amine has been shown to cyclize into piperidine. Specifically labelled precursors such as [15N-α]lysine.2HCl, [15N-ε]lysine.2HCl, [U-13C6]lysine.2HCl, [13C-6]lysine.2HCl and [U-13C6]glucose were used to confirm the potential adducts of Nε-pent-4-ene-1-amine and piperidine in the model systems which lead to the characterization of two piperidine and one Nε-pent-4-ene-1-amine derivatives. Products simultaneously possessing Nε nitrogen atom and five carbon atoms from lysine (C2' to C6') in addition to either 3 or 6 glucose carbon atoms were targeted for this analysis. The mechanism of formation of the two piperidine derivatives involved the chemical activation of piperidine with formaldehyde followed by aldol addition. The reactivity of piperidine was further demonstrated through detection of various pyridine derivatives postulated to be formed after oxidation reactions. During the course of this study it was also observed that in the presence of lysine, the glucose moiety was converted into 5-hydroxymethyl-furfural (HMF) and 5-methylfurfural (MF). Analyses of HMF/lysine and glucose/lysine models using high resolution TOF-MS/MS and Py-GS/MS have indicated the formation of Schiff base adducts of HMF with Nε-pent-4-ene-1-amine and piperidine, respectively. The latter being a secondary amine was shown to undergo further stabilization through a vinylogous Amadori rearrangement (vAR) process. Reaction models consisting of HMF with primary and secondary amino acids such as glycine and proline, further confirmed the observed trend that primary amines generated Schiff base adducts and secondary amines resulted in the formation of covalent adducts through vAR. In the absence of amino acids, HMF was discovered to form a dimer through a newly proposed mechanism. The subsequent degradation of the HMF dimer was shown to generate MF and 2,5-furandicarboxaldehyde (FDA), important sugar-specific furans. Furthermore, HMF was shown to form glycosidic linkages with glucose and undergo chain elongation reactions. In addition, reaction of lysine with sugars other than glucose was also explored using ribose/lysine models. These models led to the discovery of furfurylamine, a ribose-specific reactive intermediate whose furfuryl-pyrrole derivatives have been detected in a number of different foods as aroma compounds. The furfuryl-pyrroles were also detected in the model systems generating furfurylamine such as ribose/lysine and in various roasted coffee beans. The formation mechanism of furfuryl-pyrroles was postulated to involve a double adduct of furfurylamine with 3-deoxyribose which was characterized using isotope labelling techniques.
La formation des produits dérivés de la lysine lors de la réaction de Maillard est analysée par l'entremise d'une technique utilisant des traceurs isotopique en combinaison avec la pyrolyse couplée à la chromatographie en phase gazeuse et spectrométrie de masse (Py-CG/SM). En étudiant la pyrolyse de différents modèles de lysine/glucose ainsi que celle de leur traceurs isotopiques pendant 20s à 250°C, il appert que la lysine peut générer de la pipéridine, un aminé secondaire très réactif pouvant aussi participer à des interactions de type Maillard. Deux mécanismes de formation de la pipéridine ont été démontrés, variant selon la présence ou l'absence de sucres lors de la pyrolyse de la lysine. En présence de glucose, tout comme l'asparagine et la phénylalanine, la lysine peut subir une déamination decarboxylative lieé à un groupement carbonyle, afin de générer le Nε-pent-4-en-1-amine, ce produit étant un homologue de l'acrylamide, un élément toxique alimentaire reconnu. Il a été démontré que le produit Nε-pent-4-en-1-amine peut se «cycliser» afin de former la pipéridine. Des précurseurs isotopiquement marqués tels que [15N-α/ε],[U-13C6],[13C-6]lysine.2HCl et [U-13C6]glucose ont été utilisés afin de confirmer les composés d'addition potentiels de Nε-pent-4-en-1-amine et de la pipéridine dans les systèmes modèles permettant la caractérisation de deux dérivés de la pipéridine et un dérivé du Nε-pent-4-en-1-amine. Les produits ciblés lors des analyses possédaient un atome d'azote de type Nε et cinq atomes de carbone provenant de la lysine (C2' à C6') ainsi que 3 ou 6 atomes de carbone provenant du glucose. En bref, le mécanisme de formation des deux dérivés de la pipéridine implique l'activation chimique de la pipéridine avec le formaldéhyde suivi d'une addition de type aldol. La réactivité de la pipéridine fut démontrée davantage lors de la détection de plusieurs dérivés de la pyridine quiont été formés suite à des réactions d'oxydation. De plus, il fut aussi observé au cours de l'étude que la présence de la lysine favorisait la conversion du glucose en 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) et 5-methylfurfural (MF). Des analyses comparatives de modèles HMF/lysine et glucose/lysine à l'aide d'un TOF-MS/MS à haute résolution et du Py-CG/SM ont indiqué la formation de composés d'addition de base de Schiff du HMF avec le Nε-pent-4-ene-1-amine et la pipéridine. Étant donné que le deuxième composé d'addition est un aminé secondaire, il peut se stabiliser davantage par l'entremise du processus de réarrangement vinylogue d'Amadori (vAR). De plus, la réaction de systèmes modèles combinant le HMF avec des acides aminés primaires et secondaires comme la glycine et la proline confirment qu'il y a une tendance pour que les aminés primaires générant des composés d'addition de base de Schiff et les aminés secondaires mènent à la formation de composés d'addition covalents par le processus de vAR. En l'absence d'acides aminés, cette étude démontre que le HMF forme un dimère par l'entremise d'un nouveau mécanisme proposé. La dégradation subséquente du dimère produit deux furanes spécifiques aux sucres, soit le MF et le 2,5-furandicarboxaldéhyde. Cette étude démontre aussi que le HMF forme des liens glycosidiques avec le glucose et participe à des réactions d'élongation de la chaine. De plus, la réactions de la lysine avec de ribose ont permis de faire la découverte du furfurylamine, un intermédiaire réactif spécifique au ribose produisant plusieurs dérivés de furfurylpyrrole qui ont été détectés en tant que composés aromatiques dans plusieurs aliments. Dans les systèmes modèles produisant du furfurylamine, ces furfurylpyrroles furent aussi détectés tout comme dans des grains de café rôtis. Le mécanisme de formation des furfurylpyrroles proposé implique un double composé d'addition du furfurylamine avec le 3-deoxyribose qui fut caractérisé à l'aide de marqueurs isotopiques.

Magistro baigiamajame darbe bus išanalizuota ir įvertinta maisto papildų reklamos atitikimas teisės aktų reikalavimams, iškeltos maisto papildų ženklinimo, tvirtinimo vartoti, vartojimo kėblumai visuomenėje bei pateikti siūlymai, kaip šias problemas spręsti. Pirmojoje darbo dalyje bus nagrinėjami maisto papildų reklamos bei kiti teisinei aktai. Antrojoje dalyje bus vykdomi tyrimai norint išsiaiškint realia maisto papildų reklamos situaciją Lietuvoje, bei to poveikio įtaką visuomenei. Trečiojoje dalyje bus nagrinėjamas atliktas tyrimas, kuriuo norima išsiaiškinti ar maisto papildų reklama atitinka visus Lietuvos Respublikos teisinius aktus.
Master's thesis will be analyzed and evaluated food supplements advertising compliance with legislative requirements, bringing food supplement labeling approval for use, consumption in the complexities of society and to provide suggestions on how to address these issues. The first part will be considered food supplements advertising and other legal acts. The second part will be carried out tests in order to check on the actual food supplements advertising situation in Lithuania, as well as the impact of societal impact. The third part will be examined in the study, which is necessary to clarify or supplements advertising complies with all the legal acts of the Republic of Lithuania.

Introduction: The importance of brands and the competition between private and national brands in different food categories increased in recent years. According to literature, except for packaging and price, there is virtually no difference between the contents of food products in the majority of private and national brands. Private brands are usually cheaper than national brands. Previous research indicated consumers’ preferences for private and national brand food products to differ between various products and in different regions. Objective: The aim of this study was thus to determine the relationship between consumers’ brand preferences for different food products, in relation to their demographics and psychographics in a South African context. Setting: A mall intercept, interviewer administered questionnaire was used as a quantitative method in this study in Potchefstroom in a South African context. Consumers’ preferences for private and national brand food products in different product categories were explored, using preference, psychographics and demographical questions simultaneously. Results: Respondents in this study preferred to purchase national brands in all products categories except for cooking oil. Considering eight psychographic factors that were extracted by exploratory factor analysis, two factors could be associated with positive reactions, while neutral reactions were evident for six factors. Respondents being indecisive on the majority of factors could be due to the fact that national brands were preferred for most products by respondents in the present study. Conclusions: Although brand preference depended on demographics and psychographics in previous research, the present study did not find significant relationships with psychographics when different products were used. Although a combination of demographic factors (mainly gender, education level, home language and employment status) could be useful in determining brand preference when used with specific products, home language and education level seem to be the most important factors. Therefore, brand preference depended on specific demographics for each product, while psychographic factors did not play a significant role. This implied that brand preference research should be product and region specific using specific demographic variables.
Thesis (M. Consumer Science)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Eco-labelling is a way to promote sustainable development. This is a quantified study about purchase behaviour regarding eco-labelled seafood in Sweden, based on interviews with a convenience sample of consumers in situ. The objectives were to establish how large the knowledge of eco-labelled seafood is, to investigate the reasons for acquiring the product and thus determine the prime driving force to do it. The willingness to pay for eco-labelled seafood was also investigated. The results show a low awareness where just about a quarter of the respondents knew that eco-labelled seafood existed. The willingness to pay was high; four out of five were ready to spend additional money on an eco-labelled product. Women displayed a higher willingness to pay than men, which supports previous research. Regarding the reasons to purchase the only options presented to the respondents were environmental concern, enhanced health or both alternatives in combination. Health as the single factor was the least preferred choice and the two other alternatives were favoured to an equal amount. A difference in purchase behaviour can be detected among respondents with awareness of ecolabelled seafood when compared to those without. Those aware stated a willingness to pay to a higher degree and also displayed more environmental concern and less health interest than those unaware of eco-labelled seafood.

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Though the labels are rich in information, studies suggest that these are not made in favor of the consumer. This can make them vulnerable to advertising on food. One of the causes of this is the lack of the ability to find and process information efficiently – literacy. Therefore, this study aims at understanding how do the labels influence the consumer’s perception and decision making. In addition, two categories of products have been analyzed, so it can be verified if different product types are differently affected by the messages: a healthier product (cereal bar) and a less healthy one (chocolate cookies). Also, positive messages (advertisements) as well as negative messages (warnings) have been used. An online experiment with 6 different treatments was performed. Data from each group were compared with the non-parametric tests Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis, with the Dunn’s technique for paired comparisons. The t-test (parametric) was also used for the analysis. With more than 300 respondents, it can be inferred that advertisements have a positive effect on any product, but the warning had no effect on the cookies. Cereal bars can benefit from advertisements, but not as much as the cookies. As for price, only the cookie with the advertisement achieved a significantly higher result, indicating that people are more attracted, and could pay more, for these kinds of products when they come with propaganda. To test this assumption in a more realistic environment, cookies were sold for college students. Almost half of the sample of 38 students preferred the more expensive cookies (carrying advertisement), even though both products (with/without propaganda) had identical back-ofpackage information and design. Only few individuals were able to find and interpret the back-of-package information. Those who bought the most expensive product justified themselves saying that the product was nutritionally better. It is suggested that further studies on labeling seek to be more realistic, and that industries and governments should be more concerned on how the consumer understands the labels. Especially for the companies, it should not be the goal of its investigations solely which formats sell more, but which label formats are more efficient to inform the consumer.
Apesar de os rótulos serem ricos em informações, estudos sugerem que estes não são feitos para o benefício do consumidor. Isso pode torná-los vulneráveis às mensagens publicitárias nos alimentos. Uma das causas é a falta de capacidade em encontrar e processar informações eficientemente – a literacia. Por isso, este estudo busca entender como as informações dos rótulos interferem na percepção e tomada de decisão dos consumidores. Ainda, duas categorias de produtos são analisadas, para que possa verificar se diferentes tipos de produto são diferentemente afetados pelas mensagens: um produto mais saudável (barra de cereal) e um menos saudável (biscoito de chocolate). Ademais, tanto mensagens positivas (propagandas) quanto negativas (alertas) foram usadas. Um experimento online com 6 diferentes tratamentos foi realizado. Os dados de cada grupo foram comparados com os testes não-paramétricos de Mann-Whitney U e Kruskal-Wallis, com aplicação da técnica de Dunn para comparações em pares. Paralelamente usou-se, ainda, o teste t (paramétrico) nas análises. Com mais de 300 respondentes, pode-se inferir que as propagandas têm um efeito positivo em qualquer produto, mas os alertas não tiveram nenhum efeito nos biscoitos. Barras de cereal se beneficiam de propagandas, mas menos que os biscoitos. Quanto à estimativa de preço, apenas o biscoito com propaganda conseguiu resultado significativamente maior, indicando que as pessoas têm mais atração, e podem estar dispostas a pagar mais por esses produtos, quando estes vêm propaganda. Para testar essa suposição num ambiente mais realista, biscoitos foram colocados à venda para alunos universitários. Quase metade da amostra de 38 alunos preferiu os biscoitos mais caros (com propaganda), apesar de os rótulos traseiros serem idênticos. Poucos foram capazes de acessar e decodificar as informações do rótulo traseiro. Todos os que compraram o mais caro se justificaram dizendo que o produto seria melhor nutricionalmente. Sugere-se que estudos futuros sobre rotulagem busquem sempre se aproximar da realidade, e que indústrias e governos se preocupem mais em como o consumidor compreende os rótulos. Para as empresas não deveria ser meta de suas investigações apenas os formatos que vendem mais, mas sim, os formatos de rótulo que informem melhor o consumidor.

Sustainability labels play an important role as information providers in the food sector. They serve consumers with information regarding a product’s sustainability performance and shows whether the product is compliant with certain rules and regulations. Consumers of today do however find it difficult to orient among the multitude of label alternatives and there are difficulties knowing exactly what the labels stand for. Additionally, the complex concept of sustainability is not fully portrayed through existing labels, as they communicate a one-dimensional viewpoint and lack transparency regarding its sustainability assessment criteria of the product. This lack of transparency creates information asymmetry between consumers and producers, which in turn prevents consumers from making an informed choice. To decrease the prevailing information asymmetry, multidimensional sustainability labels can be an alternative. This since they communicate multiple dimensions of sustainability in a simplified and objective manner. The main aim of the study is to examine whether different consumer attributes correlate with the perception of a multidimensional label. Further, the study aims to evaluate a multidimensional label’s potential to decrease the information asymmetry within the food sector. This was investigated through an online survey with 879 respondents. The results showed that (i) the only customer attribute that correlates with the perception of a multidimensional label is the respondent’s sustainability profile, (ii) the multidimensional label is considered necessary and complementary to existing labels as it clarifies a product’s sustainability performance, and (iii) further research is needed, e.g. regarding what design is easiest to comprehend, to successfully introduce it to the food sector.
Hållbarhetsmärkningar utgör en viktig roll som informationsspridare inom livsmedelsindustrin. De förser konsumenter med information angående hur hållbar en produkt är samt visar huruvida produkten lever upp till vissa regler och förordningar. Dagens konsumenter upplever dock att det är svårt att orientera sig bland alla hållbarhetsmärkningar och att det är svårt att veta vad respektive märkning står för. Dessutom skildrar befintliga hållbarhetsmärkningar inte det komplexa begreppet hållbarhet på ett tillfredsställande sätt, då de kommunicerar en endimensionell bild där märkningens bedömningskriterier inte beskrivs. Denna avsaknad av transparens skapar informationsasymmetri mellan konsumenter och producenter, vilket i sin tur begränsar konsumenternas förmåga att göra ett informerat val. För att minska den rådande informationsasymmetrin kan multidimensionella hållbarhetsmärkningar vara ett alternativ. Detta då de kommunicerar flera dimensioner av hållbarhet på ett förenklat och objektivt sätt. Det huvudsakliga syftet för denna studie är att undersöka huruvida olika konsumenters egenskaper korrelerar med uppfattningen av en flerdimensionell hållbarhetsmärkning. Studien syftar även till att undersöka den flerdimensionella hållbarhetsmärkningens potential att bidra till en minskad informationsasymmetri inom livsmedelsindustrin. Detta undersöktes med hjälp av en nätbaserad enkät med 879 respondenter. Studiens resultat visade att (i) en konsuments hållbarhetsprofil påverkar uppfattningen av en flerdimensionell hållbarhetsmärkning, (ii) den flerdimensionella hållbarhetsmärkningen anses nödvändig och kompletterande till befintliga hållbarhetsmärkningar då den förtydligar hur hållbar en produkt är samt (iii) att vidare studier är nödvändiga för att framgångsrikt introducera hållbarhetsmärkningen till livsmedelsindustrin, exempelvis angående vilken design som är enklast att förstå.

People in Sweden have become more aware and interested in environmental issues. This has led to an increased demand for environmental friendly food products. Previously the price often determined if a customer bought the product or not. During the recent years internet has become a more widely used media than ever before. This has led to that inter-net is one of the important tools to gather information and knowledge, among other things environmental issues.

With such aspects in mind the authors found it interesting to investigate if companies could use internet as a marketing tool for environmental friendly products. Therefore the purpose of this thesis is to:

investigate if and how companies display environmental friendliness in their marketing strategy and how it is presented on their company webpage’s.

In order to fulfil the purpose five general dealer’s home and webpage’s were examined. As a supplementing research one store for each of the five general dealers were visited and ex-amined.

The used theoretical framework is focused on value and green marketing. How to create a specific value is often the core when formulating and creating a strategy for a company. Green marketing is such marketing that include environmental concerns in the marketing offers. The sales of ecological food has increased and according to SCB (2006) represented 6 Billions in revenue between 2004 and 2005. The literature indicates that green marketing have to change and become more like conventional marketing, in order to reach the larger consumer segments. As a supplement to this theory, a section with home and webpage de-sign and chromatics are added.

The analysis and conclusion showed that there were some differences in how the re-searched companies used green marketing. Two of the companies used their webpage’s and displayed environmental awareness, while two had a clear focus on price. One company had a health focus. It was also found that there are differences between the messages and information on the home and webpage’s, compared to the findings in the stores. What also was found was that green marketing not only should target the already green consumers, but instead aim at the larger consumer segment. To do this green marketing should become more like conventional marketing and not only focus on the product, but also other value factors. The findings also suggest that the companies could use their home and webpage’s to a higher extent than they do today.

Tyrimo tikslas- ištirti ekologiškų maisto produktų vartojimą bei požiūrį į juos tarp Vilniaus miesto suaugusių gyventojų. Metodai. Tyrimo imtis- 514 Vilniaus miesto suaugusių gyventojų. Tyrimui naudotas anoniminės anketinės apklausos metodas. Anketos klausimai buvo apie pačius respondentus, jų požiūrį į ekologiškus maisto produktus, vartojimo ir nevartojimo priežastis, produktų prieinamumą, informacijos gavimą. Duomenų analizė atlikta naudojant statistinę SPSS 14.0 programą. Statistiškai reikšmingam skirtumui tarp grupių įvertinti naudojamas Mano – Vitnio rangų sumų kriterijus (U). Kokybinių požymių statistiniam ryšiui nustatyti naudojamas chi kvadratas (χ2) ir apskaičiuotas šio kriterijaus laisvės laipsnių skaičius (df). Duomenų skirtumas laikomas statistiškai reikšmingu, kai p < 0,05. Rezultatai. Ekologiškus maisto produktus vartoja 82,1 % respondentų, iš jų 88,2 % moterų ir 71,2 % vyrų. Moterys vartoja statistiškai reikšmingai dažniau (p= 0,000). Tarp amžiaus grupių ir vartojimo irgi nustatytas statistiškai reikšmingas ryšys (p= 0,009), 18-34 metų amžiaus respondentai vartoja dažniau. Statistiškai reikšmingai dažniau vartoja >1501 Lt ir <500 Lt gaunantys respondentai (p=0,012), taip pat turintys aukštąjį ir profesinį išsilavinimą (p=0,029). 97,5 % atsakiusiųjų pirktų ekologiškus maisto produktus, jei tik leistų galimybės. Priežastys, lemiančios ekologiškų maisto produktų vartojimą, yra šių produktų saugumas 27,3 %, sveikumas 90,0 %, skanumas 38,9 %. Nevartojimo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]
The aim of the research- to investigate organic food consumption and approach to it among adults in Vilnius city. Methods. Research volume- 514 adults of Vilnius city. The method of anonymous questionnaire survey was applied for the research. Questionnaire contained questions of the respondents, they approach to organic food, reasons of consumption or not, accessibility of products, obtaining information. Data analysis was performed by using the program SPSS 14.0. Mann-Whitney rank sum criterion (U) was applied for analysis of statistically significant difference between the groups. The value chi square (χ2) was applied for evaluation of statistic relation of qualitative features. The data difference is statistically significant when p < 0,05. Results. Organic food are used by 82,1 % respondents, 88,2 % of them was women and 71,2 %- men. Women use statistically significantly more frequently (p= 0,000). There is statistically significant relation between age groups and consumption (p= 0,009), 18-34 years old of respondents use more frequently. Statistically significantly more frequently (p=0,012) use respondents, which earn >1501 Lt and <500 Lt money, also respondents, which have higher and vocational education (p=0,029). The reasons why people use organic food are: food safety (27,3 %), health (90,0 %), good taste (38,9 %). The non- used reasons are: too expensive (53,3 %), not good taste (5,4 %), short consumption time (21,7 %), don‘t knows which food is organic (28,3... [to full text]

Appropriate provision of information regarding food, including foodstuff labeling, is considered to be an efficient tool to promote healthy lifestyle and ensure a safe use of foods. Research conducted in Lithuania indicate that just a small percentage of Lithuanian residents choose foods to prevent disease, however, there is a lack of data concerning the links between food information and the choice of foods of Lithuanian adults. The aim of the study is to investigate and evaluate the links between food information and choice of foodstuffs from a public health viewpoint. The results of the research show, that most of Lithuanian adult residents consider that food labelling information is not fully comprehensible and legible. Lithuanian adult residents reported that their food choice is mostly influenced by the minimum durability date, price and country of origin. More than half of Lithuanian adult residents wish nutrition labelling information to be presented on food labels. Females more than males, higher educated persons more than lower educated persons are interested in nutrition labelling information. From the public health viewpoint, significant links between Lithuanian adult residents’ dietary habits and their attitudes towards information about food were not found, however, those who had a healthier diet were more likely to wish nutrition labelling, its placement on the most visible side of the food package and information not only about fats, carbohydrates, proteins... [to full text]
Tinkamas informacijos apie maistą pateikimas, įskaitant maisto produktų ženklinimą, yra svarbi priemonė skatinti sveikatą stiprinantį gyvenimo būdą ir užtikrinti saugų maisto produktų vartojimą. Lietuvoje atliktų tyrimų duomenys rodo, kad ligų profilaktikos tikslu maisto produktus renkasi tik nedidelė dalis gyventojų, tačiau trūksta duomenų apie tai, kokios yra gyventojų maisto produktų pasirinkimo sąsajos su informacija apie maistą. Šio darbo tikslas – ištirti ir įvertinti informacijos apie maistą sąsajas su Lietuvos suaugusių gyventojų maisto produktų pasirinkimu visuomenės sveikatos požiūriu. Tyrimo rezultatai rodo, kad daugumos Lietuvos suaugusių gyventojų nuomone, maisto produktų ženklinimo informacija nėra visiškai suprantama ir aiškiai įskaitoma. Lietuvos suaugę gyventojai kaip labiausiai maisto produktų pasirinkimui darančią įtaką ženklinimo informaciją nurodė maisto produktų tinkamumo vartoti terminą, kainą ir kilmės šalį. Daugiau kaip pusė jų pageidauja, kad ženklinant maisto produktus būtų pateikiama maistingumo informacija. Labiausiai pageidaujama informacijos apie maisto produkto energinę vertę, riebalus, cholesterolį ir vitaminus. Daugiau moterų negu vyrų, aukštesnį išsilavinimą negu žemesnį išsilavinimą turinčių gyventojų domisi informacija apie maisto produktų maistingumą. Vertinant visuomenės sveikatos požiūriu, nenustatyta reikšmingų sąsajų tarp Lietuvos suaugusių gyventojų nuomonės apie informaciją apie maistą ir jų mitybos įpročių, tačiau sveikiau... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

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Este trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar a compreensão da representação gráfica das informações nutricionais presentes nos rótulos de alimentos por adolescentes escolares. Foi realizado um estudo transversal com 56 adolescentes escolares (n=56), com idades compreendidas entre 15 e 17 anos, matriculados em uma escola particular de Porto Alegre/RS. Para a realização da pesquisa foi utilizado um questionário específico estruturado com nove perguntas fechadas dicotômicas e de múltipla escolha. Os resultados mostram que 41% dos adolescentes escolares costumam ler os rótulos antes da compra, 71% afirmam conhecer o significado de valor energético dos alimentos, 63% declaram compreender as informações escritas nos rótulos e 61% confiam nas informações escritas nas embalagens de alimentos. A maioria dos adolescentes compreende os componentes nutricionais presentes nos rótulos de alimentos brasileiros, e apenas 45% entendeu as informações nutricionais presentes no modelo de rótulo Traffic Light Labelling ou “Semáforo Nutricional”, evidenciando que a rotulagem utilizada no Brasil apresentou resultados mais positivos de compreensão. Os resultados do estudo indicam que um número relevante de adolescentes (63%) compreende os componentes nutricionais presentes nos rótulos de alimentos brasileiros e um número significativo de indivíduos compreendeu e identificou a informação nutricional mais saudável descritas nos rótulos; no entanto, sugere-se o desenvolvimento de programas de educação nutricional para potencializar a compreensão das informações nutricionais contidas nos rótulos para este perfil de consumidor.
This paper aims at evaluating the understanding of graphical representation of nutritional information on food labels by young adolescent students. Therefore, it was carried out a cross-sectional study with 56 young adolescent students (n = 56), aged between 15 and 17 years, enrolled in a private school in Porto Alegre / RS. A specific questionnaire containing nine dichotomous and multiple choice closed questions was used for data gathering. The results showed that 41% of young adolescent students usually read the labels before purchasing, 71% of them claim to know the meaning of the energetic value of food, 63% say they understand the information written on the labels, and 61 % trust the information written on food packages. Most adolescents understand the nutritional components present on the labels of Brazilian foods, and only 45% understood the nutrition information on the Traffic Light labelling system, showing that the labels used in Brazil are better understood. The results indicate that a meaningful number of adolescents (63%) understands the nutritional components on the labels of Brazilian food, and a meaningful number of individuals understood and identified the healthiest nutritional information given on labels; however, it is suggested the development of nutrition education programs to enhance the understanding of the nutritional information on the labels for this consumer profile.

Introdução: Diante das mudanças nos hábitos de consumo alimentar da população brasileira, suplementos vitamínicos e alimentos enriquecidos são veículos comumente empregados para atender as necessidades de ingestão de micronutrientes. A diversidade de suplementos vitamínicos comercializados atualmente leva à necessidade de desenvolvimento de métodos analíticos de fácil execução e alta produtividade. Informações confiáveis sobre os teores de vitaminas poderão ser obtidas somente com métodos analíticos validados. Objetivos: Validar metodologias analíticas e avaliar o teor de vitaminas antioxidantes em suplementos adquiridos no comércio do município de São Paulo - Brasil, o efeito do armazenamento nestes compostos e confrontar os valores analisados com os valores declarados na rotulagem. Métodos: As metodologias analíticas para determinação de vitaminas antioxidantes por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência com detector de arranjo de diodos (CLAE-DAD) e de vitamina C por titulação potenciométrica foram validadas para as matrizes sólidas, oleosas e líquidas de suplementos vitamínicos. A estabilidade das vitaminas foi avaliada a cada 6 meses durante 12 meses de armazenamento e a avaliação da rotulagem foi realizada de acordo com as legislações vigentes no Brasil. Resultados: Para os métodos cromatográficos, os limites de detecção (LDs) e de quantificação (LQs) variaram entre 0,3 e 4,3 µg/mL, e entre 0,5 e 14,0 µg/mL respectivamente. As recuperações dos padrões adicionados nas matrizes variaram entre 92 por cento e 109 por cento e entre 86 por cento e 108 por cento no material de referência. A repetitividade foi calculada pelo desvio padrão relativo (RSD), apresentando valores entre 0,2 por cento e 9,6 por cento . Para a determinação de vitamina C pelo método potenciométrico, o LD e o LQ foram respectivamente 1 mg e 3 mg; a recuperação no material de referência foi de 99,8 por cento e a precisão variou entre 0,4 e 3,9 por cento . Das 57 amostras avaliadas, 59 por cento e 35 por cento apresentaram teores de vitaminas A e E respectivamente, abaixo dos valores declarados no rótulo; por outro lado, 20 por cento das amostras apresentaram teores de vitamina E acima dos valores declarados. Em relação aos teores de vitamina C, 60 por cento das amostras estavam de acordo com os valores declarados. O estudo da estabilidade demonstrou degradação significativa das vitaminas A, E e C em aproximadamente 90 por cento das amostras com 12 meses de armazenamento. Na avaliação da rotulagem dos suplementos vitamínicos, 47 das amostras apresentaram uma ou mais irregularidades. Conclusão: Os métodos propostos se mostraram adequados para análise de diferentes matrizes de suplementos vitamínicos. Os resultados das análises de vitaminas nestes produtos mostraram a necessidade urgente de monitoramento em conjunto com ações de fiscalização, pois verificou-se que a maioria das amostras não atenderam a legislação, principalmente quanto aos teores declarados na informação nutricional da rotulagem. A sobredosagem de vitaminas pode ser necessária para manter os teores declarados durante o armazenamento, porém, a quantidade adicional de vitamina a ser incluída no suplemento deve estar dentro de limites seguros e depende de cada amostra, pois além da matriz, diversos fatores relacionados aos compostos e à embalagem também podem influenciar na estabilidade das vitaminas.
Introduction: In the face of changes in food consumption patterns of the population, vitamin supplements and fortified foods are vehicles commonly used to meet the micronutrient consumption needs. The diversity of vitamin supplements currently commercialized leads to the need to develop simple analytical methods with high productivity. Reliable information about vitamin levels may be obtained only with validated analytical methods. Objective: The validation of analytical methodologies to determine the content of antioxidant vitamins in supplements acquired in trade of São Paulo Brazil, the effect of storage in these compounds, and to confront the analyzed values with the declared values on the label. Methods: The analytical methodologies for determination of antioxidant vitamins by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) and vitamin C by potentiometric titration were validated for solid, oily and liquid matrices of vitamin supplements. The stability of vitamins was evaluated every 6 months in a period of 12 months of storage and evaluation of the labeling was performed according to the current Brazilian legislation. Results: For the chromatographic methods, the limits of detection (LOD) and quantitation (LOQ) ranged between 0.3-4.3 g/mL and between 0.5 and 14.0 mg/mL respectively. The recoveries of spiked samples ranged between 92-109 per cent and between 86108 per cent from the reference material. The repeatability was calculated by the relative standard deviation (RSD), with values between 0.2-9.6 per cent . For the determination of vitamin C by a potentiometric method, the LOD and LOQ were respectively 1 and 3 mg; recovering the reference material was 99.8 per cent and the accuracy ranged between 0.4-3.9 per cent . From the 57 samples tested, 59 per cent and 35 per cent had vitamin levels A and E respectively, below the values declared on the label; On the other hand, 20 per cent of the samples had levels of vitamin E above declared values. Regarding the content of vitamin C, 60 per cent of the samples were in agreement with the reported values. The stability study demonstrated significant degradation of vitamins A, E and C in approximately 90 per cent of the samples with 12 months of storage. The evaluation of vitamin supplement labels showed 47 per cent of samples with one or more irregularities. Conclusion: The proposed methods were suitable for analysis of different matrices of vitamin supplements. The analysis of vitamins in supplements showed the urgent need for monitoring in conjunction with enforcement actions, as it was found that most of the samples did not meet the requirements stablished by the Brazilian legislation, especially for the levels declared in the nutrition label information. Overage of vitamin added in supplements may be necessary to maintain the declared contents during storage, however, the additional amount must be included in security level and depends on each sample, as well as the matrices, several factors related to the compounds and packaging may also influence the stability of vitamins.

Unhealthy diets are a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which are now the world’s leading cause of death and disability. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a comprehensive suite of policies to address diet-related NCDs, including many that involve governmental regulation of the food environment to make it easier for individuals to make healthier choices. Yet despite effective use of law in areas such as tobacco control, it remains underutilised as a tool to improve population diets. Taking front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition labelling as a primary policy focus, this work uses a mixed methods approach to 1) develop methods for monitoring and evaluating public health regulation and 2) provide guidance for governments and policymakers to develop, implement, evaluate and enforce robust regulatory strategies to promote healthier diets. Chapter 2 sets out an overarching framework for analysing and improving the performance of public health regulations across three key domains of regulatory form, substance and governance. This framework is applied to the highlight strengths and weaknesses of 31 FOP nutrition labelling regulations currently endorsed by governments worldwide. Chapters 3-5 provide an in-depth case study analysis of Australia and New Zealand’s FOP nutrition label, the Health Star Rating (HSR). Analysis of uptake in a voluntary form finds that four years after implementation, only 28% of eligible products in Australia carried a HSR. A construct validity assessment of HSR’s scoring mechanism finds overall alignment between HSR and the Australian Dietary Guidelines is good, while noting important areas where both policies could be improved. A systematic evaluation of HSR’s overall performance concludes there is a substantial body of work to support the system’s continuation and strengthening. It suggests reasonable refinements to HSR’s star graphic and algorithm, action to initiate mandatory implementation and strengthened governance present the clearest opportunities for improving public health impact. Chapters 6 and 7 apply similar methods to evaluate other regulatory strategies to promote healthier diets. A systematic evaluation of Australia’s voluntary salt reduction initiatives highlights weaknesses that have led to sub-optimal public health outcomes. Finally, an assessment of the healthiness of packaged foods in India demonstrates the feasibility of using quantitative analysis of the food supply to benchmark corporate contributions to nutrition in a variety of settings. It also provides baseline data to support government intervention in the food supply for the benefit of population health. In the domain of regulatory form, these findings suggest that despite continued government reliance on ‘softer’ regulatory forms involving food industry partnership, there is limited evidence to support these arrangements. Strategic regulatory design is required to initiate a ‘responsive regulatory approach,’ facilitating stronger regulatory action where progress is not demonstrated. Examination of regulatory substance suggests regulations with clear terms and conditions that are strategically linked to the evidence-base are more likely to achieve their public health objectives, and also more likely to withstand potential industry challenge. Framing individual strategies within comprehensive efforts and ensuring the terms of each strategy broadly align promotes policy coherence and creates synergies to maximise public health impact. Finally, while often considered outside the realm of public health, analysis of the governance of public health regulations underscores the significance of these processes in supporting or undermining health outcomes. The limited data available suggests greater attention to good governance is required to improve transparency, accountability, and safeguard regulation from conflicted commercial interests at all stages of the policy cycle. The major contribution of this work is in fusing legal, policy and quantitative analysis of the food supply to strengthen the evidence-base for effective regulatory strategies to promote healthier diets. Its findings are of use for governments, policymakers and others interested in developing new regulations, or strengthening existing ones to improve public health impact.

Magistro baigiamojo darbo tikslas - ištirti maisto produktų ženklinimo ir vartotojų teisių apsaugos teisino reglamentavimo ypatumus. Tam, kad būtų pasiektas numatytas tikslas, darbe buvo iškelti šie pagrindiniai uždaviniai: išanalizuoti maisto produktų ženklinimo teisinio reglamentavimo ypatumus Europos Sąjungos ir Lietuvos teisės aktuose; išnagrinėti reikalavimų ženklinant ekologiškus ir maisto priedų turinčius maisto produktus teisinį reguliavimą; išnagrinėti vartotojo galimybes neteisminiu keliu realizuoti savo teises maisto produktų ženklinimo srityje. Vienas iš Europos Sąjungos maisto saugos politikos tikslų – užtikrinti, kad maisto produktai būtų ženklinami. Todėl pirmame darbo skyriuje išanalizavus maisto produktų ženklinimo teisinį reglamentavimą galima teigti, jog šios srities ženklinimas Europos Sąjungoje yra reglamentuojamas horizontaliais ir vertikaliais teisės aktais. Naujuoju Europos Parlamento ir Tarybos 2011 m. spalio 25 d. reglamentu Nr. 1169/2011 siekiama sujungti šiuo metu galiojančius teisės aktus dėl maisto produktų ženklinimo, juos konsoliduoti bei supaprastinti. Pagrindiniu teisiniu dokumentu, reglamentuojančiu maisto produktų ženklinimą Lietuvos Respublikoje, yra laikoma Lietuvos higienos norma HN 119:2002 „Maisto produktų ženklinimas“. Plečiantis tiek ekologiškų, tiek maisto priedų turinčių maisto produktų rinkai, antrame darbo skyriuje nagrinėjami teisės aktų keliami reikalavimai šių produktų ženklinimui. Teisės aktų, reglamentuojančių ekologiškų... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]
The goal of this master thesis is to complete a research on the legal regulation peculiarities of food labelling and consumer protection. In order to achieve the set goal, following tasks were formed in this thesis: to analyze the legal regulation peculiarities of food labelling in legislation of European Union and Lithuania; to analyze legal regulation of requirements for labelling organic food and products that contain food additives; to provide insights regarding possibilities for consumers to implement their rights in the sphere of food labelling. One of the goals of the European Union food safety policy is to ensure the labelling of food. Therefore, after analysing the legal regulation of food labelling in the first section of the thesis, a proposition can be made that, the labelling of this sphere in the European Union is regulated by horizontal and vertical legislation. The new regulation No. 1169/2011, issued by the European Parliament and Council on the 25th of October, seeks to join, consolidate and simplify currently valid legislation regarding food labelling. The main legal document which regulates food labelling in the Republic of Lithuania is Lithuanian Hygiene Norm HN 119:2002 “Food Labelling”. While the market of both organic food and products that contain additives continues to develop, the second section of the thesis analyzes the requirements set by legislation for labelling such products. The analysis of legislation that regulates the labelling of... [to full text]

Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Medicina Veterinária
A rotulagem é a principal ferramenta de comunicação entre a indústria e os consumidores e presta informação importante para ambos. A par da restante legislação alimentar, também a relativa à rotulagem deve ser atualizada, acompanhando a evolução e exigências da sociedade. Neste sentido, foi recentemente publicado o Regulamento (UE) n.º 1169/2011 relativo à informação aos consumidores sobre géneros alimentícios. Constitui um marco importante na lei da rotulagem geral e nutricional, mas implica novas obrigações para as empresas, que a curto prazo têm que proceder à reformulação dos rótulos. Foi neste contexto que se desenvolveu este trabalho, com dois objetivos principais: especificar as alterações de rotulagem impostas pelo referido Regulamento e avaliar o seu impacto nas empresas que rotulam produtos pré-embalados de origem animal. As alterações foram identificadas após realização de uma análise comparativa do Regulamento face à legislação pela qual os operadores se regem atualmente, e concluiu-se que muitas estão em consonância com o exigido pelos consumidores, e que apesar de mais simples e moderna a legislação mantém os princípios base. Para avaliar o impacto do Regulamento (UE) n.º 1169/2011 analisou-se o grau de conformidade dos rótulos em relação às alterações identificadas, tendo para tal sido elaborada uma check-list, que foi aplicada aos rótulos de 259 produtos de diferentes sectores: carne, produtos da pesca, ovos, leite e derivados. Os resultados definiram quantitativa e qualitativamente as mudanças necessárias, e demonstraram que 99,8% dos rótulos carecem de alterações, havendo conformidade total apenas num rótulo do sector dos ovos e num de carne fresca refrigerada. O tamanho mínimo de letra e a declaração nutricional foram os critérios com maior prevalência de não conformidades. Como conclusão destaca-se uma grande quantidade de alterações necessárias, que será traduzida num pesado aumento da carga administrativa e de custos empresariais.
ABSTRACT - New Regulation concerning labelling of food: changes in labelling laws and evaluation of the impact on labels of prepacked products of animal origin. - Labelling is the primary communication tool between industry and final consumers and provides important information for both. Along with other food laws, labelling laws must also be updated, following the evolution and demands of society. This way, was recently published the Regulation (EU) no. 1169/2011 concerning information about food to the consumers. It represents an important milestone on the general and nutritional labelling laws, but implies new obligations for companies: in the short term they have to prepare for labels reformulation. This was the motivation to develop this work, with two chief objectives: to specify the labelling changes imposed by the regulation and assess the impact on the companies that label prepacked food of animal origin. The changes were identified after carrying out a comparative analysis of the regulation under the laws by which operators are ruled today, finding that many are in line with the consumers demand, and that despite being simpler and more modern, the legislation maintains the basic principles. To assess the impact of the Regulation (UE) no. 1169/2011, it was analyzed the conformity degree of the labels on the identified changes, having prepared a check-list, which applied to the labels of 259 products from distinct sectors: meat, fishery products, eggs, milk and dairy products. The results defined quantitatively and qualitatively the necessary changes, demonstrating that 99,8% of the labels lack changes, and only one product of the eggs sector and one product of fresh chilled meat shown full compliance. The minimum font size and the nutrition declaration were the criteria with the highest prevalence of non-conformities. It was concluded that a lot of necessary changes are needed, implying a heavy increase in administrative tasks and company business costs.

Darbo tikslas. Įvertinti vartotojų požiūrį į ekologiškus maisto produktus ir nustatyti sąsajas su subjektyviu sveikatos vertinimu. Tyrimo metodika. Anketinės apklausos metu buvo siekiama išsiaiškinti Kauno miesto suaugusių vartotojų požiūrį į ekologiškus maisto produktus, įvertinti vartotojų informuotumą apie ekologiškų maisto produktų ženklinimą, išsiaiškinti kriterijus pagal kuriuos vartotojai renkasi ekologiškus maisto produktus. Tyrimo metu buvo išdalinta 317 anketų, iš kurių pilnai ir tinkamai užpildytos sugrįžo 263 anketos (atsako dažnis 82,96 proc.) Apklausoje dalyvavo – 84 vyrai ir 179 moterys. Kokybinių požymių statistinis ryšys vertintas remiantis chi kvadrato (χ2) bei z kriterijais. Siekiant įvertinti vartotojų informuotumo apie ekologiškų maisto produktų ženklinimą lygį bei ekologiškų maisto produktų vartojimo sąsajas su subjektyviu sveikatos vertinimu buvo skaičiuotas šansų (galimybių) santykis. Rezultatų skirtumas laikytas statistiškai reikšmingu, kai paklaidos tikimybė (p) <0,05. Rezultatai. 67,5 proc. respondentų teigė, kad vartoja ekologiškus maisto produktus, iš jų daugiau moterų nei vyrų. 2-3 kartus per savaitę ekologiškus produktus teigė, kad vartojo 39,2 proc. moterų ir 37,0 proc. vyrų. Įvertinus sąsajas tarp subjektyvaus respondentų vertinimo apie ekologiškų maisto produktų ženklinimą Lietuvoje ir tikrojo žinių įvertinimo pagal atpažintus logotipus, paaiškėjo, kad tarp teigusių, kad žino kaip yra ženklinami ekologiški maisto produktai, iš tikrųjų žino... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]
Aim of the study. To evaluate consumers attitude towards organic food and its relation with subjective health estimation. Methods. The study included anonymous questionnaire for adult consumers in Kaunas city to investigate the attitude towards organic food, to evaluate the knowledge of organic food labelling and the motives of the consumers in purchasing organic food. During the study 317 questionnaires were given to the consumers and 263 returned properly fulfilled (response rate 82.96%). 84 men and 179 women participated in the study. Qualitative statistical relations of the variables were analysed by using Chi-squared and z criteria. The knowledge level of the organic food labelling and the associations between organic food consumption and the subjective health estimation were valued by odds ratio. The statistically significant difference were identified when (p)<0.05. Results. 67,5% of all respondents, the bigger proportion of women than men of the study, stated consuming organic food. Organic food was consumed mostly 2-3 times per week by 39.2% of women and 37.0% of men. The results showed that comparing subjective knowledge of the organic food labelling in Lithuania and the knowledge by practically identified labels by the respondents, the respondents who told that they know the organic food labelling, really know only 15.5% of respondents and previously existing labelling know 34.5%; responders who told that they know the labelling of organic food but really they do... [to full text]

Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Medicina Veterinária
A rotulagem de géneros alimentícios constitui uma importante ferramenta de comunicação entre as empresas do setor alimentar e os consumidores, permitindo não só fornecer informações acerca dos produtos como também ajudar na garantia da sua segurança. Foi objetivo deste trabalho o levantamento das não conformidades associadas à rotulagem de determinados géneros alimentícios de um supermercado, situado no concelho de Lisboa, assim como sua retificação. Foi elaborada uma lista de verificação, baseada nos requisitos legais aplicáveis, através da qual foram analisados os rótulos de 572 produtos, todos eles embalados no estabelecimento, distribuídos pelos setores de queijos, charcutaria, pronto a comer, talho e bacalhau. Após a análise destes rótulos, efetuou-se o tratamento estatístico das não conformidade detetadas e procedeu-se à sua correção imediata, através da elaboração de novos rótulos. Finalmente, foram implementadas medidas corretivas no sentido de prevenir futuras falhas na rotulagem da empresa: formação aos colaboradores e elaboração de uma instrução de trabalho. Os resultados deste estudo demonstraram existir um elevado grau de não conformidades relativamente à rotulagem dos produtos analisados. A legislação acerca da rotulagem de géneros alimentícios é atualmente bastante rigorosa, encontrando-se dispersa por vários diplomas, com requisitos por vezes difíceis de interpretar. Este poderá ser um dos motivos que explica o desconhecimento dos operadores alimentares de alguns requisitos legais nesta matéria e consequentemente, o incumprimento involuntário dos mesmos. Por outro lado, o desconhecimento verificado pelos funcionários da empresa quanto às leis de rotulagem de géneros alimentícios demonstra a importância de formação e atualização.
ABSTRACT - Conformity evaluation of food labelling in a retail establishment - The labelling of foodstuffs is an important tool of communication between the food businesses and the consumers, allowing not only to provide information about the products, but also helping to ensure their safety. The aim of this study was to detect the non conformities in the labelling of certain foodstuffs of a supermarket placed in Lisbon, as well as its rectification. A checklist was prepared, based on the applicable legal requirements, and used to analyse 572 products packaged in the establishment, distributed by the following sectors: cheeses, charcutarie, ready-to-eat, butcher and cod. After analyzing the labels of these foods, a statistical treatment of the detected non conformities was performed and the non conformities were corrected by creating new labels. Finally, corrective measures were implemented in order to prevent future flaws: employee training and preparation of a work instruction. The results of this study showed that the labelling of the analyzed products had a high amount of non conformities. The legislation on foodstuffs labelling is now very strict and dispersed by several legal pieces, and the requirements are sometimes difficult to interpret. This may be one of the reasons that explains the lack of knowledge by food operators about some legal requirements in this area and consequently, the inadvertent disrespect thereof. On the other hand, the lack of knowledge of the establishment’s employees about the food labelling laws reveals the importance of training and updating.

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O presente trabalho teve por objetivo analisar, quanto ao cumprimento da legislação pertinente, os rótulos dos alimentos pães e biscoitos produzidos em pequenas e médias indústrias das regiões do Recôncavo e Sudoeste da Bahia e comercializados em supermercados da cidade de Cruz das Almas - Bahia, considerando a importância da rotulagem no processo de informação em saúde para os cidadãos, tendo por base alguns dos caracteres definidos nas normas vigentes. Foram analisados 100 rótulos de biscoitos e 45 de pães totalizando 145. Os rótulos selecionados corresponderam a marcas diferentes, expostas ao consumidor em 6 supermercados com característica varejista. Os caracteres de interesse do estudo nos rótulos foram registrados em formulário específico e avaliados em relação às amostras com a base na legislação sanitária pertinente: RDC/ANVISA nº 259/02, RDC/ANVISA nº 360/03 e Lei 10.674/03. A análise dos dados foi feita através de frequência simples. Os resultados encontrados apontaram que, do total das amostras analisadas, a maioria absoluta dos rótulos, tanto de pães como de biscoitos apresentaram irregularidades quanto aos caracteres de declaração obrigatória. Entre os rótulos de pães, o maior grau de conformidade com as normas ocorreu com a variável “Conteúdo Líquido”, em 100% dos rótulos analisados. Contudo, apenas 8,8% declararam o item “Informações Nutricionais em maior destaque que outras informações” nos seus rótulos. Das 100 amostras de biscoitos, os caracteres mais satisfatórios foram “Conteúdo Líquido”, “Prazo de Validade” e “Data de Fabricação”, todos sendo informados em 98% dos rótulos. Porém a característica com maior inconformidade foi o “Lote”, com o percentual de apenas 11% de declaração nos rótulos. Conclui-se que há uma alta frequência de rótulos que não cumprem as normas vigentes, o que pode causar danos à saúde dos consumidores, apontando então para a necessidade de medidas estratégicas por parte das instituições competentes, visando a proteção da saúde através do controle sanitário dos alimentos. Considerando o alto percentual de rótulos que não declararam caracteres altamente relevantes como a “Presença de Glúten” e “Aditivos”, dentre outros, destaca-se a importância de promover ações educativas para a população, divulgando a importância das informações contidas nos rótulos, como crucial para proteção de sua saúde, ao tempo em que medidas devem ser adotadas na esfera governamental para assegurar que as indústrias cumpram o seu dever de informar conforme o que está disposto nas normas.

In recent years, natural health products in food formats with higher levels of added vitamins and minerals, amino acids, herbal ingredients and bioactives sought and were granted market access in Canada. Since these food products, referred to as supplemented foods (SFs), are sold alongside conventional foods and lack features that clearly distinguish them from other foods, there is a potential for confusion among consumers as to the appropriate use of these products. There is no research evaluating the nutrition labelling approaches for these foods, and what consumers need in a labelling approach to be able to identify these food products and distinguish them from other foods, determine what the supplemental ingredients are and understand any directions or cautions for use of these foods. To determine key components of an appropriate labelling approach, interviews and discussion groups were conducted in the National Capital Region and the surrounding area to assess consumer access, understanding and appraisal of these foods, using current and tested labelling strategies. Consumer feedback consistently indicated that the current labelling is insufficient for awareness, understanding, appraisal and appropriate use of supplemented foods. Tested labelling components that facilitated awareness, understanding, and appraisal of supplemented foods included a symbol based supplemented food product identifier with the wording “Supplemented” on the front of the package, a “Supplemented” information box containing a listing of the name and amount of each supplemental ingredient and cautionary labelling in proximity to the supplemental ingredient labelling. These key labelling components are to be integrated into a web-based mock-package trial that will objectively test these labelling tools on a large sample of Canadian consumers (n=4000)

Motivation Processed complementary food labels should protect and promote optimal breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices, important determinants of child survival, growth and development, and provide information regarding safe and appropriate use. However, there is a lack of formal guidelines from international normative bodies on the appropriate marketing of complementary foods. In recognition of the need for interim guidance, the Maternal, Infant and Young Child Working Group developed the Draft Guide for Marketing Complementary Foods, which provides practical guidance on how the marketing (including labelling) of processed complementary foods and supplements can be informed by the principles of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (the Code) and subsequent relevant World Health Assembly (WHA) resolutions in a way that supports optimal infant and young child feeding. Aim The aim of this study was to describe the extent to which the labelling practices (as a sub-set of marketing practices) of processed complementary food sold in South Africa comply with international guidance on the marketing of complementary foods that is fully aligned with the principles of the Code and subsequent relevant WHA resolutions (the Draft Guide for Marketing Complementary Foods). Methods Employing a cross-sectional study design, products were purchased from a sample of 17 retail grocery stores, three wholesale grocery stores, three retail pharmacies and three baby chain stores in the Gauteng, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces from June to August 2011. Purchased products were then compared with a master list of complementary food products compiled through desk research, and missing products were identified and purchased. Label information was captured, then blinded and the order of products randomised. The Draft Guide for Marketing Complementary Foods was used to create a checklist with pre-set answers and accompanying criteria against which the captured labelling practices were then analysed. Results One hundred and sixty product labels of 35 manufacturers were analysed, none of which complied with all checklist criteria. Fifty-six (35%) labels did not provide an appropriate age of introduction, while 32 (20%) labels used phrases implying that the product was suitable for use before six months of age. Thirty-seven (23%) labels used images of infants appearing to be younger than six months. Only 20 (13%) labels carried a message regarding the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, and none provided a message on the importance of the addition of complementary foods from six months together with continued breastfeeding to two years or beyond. Eight (5%) labels recommended feeding the product in a bottle and two labels (1%) used an image of a feeding bottle. Nineteen (12%) labels suggested a daily ration too large for a breastfed child, and 32 (20%) potentially promote the manufacturer’s infant formula. All labels provided label information in an appropriate language, but 102 (64%) labels relegated required label information to small text and were thus not easy to read. Only six (4%) labels failed to provide instructions for safe and appropriate use, while 44 (28%) did not include safety messages in their preparation and use instructions. Ten (6%) labels did not provide storage instructions, and 27 (17%) labels did not provide necessary warnings. Nutrient content claims, nutrient comparative claims, nutrient function/other function claims and reduction of disease risk claims were found on 126 (79%), eight (5%), 117 (73%) and 10 (6%) labels, respectively. Conclusion The labelling practices of processed complementary food labels in South Africa do not fully comply with international guidance on the marketing of complementary foods (the Draft Guide for Marketing Complementary Foods) and so do not sufficiently protect and promote optimal infant and young child feeding practices, revealing much room for improvement. Such guidance must be refined and formalised by international normative bodies and adopted into national legislation to assist manufacturers in ensuring that their complementary food labels meet an accepted standard and contribute towards the safe and appropriate use of processed complementary foods.
Thesis (MSc (Nutrition))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Tinkamas informacijos apie maistą pateikimas, įskaitant maisto produktų ženklinimą, yra svarbi priemonė skatinti sveikatą stiprinantį gyvenimo būdą ir užtikrinti saugų maisto produktų vartojimą. Lietuvoje atliktų tyrimų duomenys rodo, kad ligų profilaktikos tikslu maisto produktus renkasi tik nedidelė dalis gyventojų, tačiau trūksta duomenų apie tai, kokios yra gyventojų maisto produktų pasirinkimo sąsajos su informacija apie maistą. Šio darbo tikslas – ištirti ir įvertinti informacijos apie maistą sąsajas su Lietuvos suaugusių gyventojų maisto produktų pasirinkimu visuomenės sveikatos požiūriu. Tyrimo rezultatai rodo, kad daugumos Lietuvos suaugusių gyventojų nuomone, maisto produktų ženklinimo informacija nėra visiškai suprantama ir aiškiai įskaitoma. Lietuvos suaugę gyventojai kaip labiausiai maisto produktų pasirinkimui darančią įtaką ženklinimo informaciją nurodė maisto produktų tinkamumo vartoti terminą, kainą ir kilmės šalį. Daugiau kaip pusė jų pageidauja, kad ženklinant maisto produktus būtų pateikiama maistingumo informacija. Labiausiai pageidaujama informacijos apie maisto produkto energinę vertę, riebalus, cholesterolį ir vitaminus. Daugiau moterų negu vyrų, aukštesnį išsilavinimą negu žemesnį išsilavinimą turinčių gyventojų domisi informacija apie maisto produktų maistingumą. Vertinant visuomenės sveikatos požiūriu, nenustatyta reikšmingų sąsajų tarp Lietuvos suaugusių gyventojų nuomonės apie informaciją apie maistą ir jų mitybos įpročių, tačiau sveikiau... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]
Appropriate provision of information regarding food, including foodstuff labeling, is considered to be an efficient tool to promote healthy lifestyle and ensure a safe use of foods. Research conducted in Lithuania indicate that just a small percentage of Lithuanian residents choose foods to prevent disease, however, there is a lack of data concerning the links between food information and the choice of foods of Lithuanian adults. The aim of the study is to investigate and evaluate the links between food information and choice of foodstuffs from a public health viewpoint. The results of the research show, that most of Lithuanian adult residents consider that food labelling information is not fully comprehensible and legible. Lithuanian adult residents reported that their food choice is mostly influenced by the minimum durability date, price and country of origin. More than half of Lithuanian adult residents wish nutrition labelling information to be presented on food labels. Females more than males, higher educated persons more than lower educated persons are interested in nutrition labelling information. From the public health viewpoint, significant links between Lithuanian adult residents’ dietary habits and their attitudes towards information about food were not found, however, those who had a healthier diet were more likely to wish nutrition labelling, its placement on the most visible side of the food package and information not only about fats, carbohydrates, proteins... [to full text]

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden die Einflüsse der landwirtschaftlichen Nutzung auf die Struktur und Biomasse von Nematoden entlang eines Tiefengradientens und innerhalb zweier Vegetationsperioden an einem Ackerstandort untersucht. Die Freilandanalyse der Nematodengemeinschaft wies auf ein mit Nährstoffen angereichertes und gestörtes Ökosystem, mit einer geringen Diversität, hin. Entlang des Tiefengradienten bildeten die Nematoden Metacommunities, welche Umweltgegebenheiten wie Nahrungsquellen und abiotischen Faktoren widerspiegeln. Signifikant höhere Biomassen wurden unter Weizen im Vergleich zu Mais als Ackerfrucht beobachtet. Die Streuapplikation induzierte einen „bottom-up“ Effekt mit größeren Biomassen in den niedrigen als in den höheren trophischen Stufen. Die Nematoden Biomassen sowie die faunistischen Indizes (Channel Index, Enrichment Index) zeigten, dass der Kohlenstofffluss im Bakterienkanal des Bodens dominierte. Allerdings deckte das 13C Pulse-Labelling Experiment im Feld auf, dass der Kohlenstofffluss durch die Pilzgemeinschaft sowie die pilzfressenden Nematoden wesentlich höhere Umsatzraten aufweist. In einem 14C-Laborexperiment wurde ein vollständiges Budget des Flusses von wurzelbürtigem Kohlenstoff in das Nahrungsnetz der Nematoden bestimmt. Hierbei wiesen die pflanzenparasitären Nematoden die höchsten 14C-Gehalte innerhalb weniger Tage auf, da sie direkt an den Wurzeln fressen und über die Herbivorenkette den Nährstoffzyklus im Boden eröffnen.
The present research considered the effects of agricultural management practice on the nematode community structure and biomass in three different depths and two successive vegetation periods at an arable field site. The resource quality was manipulated by crop plant and organic amendment, to investigate the major soil carbon pathways based on roots, bacteria and fungi. The nematode community analysis pointed to a highly enriched and disturbed ecosystem with low biodiversity. Along the depth gradient the nematodes formed distinct metacommunities, reflecting resource availability and abiotic environmental factors. Wheat supported significantly greater nematode biomass than maize. The litter amendment induced bottom-up effects, with greater biomass allocation at lower than at higher trophic levels. The biomass of nematode families as well as faunal indices (Channel Index, Enrichment Index) revealed a predominance of the bacterial carbon channel in the arable soil. A 13C pulse-labelling experiment investigating the flux of root- derived C into the soil food web revealed high turnover rates in the fungal carbon pathway. This was evident for soil fungi as well as for fungal-feeding nematodes and contradicts general assumptions of a more active bacterial pathway in arable soils. A laboratory experiment with 14C isotope was used to compile a complete budget for the root-derived carbon in the nematode food web. Here plant-feeding nematodes, which feed on living plant roots, thereby opening the root C cycling into the food web, showed highest amounts of 14C allocation within a few days.

L’obiettivo del presente lavoro di ricerca è quello di porre in luce la cosiddetta “dimensione relazionale” dell’informazione fornita ai consumatori di alimenti tramite l’etichettatura nutrizionale e salutistica, intesa quale strumento normativo per l’attuazione delle politiche nutrizionali perseguite dall'Unione Europea. Il presente scritto analizza come le funzioni dell’etichettatura alimentare siano mutate durante i decenni, a partire dalla fine degli anni settanta del secolo scorso, quando essa era sì concepita come strumento informativo, ma il cui scopo principale rimaneva tuttavia quello di appianare le varie difformità legislative o regolamentari esistenti tra i vari Stati Membri – potendo queste rappresentare un ostacolo alla creazione di un mercato comune – sino ai giorni nostri, che vedono l’etichetta come una protagonista attiva in seno ad un più ampio programma di politica nutrizionale; più precisamente, attraverso un’adeguata etichettatura alimentare, le istituzioni dell’Unione Europea ambiscono a plasmare le abitudini alimentari dei consumatori, indirizzandoli verso percorsi nutrizionali più salutari. In tale contesto, il Regolamento sulle indicazioni nutrizionali e sulla salute fornite sugli alimenti rappresenta un ambizioso e, al tempo stesso, controverso tassello del diritto alimentare europeo, le cui premesse ispiratrici erano indubbiamente lodevoli, ma che è stato vittima, successivamente, di un’attuazione che ha generato notevole scontento ed incertezza sia tra i consumatori che nell'industria, al punto tale che da più parti si nutrono dubbi in merito alla sua efficacia e validità. Il presente lavoro di ricerca ambisce quindi a fornire una profonda analisi del Regolamento sulle indicazioni nutrizionali e sulla salute, offrendo una panoramica di esso in chiave storica, sociale, ed economica, imprescindibile al fine di una corretta e completa comprensione delle scelte normative e delle loro implicazioni di mercato. In ossequio a tale intento, in ogni apertura di paragrafo è offerto un inquadramento di taglio storico-normativo, mentre, in conclusione, si tenta di fornire qualche spunto critico da cui potrebbe, o avrebbe potuto, derivare una migliore attuazione del Regolamento. Dopo una breve introduzione, la ricerca entra nel suo vivo attraverso l’analisi di ogni aspetto del Regolamento (CE) n. 1924/2006, soffermandosi, in particolar modo, su quello che è l’aspetto cruciale e problematico relativo alla sua attuazione: il ruolo della scienza e, più precisamente, la valutazione circa la fondatezza scientifica dei claims, procedimento che, in assenza di chiare definizioni normative ed operative, è di fatto rimesso alla discrezionalità interpretativa dell’EFSA, avallata (implicitamente o esplicitamente) dalla Commissione Europea e dalla Corte di Giustizia dell’Unione Europea, generando così reazioni critiche tra pratici ed accademici che accusano una illegittima applicazione del principio di precauzione in un ambito che gli è estraneo, vale a dire quello dell’informazione alimentare al consumatore finale. Il lavoro prosegue poi con una riflessione sull'esito finale di un siffatto adagiamento sul processo di validazione scientifica condotto dall’EFSA, che ha ridotto la più parte della conoscenza nutrizionale a poco più di 200 indicazioni sulla salute autorizzate, la cui formulazione letterale, tra l’altro, si dubita assai possa essere agevolmente compresa dal cosiddetto consumatore medio. Inoltre, il Regolamento lascia irrisolti e aperte molti dilemmi e questioni, che devono urgentemente trovare un positivo interessamento al fine di non vanificare gli apprezzabili sforzi di spinta alla ricerca innovativa e di garanzia di una leale ed effettiva concorrenza nell'industria alimentare; il riferimento corre, tra gli altri, ai cosiddetti “claims botanici” ed ai “probiotici”, in relazione ai quali è ad oggi impedito reclamizzare in etichetta un’indicazione salutistica, sull’assunto per cui non è ancora stato raggiunto un livello accettabile di consenso scientifico relativamente alla loro sicurezza d’uso ed efficacia. Di conseguenza, se lo stato dell’arte è connotato da un simile proibizionismo, gli operatori del settore alimentare si trovano nella situazione di dover ricorrere a diverse strategie commerciali, quali l’utilizzo di claims suggestivi che, proposti attraverso messaggi non testuali, come nel caso del food design, si rivelano cionondimeno in grado di veicolare un messaggio salutistico, senza però la soggezione allo stretto rigore scientifico richiesto dall’EFSA. Infine, il presente lavoro, seppur prevalentemente rivolto alla descrizione dello scenario regolativo europeo, non dimentica di fornire una utile prospettiva del tema anche in chiave comparata, spaziando dalle linee guida predisposte dal Codex Alimentarius agli accordi vigenti in ambito OMC applicabili all’etichettatura degli alimenti, alimentando, per l’appunto, perplessità circa la compatibilità del Regolamento (CE) n° 1924/2006 con le obbligazioni gravanti sull’Unione Europea imposte dalla sua appartenenza al WTO.
The topic of the present research is to highlight the relational dimension of the information provided to consumers via food labelling, intended as a legal tool for the implementation of the nutrition policy carried out by the EU institutions since the establishment of the European Economic Community. The present work analyses how the function of food labelling has changed during the decades, since the late Seventies of the past century, when it was merely conceived as a mean of information whose main purpose was the harmonisation of the different national legislations, which could constitute an unnecessary obstacle to the realization of the common internal market, to the most recent days, when food labelling is thought as a tool of active nutrition policy; more precisely, through an adequate labelling, the EU institutions try to shape consumers’ behaviours, driving them toward a healthier eating. In this regulatory scenario, the Regulation on Nutrition and Health Claims made on foods is an ambitious and controversial piece of European food law, whose premises were undoubtedly laudable, but which has been during the years (partially) implemented in a manner which has caused much more discontent and confusion among both consumers and manufacturers, so that nowadays many doubts are still arising for what concerns its efficacy and its validity. This research represents a deep analysis of the Regulation on Nutrition and Health Claims, also taken into consideration from the historical, sociological, and economic perspective, which must be necessarily intertwined for a complete and critical comprehension of the legal framework and its implications for the various stakeholders. For this reason, each paragraph begins with a sort of normative background, and concludes with a critical analysis of the existing situation, providing some hints for a better implementation of the NHCR. After a brief introduction, the core of the research is completely and deeply focused on each and every aspect of the Regulation, with a central part which takes into consideration the very crucial aspect of its partial and problematic ongoing implementation: the role of science and, more precisely, the requirement of the scientific substantiation of the claims, whose assessment is demanded to the EFSA that, in the absence of definitions and clear guidelines on how to conduct such an evaluation, has de facto given its personal interpretation of the normative provisions of the Regulation, on which also the Commission and the European Court of Justice (implicitly or explicitly) rely, causing discontent among operators and legal scholars who see this as an illegitimate application of the precautionary principle to the field of food information, and a possible departure from the traditional categories of the risk assessment, risk management, and legal interpretation. The analysis proceeds then by criticizing the results of the total reliance on the scientific evaluation carried out by the EFSA, which reduced most of the knowledge about nutrition science in few more than 200 approved health claims, whose wording is probably incomprehensible for the average consumer. Moreover, there are also many other open issues in the Regulation on Nutrition and Health Claims which need to be urgently addressed in order not to vanish the laudable purpose of stimulating innovation and competition in the food sector, namely the botanical claims and probiotics, which are now prevented from bearing health claims on the consideration that a complete scientific consensus about their safety and efficacy has not yet been reached. But if this is the largely prohibitive state of the art, manufacturers are of course encouraged to find different escape routes, one of which is recurring to implied health claims, adopted through non-textual messages, or, to rephrase, through a smart food design, which can convey the same representation of healthiness without being subject to the strict scientific boundaries standardised by the EFSA. In addition, and as a conclusion, the present work, although mainly focused on the European Union regulatory environment, tries to give a comparative view on what the international arena offers on the topic, from the Codex Alimentarius Commission to the various WTO Agreements pertaining to food labelling, instilling doubts about the NHCR compatibility with the obligations that the EU must fulfil in the international trade law relations.

L’obiettivo del presente lavoro di ricerca è quello di porre in luce la cosiddetta “dimensione relazionale” dell’informazione fornita ai consumatori di alimenti tramite l’etichettatura nutrizionale e salutistica, intesa quale strumento normativo per l’attuazione delle politiche nutrizionali perseguite dall'Unione Europea. Il presente scritto analizza come le funzioni dell’etichettatura alimentare siano mutate durante i decenni, a partire dalla fine degli anni settanta del secolo scorso, quando essa era sì concepita come strumento informativo, ma il cui scopo principale rimaneva tuttavia quello di appianare le varie difformità legislative o regolamentari esistenti tra i vari Stati Membri – potendo queste rappresentare un ostacolo alla creazione di un mercato comune – sino ai giorni nostri, che vedono l’etichetta come una protagonista attiva in seno ad un più ampio programma di politica nutrizionale; più precisamente, attraverso un’adeguata etichettatura alimentare, le istituzioni dell’Unione Europea ambiscono a plasmare le abitudini alimentari dei consumatori, indirizzandoli verso percorsi nutrizionali più salutari. In tale contesto, il Regolamento sulle indicazioni nutrizionali e sulla salute fornite sugli alimenti rappresenta un ambizioso e, al tempo stesso, controverso tassello del diritto alimentare europeo, le cui premesse ispiratrici erano indubbiamente lodevoli, ma che è stato vittima, successivamente, di un’attuazione che ha generato notevole scontento ed incertezza sia tra i consumatori che nell'industria, al punto tale che da più parti si nutrono dubbi in merito alla sua efficacia e validità. Il presente lavoro di ricerca ambisce quindi a fornire una profonda analisi del Regolamento sulle indicazioni nutrizionali e sulla salute, offrendo una panoramica di esso in chiave storica, sociale, ed economica, imprescindibile al fine di una corretta e completa comprensione delle scelte normative e delle loro implicazioni di mercato. In ossequio a tale intento, in ogni apertura di paragrafo è offerto un inquadramento di taglio storico-normativo, mentre, in conclusione, si tenta di fornire qualche spunto critico da cui potrebbe, o avrebbe potuto, derivare una migliore attuazione del Regolamento. Dopo una breve introduzione, la ricerca entra nel suo vivo attraverso l’analisi di ogni aspetto del Regolamento (CE) n. 1924/2006, soffermandosi, in particolar modo, su quello che è l’aspetto cruciale e problematico relativo alla sua attuazione: il ruolo della scienza e, più precisamente, la valutazione circa la fondatezza scientifica dei claims, procedimento che, in assenza di chiare definizioni normative ed operative, è di fatto rimesso alla discrezionalità interpretativa dell’EFSA, avallata (implicitamente o esplicitamente) dalla Commissione Europea e dalla Corte di Giustizia dell’Unione Europea, generando così reazioni critiche tra pratici ed accademici che accusano una illegittima applicazione del principio di precauzione in un ambito che gli è estraneo, vale a dire quello dell’informazione alimentare al consumatore finale. Il lavoro prosegue poi con una riflessione sull'esito finale di un siffatto adagiamento sul processo di validazione scientifica condotto dall’EFSA, che ha ridotto la più parte della conoscenza nutrizionale a poco più di 200 indicazioni sulla salute autorizzate, la cui formulazione letterale, tra l’altro, si dubita assai possa essere agevolmente compresa dal cosiddetto consumatore medio. Inoltre, il Regolamento lascia irrisolti e aperte molti dilemmi e questioni, che devono urgentemente trovare un positivo interessamento al fine di non vanificare gli apprezzabili sforzi di spinta alla ricerca innovativa e di garanzia di una leale ed effettiva concorrenza nell'industria alimentare; il riferimento corre, tra gli altri, ai cosiddetti “claims botanici” ed ai “probiotici”, in relazione ai quali è ad oggi impedito reclamizzare in etichetta un’indicazione salutistica, sull’assunto per cui non è ancora stato raggiunto un livello accettabile di consenso scientifico relativamente alla loro sicurezza d’uso ed efficacia. Di conseguenza, se lo stato dell’arte è connotato da un simile proibizionismo, gli operatori del settore alimentare si trovano nella situazione di dover ricorrere a diverse strategie commerciali, quali l’utilizzo di claims suggestivi che, proposti attraverso messaggi non testuali, come nel caso del food design, si rivelano cionondimeno in grado di veicolare un messaggio salutistico, senza però la soggezione allo stretto rigore scientifico richiesto dall’EFSA. Infine, il presente lavoro, seppur prevalentemente rivolto alla descrizione dello scenario regolativo europeo, non dimentica di fornire una utile prospettiva del tema anche in chiave comparata, spaziando dalle linee guida predisposte dal Codex Alimentarius agli accordi vigenti in ambito OMC applicabili all’etichettatura degli alimenti, alimentando, per l’appunto, perplessità circa la compatibilità del Regolamento (CE) n° 1924/2006 con le obbligazioni gravanti sull’Unione Europea imposte dalla sua appartenenza al WTO.
The topic of the present research is to highlight the relational dimension of the information provided to consumers via food labelling, intended as a legal tool for the implementation of the nutrition policy carried out by the EU institutions since the establishment of the European Economic Community. The present work analyses how the function of food labelling has changed during the decades, since the late Seventies of the past century, when it was merely conceived as a mean of information whose main purpose was the harmonisation of the different national legislations, which could constitute an unnecessary obstacle to the realization of the common internal market, to the most recent days, when food labelling is thought as a tool of active nutrition policy; more precisely, through an adequate labelling, the EU institutions try to shape consumers’ behaviours, driving them toward a healthier eating. In this regulatory scenario, the Regulation on Nutrition and Health Claims made on foods is an ambitious and controversial piece of European food law, whose premises were undoubtedly laudable, but which has been during the years (partially) implemented in a manner which has caused much more discontent and confusion among both consumers and manufacturers, so that nowadays many doubts are still arising for what concerns its efficacy and its validity. This research represents a deep analysis of the Regulation on Nutrition and Health Claims, also taken into consideration from the historical, sociological, and economic perspective, which must be necessarily intertwined for a complete and critical comprehension of the legal framework and its implications for the various stakeholders. For this reason, each paragraph begins with a sort of normative background, and concludes with a critical analysis of the existing situation, providing some hints for a better implementation of the NHCR. After a brief introduction, the core of the research is completely and deeply focused on each and every aspect of the Regulation, with a central part which takes into consideration the very crucial aspect of its partial and problematic ongoing implementation: the role of science and, more precisely, the requirement of the scientific substantiation of the claims, whose assessment is demanded to the EFSA that, in the absence of definitions and clear guidelines on how to conduct such an evaluation, has de facto given its personal interpretation of the normative provisions of the Regulation, on which also the Commission and the European Court of Justice (implicitly or explicitly) rely, causing discontent among operators and legal scholars who see this as an illegitimate application of the precautionary principle to the field of food information, and a possible departure from the traditional categories of the risk assessment, risk management, and legal interpretation. The analysis proceeds then by criticizing the results of the total reliance on the scientific evaluation carried out by the EFSA, which reduced most of the knowledge about nutrition science in few more than 200 approved health claims, whose wording is probably incomprehensible for the average consumer. Moreover, there are also many other open issues in the Regulation on Nutrition and Health Claims which need to be urgently addressed in order not to vanish the laudable purpose of stimulating innovation and competition in the food sector, namely the botanical claims and probiotics, which are now prevented from bearing health claims on the consideration that a complete scientific consensus about their safety and efficacy has not yet been reached. But if this is the largely prohibitive state of the art, manufacturers are of course encouraged to find different escape routes, one of which is recurring to implied health claims, adopted through non-textual messages, or, to rephrase, through a smart food design, which can convey the same representation of healthiness without being subject to the strict scientific boundaries standardised by the EFSA. In addition, and as a conclusion, the present work, although mainly focused on the European Union regulatory environment, tries to give a comparative view on what the international arena offers on the topic, from the Codex Alimentarius Commission to the various WTO Agreements pertaining to food labelling, instilling doubts about the NHCR compatibility with the obligations that the EU must fulfil in the international trade law relations.