Yogurts displaying beautiful images of bananas but containing no traces of them, except in the form of aromas. Chocolate bars very high in sugar boasting the presence of vitamin C on their packaging. Products claiming to be “natural” without meeting any sustainability criteria. The European Court of Auditors (ECA) published, Monday 25 November, a study on the labeling of foodstuffs, concluding that the European Union (EU) does not sufficiently regulate the profusion of logos, claims and slogans which can mislead consumers.
“The EU has been a pioneer in providing nutritional information and protecting consumer health, and today basic information on nutrients or allergens is found on all manufactured foods”nuance Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, responsible for this audit. However, she continues, European rules are being overtaken by developments in the agri-food market and by the inventiveness of manufacturers in terms of slogans that are ever more attractive, but not always well-founded.
“Instead of providing clarity, food labels too often cause confusiondeplore the Court’s listeners. Europe’s 450 million consumers are exposed to messages that are, deliberately or not, misleading. » The Treaty on the Functioning of the EU requires the EU to provide a high level of consumer protection and guarantee their right to information. But despite legislation adopted in the 2000s, many shortcomings persist.
Two regulations in particular, on claims and on consumer information, adopted respectively in 2006 and 2011, required specific action on the part of the Commission in several areas (to regulate nutritional profiles, the presence of gluten or the country original for example). However, by September 2024, work had only been completed in four of the eleven identified areas of action.
“Endless creativity”
One example among others, the terms of « vegan » et “vegetarian » are not subject to any common European definition, and can be mentioned on packaging without control. “It is shocking to see that these terms, widely used, are not subject to any regulation”note Mme Pentus-Rosimannus. Likewise, so-called botanical claims, on the alleged benefits of a particular plant, are in no way regulated. A manufacturer can thus assert that the presence of an ingredient such as ginger strengthens the immune system or muscle recovery, without this being based on a scientific evaluation. The audit was able to identify nearly 280 such botanical claims in use.
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