The Ministry of Enterprise have adopted the new ‘Guidelines on the declaration of the quantity of ingredients, as well as further information for the correct application of the provisions concerning the labelling of certain food products’. The document is the result of the work of the Ministry's Agroindustry Table and the ‘Circulars’ subgroup, which count as members the Ministries of Agriculture and Health; from now on, it will constitute the point of reference for economic operators in the food sector. The Guidelines are now a support tool for the correct application of sectoral provisions, since the parameters to apply have been simplified.
It explains how to represent the quantitative elements of ingredients, what is known as QUIDs, which appear in the sales name and are emphasised in the labelling, or which are essential to characterise the food. At the same time, the regulatory provisions governing specific food categories such as, for example, pre-packed and non-pre-packed products, milk and fresh string cheese, bakery products and the labelling of meat as an ingredient are clarified.
The Guidelines thus replace the circulars issued by the Ministry between 2000 and 2004, which have now been superseded by subsequent regulations.