Brussels, 20/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 18 March, a step was made towards the voluntary labelling by the industry of trans fats in margarine. IMACE, the International Margarine Association of the Countries of Europe, has undertaken to support the labelling of all trans fats from all sources in food products sold in retail sale. This will be carried out in line with the IMACE code of good practice on trans fats, which has just been revised for the third time in the interest of consumer health, IMACE announced on 18 March.
By virtue of the code of good practice, which was launched in 1995 and is regarded as the sector's “bible” for the reformulation of its objectives, the businesses and associations which are members of IMACE have already undertaken, on a voluntary basis, actively to encourage their customers to choose margarines with a trans fat content below 2%. The principle of self-regulation in the sector to reduce the trans fat content in its products dates back to the 1990s, when scientific evidence was produced of the dangers of these fats for health. Labelling is intended to help consumers to make eating choices in full awareness of the facts.
Readers may recall that during the process of reforming the labelling of foodstuffs in the EU, which led in 2011 to the adoption of the regulation on consumer information on foods (Regulation 1161/2011), the Council of the EU did not agree to an obligation to refer to trans fats in the nutritional information (as called for by the European Parliament).
Instead, it decided that the issue would be the subject of an impact assessment ahead of any legislation and that within three years following the entry into force of the regulation (13 December 2014), the Commission would present a report on the presence of trans fat in foods and assess the impact of adequate means to allow consumers to make healthy eating choices, if they so wish. Information on trans fats and restrictions on its use will feature among the means assessed, and it will be in the light of its report that the Commission will present a legislative proposal if required. (AN/transl.fl)