Labeling requirements

As part of the European Union's Common Market Organization for fish and fishery products (GMO), special legal regulations for consumer information must be observed. These regulations aim to strengthen consumer confidence in the marketed fish and fishery products by creating greater transparency.

The leaflet (see right) contains detailed information on the definition of fishery products, the required mandatory labeling, as well as the regulations for labeling fishery and aquaculture products offered loose, and includes examples.

For pork, sheep, and goat meat, various mandatory details must be clearly visible, legible, and, if necessary, permanently attached in German.

Some of the additives with technological effects used in production must be made identifiable to customers. The list below contains the additives relevant for the gastronomy sector that require identification. It does not matter whether the additive is directly added by the business or whether the additives are already present in processed ingredients.

Further information is available in the leaflet (see right).

The European Information Regulation lists 14 food groups known for their high allergenic potential. As soon as these ingredients, even in small quantities, are directly added to the food or via pre-products, customers must be informed. This also applies to purchased ready-made and semi-finished products that are merely heated or resold by the business.

The documents (lecture on 25.03.2015 in Wipperfürth and 27.03.2015 in Gummersbach) provide information about the individual allergens as well as illustrative examples of how allergen labeling can be carried out correctly.

When poultry meat is sold loose or prepackaged, the provision of various details such as the trade class or the traffic designation of the poultry type is legally required.

Labeling of prepackaged foods
Nutritional declaration

According to the Food Information Regulation (LMIV, Regulation (EU) 1169/2011), mandatory information about food must be directly attached to the packaging or a label affixed to it for prepackaged foods. This mandatory information includes the nutritional declaration, which has been mandatory for most foods since December 13, 2016. It must be clearly visible, legible, and, if necessary, permanently attached to a prominent place on the food.

A prepackaged food (formerly pre-packaged goods) is any sales unit consisting of a food and the packaging in which the food was packaged before being offered for sale.

When selling loose, self-produced eggs, various legal regulations regarding labeling and storage must be observed.