Current ALS and ALTS resolutions in favour of safe food and consumer protection

Here our experts give you an insight into two of these decisions from the food sector, which are increasingly being used in the assessment of food samples:

91. ALTS workshop: Labelling of small quantities of value-adding ingredients

Highlighting ingredients as part of the name or presentation that are only contained in small quantities in the respective food product may constitute misleading information pursuant to Art. 7 (1) of Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011, despite quantity labelling pursuant to Art. 22 of Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011, if the consumer expects the ingredient to be contained in a “perceptible” quantity due to the labelling or presentation. It is more serious if the ingredient is not labelled in the same window as the quantity information or if the quantity information is not displayed in a similar way on the packaging.

120. ALS workshop: Contents of other carbohydrates in infant formulae and follow-on formulae with the claim “Contains lactose only”

The voluntary claim "contains lactose only" for infant formula is only permitted if lactose is the only carbohydrate contained in the respective product. Solely naturally contained amounts of glucose and galactose from milk-based ingredients do not play a role when considering whether other carbohydrates are present.

Further resolutions from this and previous years and information on the two expert committees ALS and ALTS can be found on the website of the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (Bundesamts für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit (BVL)).

Comprehensive labelling and testing of food packaging in accordance with Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011 is part of the range of services provided by our food experts. If you have any further questions about ALS and ALTS resolutions or if you are interested in having your products labelled, please do not hesitate to contact us.