4 replies to this topic

[Murae]

Hi,

 

I was wondering what other people on here throught the word emphasized.

 

in regards to labelling there is a requirement to state any ingredient % next to the name of the ingredient if emphasized.

 

To me this means any ingredients stated on front of pack or withing the product title that to a consumer is to draw attention to a perticular ingredient for whatever that reason may be.

 

Any ingredient statements on the back of the pack that are the same size as the ingredients declaration to me is not empasising the perticular ingrediant. 

 

Also if ingredients are grouped on back of pack to me this is also not empahsising a perticlar ingrediant.

 

Murae

 

[pHruit]

I think it would depend to an extent on exactly what you mean by "ingredient statement on back of pack", and similarly for the "grouped" ingredients - are these part of the standard ingredients list?
If so then yes, I'd generally agree that this does not emphasise specific components.

Emphasis and associated things like pictorial representation have some very easy and clear-cut cases, but there can be more subtle examples too.
If you're looking for opinions or advice on a specific example then it would be useful if more details can be shared, although I appreciate this can be difficult to do without divulging more than you might want to about where you work.

[Murae]

Hi pHruit,

 

on the back of the pack there is the standard ingredients list, by individual ingredients used for the food in inclusive order.

 

In another area on the back of the pack in writing the same size/font as the ingredients list is a generic paragraph but mentions a group of ingredients and not the individual ingredients for example 'cereals' but this grouping covers more than 1 ingedient and i wouldnt say it is specifcally empahsised. if this makes more sense?

 

Murae

[pHruit]

It's a grey area - one could argue that the presence of such text is itself an "emphasis", on the basis that if the label only included the legally necessary data then it wouldn't be there, and there would thus be nothing to draw consumers' attention towards a specific ingredient or ingredients.

I don't think that it being a group rather than single ingredients necessarily makes a difference - for example, consider the various confectionary items that now state e.g. "contains real fruit juice" that covers a group of ingredients, and thus in the ingredient list you'll see something like: Concentrated Apple Juice (0.000001%), Concentrated Lemon Juice (0.0000000001%)...

 

It's hard to give a specific interpretation in any direction to be honest. If unsure then give your local Trading Standards team a call (seems to be something I'm suggesting in a lot of threads at the moment) - their advice is much cheaper than the big name options, and arguably counts for more. And they like businesses that go out of their way to do things right, so it's useful in terms of building/maintaining a generally positive relationship with them

[Murae]

Many Thanks pHruit,

 

i understand where you are coming from. i have also fired information to our trading standards for their advice.

 

Murae