% ingredient declaration on customer specs
Hello everyone,
I just want to double check - for the specifications we send to B2B/retail customers, do we need to declare the percentage of the ingredients in the product, or can we just declare it in descending order by weight? We're just worried it will be copied by a rival company is all.
For reference, we are based in the UK and we do not have BRC however we are looking to seek certification within the next year. We manufacture frozen desserts.
Hope this makes sense? Thanks in advance!
No idea if you supply to EU, but according to Article 22 in Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 quantitative indication of ingredients is legally required when the following is applicable:
So for example if the end product is named lemon cheesecake. You would have to declare the percentage of lemon on the consumer label.
Also some customers might want you to declare percentages for all your ingredients. A compromise could be a range instead of an exact percentage.
No idea if you supply to EU, but according to Article 22 in Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 quantitative indication of ingredients is legally required when the following is applicable:
So for example if the end product is named lemon cheesecake. You would have to declare the percentage of lemon on the consumer label.
Also some customers might want you to declare percentages for all your ingredients. A compromise could be a range instead of an exact percentage.
Very helpful - thank you!
When I've been asked by customers previously, I would send a range that would be 2-4% less/more than the actual percent. For example: Recipe states Vinegar is 9.7%, I'd say Vinegar (8.5-11%).
You can also group together similar ingredients, such as your preservatives and flavorings. For example: flavor oleoresin 1, flavor oleoresin 2, and flavor oleoresin 3 (2%).
I've never had a customer complain about either method I've used. Most understand that the information is proprietary and they won't get the exact.
Hi INTer,
The requirements are likely to be based on whether the product is your own branded product or own-label and how demanding the customer is. See BRCGS guidance below.
Clause 3.6.2 Finished product specifications - Guidance
The format of the specifications should be agreed with the customer to ensure that all relevant customer requirements are incorporated. This may, for example, be printed documents, electronic files or an online database. In the case of the company’s branded products, it is acceptable to have an internal specification setting parameters for the manufacture of a product and a technical data sheet for customer use containing the key information for the safe use of the product, including but not limited to:
• ingredients, including the presence of allergens
• nutritional information
• preparation or cooking instructions
• storage instructions
• shelf-life/code information
• quantity
Kind regards,
Tony