The Food Labelling (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2003

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

1.  These Regulations amend the Food Labelling Regulations 1996, as amended, (“the principal Regulations”) in so far as they extend to England. Those Regulations extend to the whole of Great Britain.

2.  These Regulations implement in England Commission Directive 2001/101/EC (OJ No. L310, 28.11.2001, p.19) as amended by Commission Directive 2002/86/EC (OJ No. L305, 7.11.2002, p.19). Directive 2001/101/EC amends Directive 2000/13/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs. The Regulations allow use of the generic name “meat” with the name of the animal species from which it comes (or equivalent terms such as “pork” or “beef”) for skeletal muscles of mammalian and bird species in ingredients lists, subject to certain conditions (regulations 2, 3 and 5). The rules in regulation 19 of the principal Regulations on indications of quantities of certain ingredients or categories of ingredients apply in respect of that generic name. These Regulations also insert a transitional provision in respect of that generic name in implementation of Directive 2002/86/EC for food sold, marked or labelled before 1st July 2003 (regulation 4).

3.  A regulatory impact assessment has been prepared and placed in the Library of each House of Parliament together with a Transposition Note setting out how the main elements of Directive 2001/101/EC and Directive 2002/86/EC are transposed in these Regulations. Copies may be obtained from the Food Labelling and Standards Division of the Food Standards Agency, Aviation House, 125 Kingsway, London WC2B 6NH.