The mandatory information on a sales packaging must be easily visible, clearly legible, and wear-resistant, if necessary. The labelling of food products must be true, accurate, easily understood, and may not be misleading for the consumers.
It is mandatory to provide the following information on the sales packaging of food:
- the name of the food;
- the list of ingredients;
- any substances which may cause allergies or intolerance, which must be indicated in the list of ingredients by using a font which makes them stand out from other ingredients;
- the amounts of certain ingredients or groups of ingredients;
- the net amount of the food;
- the ‘Best before’ / ‘Use by’ date;
- any special conditions of storage and/or use;
- the name/business name and address of the company (manufacturer/producer/packager/seller);
- the country of origin or point of origin (mandatory in the case of certain food products or if a lack thereof may mislead the consumer);
- if the country of origin or point of origin or a food product has been specified and differs from the country or point of origin of the main ingredient, information about the origin of the main ingredient must also be specified;
- instructions for use if it would be difficult to use the food product properly without such instructions;
- in the case of beverages with an ethanol content of more than 1.2 per cent per volume, the ethanol content;
- nutrition information (energy value, fats, carbohydrates, proteins, salt).
Estonian food labels
The right of use for the two labels can be applied for at the Estonian Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce.
The origin label Tunnustatud Eesti Maitse (TEM or Approved Estonian Taste), or the label with a swallow on it, is granted to goods, the primary base product of which is 100% Estonian.
The quality label Tunnustatud Maitse (TM or Approved Taste), or the label with a clover on it, is granted to foodstuffs produced in the European Union. The origin of the used base product is not important when it comes to the clover label.
The winner of the annual food competition organised by the Estonian Food Industry Association may use the label Eesti Parim Toiduaine ("Estonian Best Food Product"). The product is prepared in an enterprise operating in Estonia and launched on the market within a year.
The label Eestis Kasvatatud ("Grown in Estonia") granted by the Estonian Horticultural Association to signify domesticity and quality can be used by Estonian producers on the sales packaging of fresh (unprocessed) horticultural products (vegetables, potatoes, fruit, berries, mushrooms) and flowers or on the name tags of sets in plant nurseries, as well as on means of transport.
Organic food, or ecofood, is labelled with the organic logo of the European Union, which is mandatory for pre-packaged food produced in the European Union. In addition, producers may, but are not required to, use the Estonian ecolabel. The label shows that the product is organic and that no artificial mineral fertilisers, chemical plant protection products, GMOs, or synthetic preservatives or food colouring have been used in the making of the product.
The organic logo of the European Union and the Estonian ecolabel may only be used in the labelling of agricultural products by a company approved by the Estonian Agriculture and Food Board. In addition, catering establishments where at least 20 per cent of the raw materials used in the preparation of food are organic can use the Estonian eco-label for catering.
Ecolabel for products and services
Ecolabel is a voluntary label for environmentally friendly products and services which allows them to be distinguished from other similar items that have a greater negative impact on the environment. An ecolabel is issued by an impartial institution to a product or service which corresponds to the criteria of the ecolabel. The established criteria are strict and are being consistently reviewed, as the criteria must grant the increasing sustainability of products.
The EU Ecolabel is the official ecolabel of the European Union which can be applied for in any member state. The Estonian Environment Agency is the Competent Body for the EU Ecolabel in Estonia. Products groups and criteria are available here.
More about ecolabels in the world can you read on the homepage of Global Ecolabelling Network.