Brussels (dpa) - Producers will be forced to mark the fat, sugar
and salt contents on prepackaged food from 2014, according to new
rules approved by EU ministers on Thursday.
Packaging will also have to show the amount of calories and the
carbohydrate content, and all fresh meats will have to be labelled
with their country of origin, a rule which previously only applied to
beef.
The new rules were designed to help consumers "make balanced and
healthier dietary choices," the EU Council said.
The idea of a "traffic light" system, put forward by consumer
groups and which would grade food according to its fat, sugar and
salt contents, was rejected last year.
Around 70 per cent of prepackaged food currently shows its
nutritional contents, according to the European Union.
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