New EU rules on organic food labelling including the requirement to display the new EU organic logo, have come into force today, 1 July 2010.
The so-called “Euro-leaf” will now be obligatory on pre-packaged organic food products that have been produced in any of EU member states and meet the necessary standards.
Other private, regional or national logos will continue to appear alongside the EU label. The logo stays optional for non-packed and imported organic products.
In addition to the logo, the new labeling rules also include the compulsory indications of place of farming of the products' ingredients and code number of the body that had been in charge of the controls.
Operators have a two-year transition period to comply with these new labeling rules. For the first time, the EU rules for organic aquaculture have also been introduced.
“Our hope is that the new EU logo can develop into a widely recognised symbol of organic food production across the EU, providing consumers with confidence that the goods are produced entirely in line with the strict EU organic farming regulations,” said EU commissioner for agriculture and rural development Dacian Ciolo.
“I hope that these changes will give a boost to the organic farming sector, but also further enhance consumer protection.”
The "Euro-leaf” design shows the EU stars in the shape of a leaf against a green background communicating two messages for consumers: Nature and Europe. The design has been registered by the European Commission as a collective trademark.
The move comes as a new £2 million generic UK campaign, backed by supermarkets and the EU, has been approved.
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