Food labelling: giving food information to consumers

This article provides information on food labelling from a consumer perspective and makes recommendations to the food industry and regulators regarding food labelling in order to satisfy consumers' food-labelling needs. A compound ingredient may be included in the list of ingredients, under its own designation in so far as this is laid down by law or established by custom, in terms of its overall weight, and immediately followed by a list of its ingredients. The chosen batch records should contain the following information: the date of production, the vat number, the type of cheese, the formulation name/number or reference, the quantity of milk, partly skimmed milk, skim milk and their ultra-filtered counterparts and cream used in the vat/batch for each milk/cream used, the fat and protein content, the final weight of cheese produced and, if available, its total protein content, % fat and % moisture of the cheese produced. The aim of this paper is to identify the actual composition of the indigenous livestock and herd sheep's cheese in order to protect the consumer and compare it with the qualitative composition shown on the declaration of the same cheese sold on the retail. Total solids were determined in a drying oven at 105 +/- 20 degrees C (Heraeus) according to IDF standard 4A and the fat content in the cheese was determined by Van Gulik-Gerber method (IDF Standard 152A). The determined values were not corresponding in declaration label, considering fat, moisture and dry matter. The food industry and regulators should aim to provide risk communication and intelligible information through food labels and consumer education programs on food labelling. Consumers need to be aware of their right to know what they are purchasing through food labels and take a stand in this regard.