Mandatory labelling
Encyclopedia
Mandatory labelling or labeling (see spelling differences) is the requirement of consumer products to state their ingredients or components.
Moral purchasing and problems like allergies
are two things which are enabled by labelling. It is mandated in most developed nations, and increasingly in developing nations, especially for food products, e.g. "Grade A" meat
s. With regard to food
and drugs
, mandatory labelling has been a major battleground between consumer advocates
and corporation
s since the late 19th century.
Because of past scandal
s involving deceptive labelling, countries like the United States
and Canada
require most processed foods to have a Nutrition facts label on the label, and the table's formatting and content must conform to strict guidelines. The European Union
equivalent is the slightly different Nutrition information table, which may also be supplemented with standardized icons indicating the presence of allergen
s.
In China
, all clothing
is labelled with the factory
of origin, including telephone
and fax
numbers, although this information is not available to buyers outside China, who see only a generic Made In China
tag.
The genetic modification of food
has led to one of the most persistent and divisive debates about the mandatory labelling. Advocates of such labelling claim that the consumer should make the choice whether to expose themselves to any possible health risk from consuming such foods. Detractors point to well-controlled studies that conclude genetically modified food
is safe, and point out that for many commodity products, the identity of the grower and the custody chain are not known.
Voluntary labelling and co-marketing of products deemed desirable is another matter usually carried out by entirely different means, e.g. Slow Food
. There has been increased regulatory interest in substantiating these claims, and in some jurisdictions, food labels require regulatory approval before use.
An interesting halfway is those labels that are considered mandatory by one buying population and effectively preclude purchase if they are not there, e.g. kosher, vegan, and the aforementioned GMO-free label now seen on many organic
products.
Areas in which mandatory labelling is being discussed include:
Moral purchasing and problems like allergies
Allergy
An Allergy is a hypersensitivity disorder of the immune system. Allergic reactions occur when a person's immune system reacts to normally harmless substances in the environment. A substance that causes a reaction is called an allergen. These reactions are acquired, predictable, and rapid...
are two things which are enabled by labelling. It is mandated in most developed nations, and increasingly in developing nations, especially for food products, e.g. "Grade A" meat
Meat
Meat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...
s. With regard to food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
and drugs
Approved drug
In the United States, the FDA approves drugs. Before a drug can be prescribed, it must undergo an extensive FDA approval process. This process involves first testing the drug on animals or in medical labs. If found to be safe by the FDA and approved for the next phase of study, the drug is then...
, mandatory labelling has been a major battleground between consumer advocates
Consumer protection
Consumer protection laws designed to ensure fair trade competition and the free flow of truthful information in the marketplace. The laws are designed to prevent businesses that engage in fraud or specified unfair practices from gaining an advantage over competitors and may provide additional...
and corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
s since the late 19th century.
Because of past scandal
Scandal
A scandal is a widely publicized allegation or set of allegations that damages the reputation of an institution, individual or creed...
s involving deceptive labelling, countries like the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
require most processed foods to have a Nutrition facts label on the label, and the table's formatting and content must conform to strict guidelines. The European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
equivalent is the slightly different Nutrition information table, which may also be supplemented with standardized icons indicating the presence of allergen
Allergen
An allergen is any substance that can cause an allergy. In technical terms, an allergen is a non-parasitic antigen capable of stimulating a type-I hypersensitivity reaction in atopic individuals....
s.
In China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, all clothing
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
is labelled with the factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
of origin, including telephone
Telephone number
A telephone number or phone number is a sequence of digits used to call from one telephone line to another in a public switched telephone network. When telephone numbers were invented, they were short — as few as one, two or three digits — and were given orally to a switchboard operator...
and fax
Fax
Fax , sometimes called telecopying, is the telephonic transmission of scanned printed material , normally to a telephone number connected to a printer or other output device...
numbers, although this information is not available to buyers outside China, who see only a generic Made In China
Made in China
Made in China or Made in PRC is a country of origin label affixed to products manufactured in the mainland China, the People's Republic of China , excluding Hong Kong and Macau where all products made in those regions are labeled as "Made in Hong Kong" and "Made in Macau", respectively...
tag.
The genetic modification of food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
has led to one of the most persistent and divisive debates about the mandatory labelling. Advocates of such labelling claim that the consumer should make the choice whether to expose themselves to any possible health risk from consuming such foods. Detractors point to well-controlled studies that conclude genetically modified food
Genetically modified food
Genetically modified foods are foods derived from genetically modified organisms . Genetically modified organisms have had specific changes introduced into their DNA by genetic engineering techniques...
is safe, and point out that for many commodity products, the identity of the grower and the custody chain are not known.
Voluntary labelling and co-marketing of products deemed desirable is another matter usually carried out by entirely different means, e.g. Slow Food
Slow Food
Slow Food is an international movement founded by Carlo Petrini in 1986. Promoted as an alternative to fast food, it strives to preserve traditional and regional cuisine and encourages farming of plants, seeds and livestock characteristic of the local ecosystem. It was the first established part of...
. There has been increased regulatory interest in substantiating these claims, and in some jurisdictions, food labels require regulatory approval before use.
An interesting halfway is those labels that are considered mandatory by one buying population and effectively preclude purchase if they are not there, e.g. kosher, vegan, and the aforementioned GMO-free label now seen on many organic
Organic food
Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.For the...
products.
Areas in which mandatory labelling is being discussed include:
- genetically modified foodInternational trade of genetically modified foodsThe European Union and the United States have strong disagreements over the EU's regulation of genetically modified food. The US claims these regulations violate free trade agreements, the EU counter-position is that free trade is not truly free without informed consent.In Europe, a series of...
- spraying of meat with bacteriophagesPhage therapyPhage therapy is the therapeutic use of bacteriophages to treat pathogenic bacterial infections. Although extensively used and developed mainly in former Soviet Union countries circa 1920, this method of therapy is still being tested for treatment of a variety of bacterial and poly-microbial...