 |
| |
|
% of fat
|
| |
Margarine/Blend |
80 - 90 |
| |
Three-quarter-fat margarine/blend |
60 - 62 |
| |
Half-fat margarine/blend |
39 - 41 |
| |
Fat/blended spread
x% |
< 39
>41- < 60
>62- < 80 |
- EC Commission Regulation 577/97 of 1.4.1997,
EC Official Journal L 87 of 2.4.1997.
- Because of its traditional usage, the denomination
" flytande margarin " is allowed (in Swedish only)
for a product of a liquid consistency containing at least 80% vegetable
fats
3.1. Ingredients
- vegetable/animal fats
- water
- salt
3.2. Food additives
- EC Council Directive 36/94 (on colours for
use in foodstuffs), EC Official Journal L 237/94
- Are permitted in margarines/fat spreads
E
100 – curcumin : in margarine, minarine, other fat emulsions
and non-emulsified fats (GMP)
E 160 a – carotene : idem
E 160 b - annatto, bixine, norbixine : in margarine, minarine,
other fat emulsions and non-
emulsified fats (10 ppm)
- EC Directive 2/95 (additives other than colours
and sweeteners), EC Official Journal L 61/95 of 18.3.1995 Amended by
EC Directive 72/98, EC Official Journal L 295/98.
- Food additives generally permitted in foodstuffs,
as far as there is a technological need (see Annex 1 of EC Directive
2/95)
- Preservatives permitted for use in margarines
and fat spreads
E 200 – sorbic
acid
E 202 - potassium sorbate
E 203 - calcium sorbate Maximum level
1000 mg/kg sorbic acid and salts in fat emulsions
with a fat content of 60% or more
2000 mg/kg sorbic acid
and salts in fat emulsions with a fat content of less than
60%
- Other additives than those mentioned above
E 385 – Calcium disodium EDTA (100
mg/kg in minarine)
E 405 – Propane –1, 2-diol alginate (3 g/kg in fat emulsions)
E 432 to E 436 – Polysorbate 20, 80, 40, 60, 65 (10 g/kg in
fat emulsions for baking purposes)
E 473 – Sucrose esters of fatty acids (10 g/kg in fat emulsions
for baking)
E 474 – Sucroglycerides (10 g/kg in fat emulsions for baking
purposes)
E 475 – Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids (5 g/kg in fat emulsions)
E 476 – Polyglycerol polyricinoleate (4 g/kg in low and very
low fat spreads)
E 477 – Propane –1,2- diol esters of fatty acids (10 g/kg
in fat emulsions for baking purposes)
E 479 b – Thermally oxidized soya bean
oil interacted with mono-and diglycerides of fatty acids
 (5 g/kg in fat
emulsions for baking purposes)
E 481 – Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate (10 g/kg in fat
emulsions)
E482 – Calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate
(10 g/kg in fat emulsions)
E 491 to E 495 – Sorbitan monostearate, tristearate,
monolaurate, monooleate, monopalmitate
(10 g/kg in fat
emulsions)
E 959 - Neohesperidine DC (5 mg/kg as flavour enhancer only in margarine
and minarine).
3.3. Vitamins
- There is no EU legislation concerning the addition
of vitamins.
3.4. Other provisions
Processing aids (no EU legislation)
Starter cultures (no EU legislation)
- EC Council Directive 363/86 of 24.7.1986,
EC Official Journal L 221/86
- General provisions for residues of pesticides
in animal products, lays down figures for milk and milk fat, and other
animal fats.
- EC Council Directive 43/93 of 14.6.1993,
EC Official Journal L 175 of 19.7.1993
- The EC Directive on the hygiene of foodstuffs
requires manufacturers to use hazard analysis and risk assessment to
identify, control and monitor critical points (HACCP).
- In order to harmonize the general hygiene rules,
industries are requested to develop sectoral guides to good hygienic
practice covering the preparation, processing, manufacturing, packaging,
storing, transport, distribution, handling and offering for sale for
the products in question.
- IMACE Member Associations have adopted the IMACE
Code of Hygiene for Margarine and Fat Spreads (January 1999).
6.1. Materials
- EC Council Directive 109/89 of 21.12.1988,EC
Official Journal L 40 of 1989
- General provisions for packaging materials and
for migration of substances into food
6.2. Weight/sizes
- EC Council Directive 232/80 of 15.1.1980,
EC Official Journal L 51 of 1980.
- Optional EU range for pre-packed products
- For margarine/fat spreads 125-250-500-1000-1500-2000-2500-5000
gr.
6.3. Shapes
- There is no EU legislation on pack shapes or package
design
6.4. Lot marking
- EC Council Directive 396/89 of 14.6.1989,
EC Official Journal L 186 of 30.6.1989.
- Amended by Council Directive 238/91 of 22.4.1991
(EC Official Journal L 107/91) and Council Directive 11/92 of 3.3.1992
(EC Official Journal L 65/92).
- General provisions on the indications or marks
identifying the lot to which a foodstuff belongs.
| 7. LABELLING AND ADVERTISING |
7.1.General requirements on the labelling,
presentation and advertising of foodstuffs.
- product name/sales description
- list of ingredients (%, in decreasing order, all ingredients,
including
additives with specific name or E number) net quantity
- identification of responsible person (manufacturer/seller)
- lot mark
- use and storage indication
- in a language that is easily understood by the consumer.
- date of minimum durability
7.2. Specific labelling requirements
- "minarine "or" halvarine"
for half-fat margarine
- " reduced fat " for products of 41% -
62% fat content
- " low fat " or " light "
for products of < 41% fat content
- " vegetable " for products containing only fat
of vegetable origin,
with a tolerance
of 2% indication of plant origin
- Total percentage of fat content
- Vegetable, milk or animal fat content as percentage in decreasing
order
- Percentage of salt content in the list of ingredients, in a particularly
legible manner.
7.3. Nutrition labelling
- EC Council Directive 496/90, EC Official
Journal L 276/90
- General nutrition labelling rules for foodstuffs
i.e. declaration of energy, protein, carbohydrate, fat.
7.4. Health Claims
- In principle prohibited (see EC Council
Directive 112/79)
- National interpretations diverge
7.5. Advertising
- General prohibition to mislead the consumer
(see EC Council Directive 112/79)
- EC Council Directive 450/84 on misleading
and comparative advertising.
7.6. Gmo Labelling
9.1. General provisions
- EC Council Directive 6/98 of 16.2.1998,
EC Official Journal L 80 of 1998
- Mandatory indication of unit pricing from
18.3.2000
9.2. EU Value Added Tax (VAT)
- There where the general rules for VAT imposition
are harmonised the VAT levels themselves are very different for food
products, ranging from i.e. 25% in Denmark to 0% in the UK.
- Moreover in Belgium and France there is a clear
discrimination between VAT for butter and VAT for margarine i.e. Belgium
(12% for margarine, 6% for butter and fat spreads), France (20,6%
for margarine, fat spreads and bends, 5,5% for butter).
- Please find below an overview of VAT rates for
yellow fats in the EU
| Austria |
10 % |
Ireland |
0 % |
| Belgium |
see above |
Italy |
4 % |
| Czech Republic |
5 % |
Netherlands |
6 % |
| Denmark |
25 % |
Poland |
7 % |
| Finland |
17 % |
Portugal |
12 % |
| France |
see above |
Slovakia |
19 % |
| Germany |
7 % |
Spain |
7 % |
| Greece |
8 % |
Sweden |
21 % |
| Hungary |
15 % |
UK |
0 % |
| 10. CONTROL OF THE AVERAGE FAT CONTENT
|
| 11. SPECIFIC RULES FOR DIETETIC MARGARINES
|
- EC Council Directive 389/89 of 3.5.1989,
EC Official Journal L 186 of 30.6.1989.
- Amended by EC Council Directive 84/96 of
19.12.1996, EC Official Journal L 48 of 19.2.1997, EC Council Directive
41/99 of 7.6.1999, EC Official Journal L 172 of 8.7.1999.
- Specific rules and requirements for the foodstuffs
using the adjectives " dietetic " or "dietary".
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