Proposed Revisions to Sweden's Food Labeling Regulations

On July 3, 2024, the Swedish Food Agency issued a notice with the reference number 2024/0377/SE, announcing plans to revise the existing food information regulations and seeking public feedback and suggestions on the proposed changes. According to the notice, the deadline for submitting comments is set for October 4, 2024.

The key focus of this revision is on meat products, including beef, pork, lamb, goat, and poultry. The proposed amendments stipulate that when these meat products are used as food ingredients in restaurants and other food service establishments and are supplied directly to consumers in non-prepackaged form, the country of origin of the meat must be clearly labeled. The revision also introduces some exemption conditions to accommodate the practical needs of different situations.

Regarding labeling, the proposed revision suggests using the term "country of origin" or other equivalent guiding words to identify the origin of the food. This measure aims to ensure that consumers can clearly and easily access information about the geographic origin of the food products.

Furthermore, the revision emphasizes that the determination of the country of origin should comply with the relevant requirements of EU regulations, such as (EU) 1760/2000 and (EU) 1169/2011, to ensure the accuracy and standardization of the labeling information.