The European Commission has put forward a proposal for an amendment to the food labelling directive which, if approved, will mean all ingredients in a product will have to be clearly labelled.
The proposal will abolish the 25% rule, which currently means that it is not obligatory to label components of compound ingredients that make up less than 25% of a final product. It will also establish a list of ingredients liable to cause allergies or intolerances.
David Byrne, commissioner for health and consumer protection, welcomed the suggested change. He said: