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Mandatory labelling

Image:Comparisonoffoodlabels.jpg Mandatory labelling (Commonwealth English) or labeling (American English) of consumer products enables moral purchasingand avoidance of health problems like allergies. It is mandated in most developed nations, and increasingly in developing nations, especially for food products, e.g. "Grade A" meats.

With regard to foodand drugs, mandatory labelling has been a major battleground between consumer advocatesand corporationssince the late 19th century.

Because of past scandalsinvolving deceptive labelling, countries like the United Statesand Canadarequire most processed foods to have a Nutrition Factstable on the label, and the table's formatting and content must conform to strict guidelines. The European Unionequivalent is the slightly different Nutrition Informationtable, which may also be supplemented with standardized icons indicating the presence of allergens.

In China, all clothingis labelled with the factoryof origin, including telephoneand faxnumbers, although this information is not available to buyers outside China, who see only a generic Made In Chinatag.

The genetic modificationof foodhas 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 riskfrom consuming such foods. Detractors point to well-controlled studies that conclude genetically modified foodis 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-freelabel now seen on many organicproducts.

Mandatory labelling

See also