A growth in regulation and greater awareness of issues such as food allergies mean that packaging of pre-packaged food items now has to contain much more information than was previously the case. As a result, the information is written in ever smaller letters. In addition to this the packaging itself is also often smaller than was previously the case, leaving even less room to provide the information that is mandatory.
But what information is mandatory on packaging? Bart Calis is an expert and a lecturer at Artevelde Hogeschool in Ghent (East Flanders). He told VRT News that "This varies from country to country, but most of the rules are EU-wide".
EU law requires producers to include a whole range of information on pre-packed food. "You obviously have the name of the product and the list the ingredients, including any additives. The must also be information on allergens and the best-before or use-by date are also mandatory”.
"It is also mandatory to state the nutritional values, as well as the net quantity, special storage conditions and/or conditions of use, and, if necessary, the instructions for use must also be stated. The barcode, lot number, consumer service contact details and the address of the EU-based supplier or importer can also be added to the list of mandatory information”.
In the case of alcoholic beverages, it is compulsory to state the alcohol content. "However, this is only the case if it exceeds 1.2%. Often the nutriscore and ecoscore are also mentioned. When the packaging shows a picture of the product being prepared, for example on a plate, the producer is also obliged to say that this is a serving suggestion”.
In some cases, the country of origin must also be mentioned. "For example, with products where the packaging contains a flag or a well-known landmark referring to a country," Bart Calis adds.
Font size smaller than in a book
VRT Radio 2’s consumer programme 'WinWin' has received a lot of complaints from listeners who have trouble reading the text on pre-packaged food bought at the supermarket. The listeners said that they have to use reading glasses or even a magnifying glass in order to read it. Another option is to take a photograph with a smartphone and then enlarge it.
But isn’t there a law governing minimum font size? Bart Calis told VRT News that "Yet there is. In general, the letters must be at least 1.2 mm in size. That's about 7 pt. To give you an idea: a reading book is about 10 pt to 11 pt. If the surface area of the packaging is smaller than 80 cm², the font size must be at least 0.9 mm".
Not all letters are printed equally large or small by producers. "Since space on a package is limited, priority is set by the producer. There is such a thing as a consumer viewing order. The producer uses this to determine a letter size hierarchy. The consumer will usually look at the brand first, then at the image, then at the taste. Only then will they look at the ingredients and nutritional values."
"For consumers, this is convenient because it makes it easier to look at a package. Just imagine if all the information were printed the same size. The customer wouldn't know where to look first."
"The producer also doesn't always think it's so important that you read all the information. Or they just don't want that information to stand out. Think for example of the E numbers, food additives such as colourings that make our food look more attractive or preservatives that make the food keep for longer. The producer often opts to print this information in minimum size font”.
"On some packaging, all the information is also given in several languages. These are not always just the national languages of Belgium. Producers are simply obliged to print the information in all the official languages of the country or region where the product is sold. Some producers make only one package for the entire European market. This means that with frozen vegetables, for example, you sometimes see all the information in more than 10 languages."
Producers are legally obliged to include a lot of information on a packaging. But could making packaging larger ofter a solution to the issue of readability? “Making packaging larger would not be an environmentally friendly and sustainable solution. Moreover, shelf space in shops is already limited," Bart Calis says.
Will packaging look different in the future?
"More and more manufacturers are now choosing for multi-layer packaging. Consumers can open that layer if they want to read more information." But producers are also looking ahead. "In the future, the barcode will be replaced by a QR code. That is a two-dimensional code that can contain even more information. Right now, we are still in a transition phase, but by 2027, all packaging should have a QR code on it. In the supermarket, customers will be able to scan this QR code with their smartphones, which will make all the information easily readable."
"A QR code can contain up to 7,000 characters, which is the equivalent of nearly an A4 without having to be connected to the internet. With an internet connection, even more information will be available. This will allow retailers to make their processes more efficient and sustainable, and consumers will be able to access real-time information with their smartphone. This will include allergen information, best-before dates and recipes, but also promotions, reviews, warranty details and instructions for use”.
But the question remains as to what information will still have to physically appear on the packaging, and what information will only be available digitally? “Because producers will also have to take inclusiveness into account in the future, everyone will have to be able to continue to read the mandatory information on the packaging regardless of whether they have a smartphone” Bart Calis concludes.