Red salt and gray salt? The lawyer Dario Dongo answers

Dear Dario,

after having submitted theHawaii black salt label, I propose that you also evaluate those of red salt from Hawaii and gray salt from Brittany. They look like good examples for your lessons these days at Summer School of the biologists of the Enpab!

Many thanks again

Maria Grazia

The lawyer Dario Dongo, Ph.D. in food law, answers

Dear Maria Grazia good morning,

the salts under the brand name of 'Il Mercante di Spezie' have terrific prices and formidably outlawed labels!

The red salt of Hawaii, like the black one, is of dubious edibility. In the sense that the nature of the red clay mentioned as an ingredient must be verified by the control authorities.

It must be ascertained, specifically, whether there is an experience in Europe of consuming red clay as an ingredient in food products, prior to 1997. Otherwise the 'red salt' - or rather, the salt with clay - must be withdrawn from the market. Until its use is authorized by the European Commission, under certain conditions, pursuant to the regulation on the so-calledNovel foods'. (1)

After solving the matter safety of the food, its labeling will have to be revised. Given the presence of a second ingredient, the product cannot have the name 'salt'. In the absence of legal and usual denominations, a descriptive denomination will have to be used. Such as, for example, 'seasoning based on sea salt', the quantity of which must be reported. (2)

The gray salt of Brittany on the other hand, it presents problems of labeling. The statement 'it is very rich in minerals such as calcium, potassium, manganese and phosphorus'indeed qualifies as a claim nutritional, and is therefore subject to the relative regulations. (3)

'An indication that a food is high in vitamins and / or minerals and any other claims that may have the same meaning for the consumer are permitted only if the product contains at least twice the value of a "source of [NAME OF VITAMIN / S] and / or [NAME OF MINERALS] »'. (4) That is 30% of the nutrient reference value (NRV) expected for each of the related substances. (5)

The wealth of minerals in question can therefore be claimed on the condition that 100 grams of gray salt actually contain 30% of the NRVs of each of them. Equal to 800 mg for calcium, 2000 mg for potassium, 2 mg for manganese, 700 mg for phosphorus. The quantity of each of the minerals must also be mentioned in a specific nutritional declaration.

Dario

Footnotes

(1) See reg. EU 2283/2015
(2) According to the QUID rule (Quantity of Ingredients Declaration), referred to in reg. EU 1169/11, article 22
(3) EC Reg. 1924/06 and subsequent amendments
(4) See reg. quoted, Annex
(5) See reg. UE 1169/11, Annex XIII, Part A