- 23/12/2017
- Posted by: Marta
- Categories: Questions and Answers, News
Eminent lawyer,
I question you about the options of giving the net amount of mayonnaise in units of volume or weight, or both.
Many thanks
Silvana
The lawyer Dario Dongo, Ph.D. in European food law, answers
Dear Silvana,
the European legislator in fact he has taken a Solomonic position with regard to the determination of the net quantity semi-solid food, or semi-liquid if you prefer. Limiting itself to expressing the following.
Net quantity. The net quantity of a food is expressed using, as appropriate, the liter, centiliter, milliliter, kilogram or gram:
a) in volume units for liquid products;
b) in units of mass for other products(EU reg. 1169/11, article 23).
The lack of harmonized standards on this aspect it is to be traced back to the discrepancy of the practices historically in place in the various Member States.
Where in some countries reference is made to volume and in others, like ours, to mass (or weight, in the common sense).
In Italy - although the legislative decree 12/2011 has suppressed the annexes of Presidential Decree 391/1980 as regards the mandatory nominal ranges - the principles remain unchanged. Among which it is envisaged that the quantity of semi-solid foods must be expressed in units of mass (weight).
The hypothesis of using simultaneously the two metrological inscriptions, in volume and in mass, can be considered acceptable. Provided that the nutrition declaration on the label refers to the weight, in order to allow the consumer the possibility to compare the various products belonging to the same category.
The same applies to the indication of the price which must be expressed with reference to both the sales unit and the kilogram (instead of the liter).
Cordially
Dario Dongo
