New EU regulations on marketing standards come into force on 1.1.2025, including innovations to combat food waste

| Marketing standards

New simplified regulations for marketing standards have applied to fruit and vegetables and bananas since January 1, 2025. The changes relate in particular to better consumer information, the reduction of food waste and adjustments to UNECE standards.

Regulations (EU) No 543/2011 and (EU) No 1333/2011 have been replaced by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2429 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2430. With the entry into force of these regulations, Regulation (EC) No. 1666/1999 with the minimum quality criteria for dried grapes will be repealed. Article 5 (1) (c) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2429 regulates food donations and has already been in force since 23.11.2023.

These are the changes

  • "Better consumer information": The new regulation requires country of origin labeling for products previously exempt from marketing standards, such as dried fruit, nuts, wild mushrooms, ready-to-cook products and ripe bananas. Dried grapes must also have a country of origin label - see Art. 3 and Art. 5 (1) b) of Regulation (EU) No. 2023/2429.
  • "Reduction of food waste": The exemption applies to fruit and vegetables at retail level for the personal use of consumers for their own processing if they bear the indication "intended for processing" or a synonymous indication, which no longer has to comply with EU marketing standards - see Art 5 (1) a) i) of Regulation (EU) No. 2023/2429. For food donations, the products only have to comply with the "General Marketing Standard", with the exception of the labeling requirements - see Art 5 (1) c) of Regulation (EU) No. 2023/2429.
  • "Adaptations to UNECE standards": For citrus fruits, the special marketing standard of the EU is fully adapted to the UNECE standard, i.e. limes, pomelos and grapefruits are now also covered by the special marketing standard for citrus fruits.

The current regulations

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