The informative part
Mandatory mentions. These are the name or sales denomination (milk and cereals, carrots-chicken), the list of ingredients (additives included) in order of their decreasing weight, the net quantity. Also obligatory, the use-by date (DLC) for perishable products or “to be consumed until” or the optimal use-by date (DLUO) for less fragile products or “to be consumed preferably before. ”
The labels also mention the storage conditions (keep cold), the instructions for use or the precautions for use (microwave, bain-marie, ready to use).
The label must finally provide the name and address of the manufacturer, the approval number of the plant, the contact details of the person in charge, the identification of the production batch.
The display of allergens. Since November 25, 2005, a European directive imposes to mention the ingredients or groups of “Ingredients at Known Risk of Hypersensitivity” (IRNH) or allergens, which appear on a list of 12: milk, peanuts, soy, egg, fish , nuts, sesame, mustard.
Baby food labels. All their packaging must also mention: “food suitable for children”, and the age group from which the food is recommended.
Optional mentions. These are the quality distinctions, established according to rigorous specifications (example: the AB label for organic farming, etc.). Or the bar code that allows optical reading in stores.
Labels: how to recognize baby food?
It’s easy, their packaging bears the mention “adapted to the child’s diet”, as well as details concerning the energy value, the amount of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals.
Mandatory information on the label
The label must absolutely mention the ingredients, the net quantity, the date of consumption, the identification of the conditioner, the origin of the product and the instructions for use.
The new European directive 2003/89 / EC obliges manufacturers to mention the presence of cereals containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats, etc.), crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soya, milk, nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews…), celery, mustard, sesame, sulfur dioxide and sulphites in concentrations of more than 10 mg / kg.
To know The ingredients are listed in descending order of their importance in the preparation. So, if the label on a small pot of beef veggies says beef last, you can assume it’s really low in meat! |
Colorants and preservatives
Colorants and preservatives, which often serve to make the product more attractive, are mostly harmless. However, beware of nitrates and nitrites used in particular in canned meats, cold meats or even certain cheeses (E250, E 251 and E252).
Be careful also with the E200 and E203 which can be harmful in high doses. They are sometimes present in flavored drinks, dried fruits or even pre-cooked potatoes.
Last but not least, if your child has a tendency to get allergies (asthma, urticaria), beware of coloring in sweet products, soups and drinks of all kinds: Baby is allergic to gluten … Choose a product that says “gluten-free” on its label and check that it does not contain any traces of wheat, rye, oats or barley.
Be particularly vigilant with milk and proteins.