L.S. 449.20 Regolamenti dwar l-Ittikkettjar b’Tagħrif Nutrittiv għall-Ħwejjeġ ta’ l-Ikel

(1)These regulations concern nutrition labelling of foodstuffs to be delivered as such to the ultimate consumer. They shall also apply to foodstuffs intended for supply to restaurants, hospitals, canteens and other similar mass caterers (hereinafter referred to as "mass caterers"). Applicability of these regulations.

(2)These regulations shall not apply to (

1. a)natural mineral waters or other waters intended for human consumption; (
2. b)diet integrators and, or food supplements.

(3)These regulations shall apply without prejudice to labelling provisions of other regulations relating to foodstuffs intended for particular nutritional uses.

(4)Subject to sub-regulation

(5), nutrition labelling shall be optional.

(5)Where a nutrition claim appears on labelling, in presentation or in advertising, with the exclusion of generic advertising, nutrition labelling shall be compulsory.

(6)These regulations shall not apply in the case of nonpre-packaged foodstuffs put up for sale to the ultimate consumer or to mass caterers, and of foodstuffs packed at the point of sale at the request of the purchaser or pre-packaged with a view to immediate sale. 3. In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires: "average value" means such value as best represents the amount of the nutrient which a given food contains, and reflects allowances for seasonal variability, patterns of consumption and other factors which may cause the actual value to vary; "carbohydrates" means any carbohydrate which is metabolised in man, and includes polyols; "fat" means total lipids, and includes phospholipids; "fibre" means a material as defined in the Second Schedule; "mono-unsaturates" means fatty acids with one cis double bond; "nutrition claim" means any representation or advertising message which states, suggests or implies that a foodstuff has particular nutrition properties due to the energy (calorific value) which it provides at a reduced or increased rate, or does not provide, and, or due to the nutrients which it: Interpretation. Substituted by: L.N. 317 of 2009. 2 [ S.L.449.20 NUTRITION LABELLING FOR FOODSTUFFS (

1. a)contains, (
2. b)contains in reduced or increased proportions, (
3. c)or does not contain: Provided that a reference to qualities or quantities of a nutrient shall not constitute a nutrition claim in so far as it is required by other legislation; "nutrition labelling" means any information appearing on labelling and relating to: (
4. a)energy value; (
5. b)the following nutrients: (
6. i)(
7. ii)(iii) (
8. iv)(
9. v)(
10. vi)protein, carbohydrate, fat, fibre, sodium, vitamins and minerals listed in the First Schedule and present in significant amounts as defined in that Schedule; "polyunsaturates" means fatty acids with cis, cismethylene interrupted double bonds; "protein" means the protein content calculated using the formula: protein = total Kjeldahl nitrogen × 6.25; "saturates" means fatty acids without double bond; "sugars" means all monosaccharides and disaccharides present in food, but excludes polyols. Permitted nutrition claims. 4. The only nutrition claims permitted shall be those relating to energy, to the nutrients listed in paragraph (
11. ii)of the definition "nutrition labelling" in regulation 3, and to substances which belong to or which are components of a category of those nutrients. Information to be given. 5.

(1)Where nutrition labelling is provided, the information to be given shall consist of either Group 1 or Group 2 in the following order: Group 1 (

1. a)energy value; (
2. b)the amounts of protein, carbohydrate and fat; Group 2 (
3. a)energy value; (
4. b)the amounts of protein, carbohydrate, sugars, fat, saturates, fibre and sodium.

(2)Where a nutrition claim is made for sugars, saturates, fibre or sodium, the information to be given shall consist of Group 2.

(3)Nutrition labelling may also include the amounts of one or more of the following: - starch, NUTRITION LABELLING FOR FOODSTUFFS [ S.L.449.20 - polyols, - mono-unsaturates, - polyunsaturates, - cholesterol, - any of the minerals or vitamins listed in the Schedule and present in significant amounts as defined in that Schedule. 3

(4)The declaration of substances which belong to or are components of one of the categories of nutrients referred to in subregulations

(1)and

(3)shall be compulsory where a nutrition claim is made.

(5)Whenever the amount of polyunsaturates and, or monounsaturates and, or the cholesterol rate is given, the amount of saturates shall also be given, sohowever that the declaration of saturates shall not constitute in this case a nutrition claim within the meaning of sub-regulation

(2). 6. The energy value to be declared shall be calculated using the following conversion factors: - carbohydrate (except polyols) 4.0 kcal/g 17kJ/g - polyols 2.4 kcal/g 10 kJ/g - protein 4.0 kcal/g 17 kJ/g - fat 9.0 kcal/g 37 kJ/g - alcohol (ethanol) 7.0kcal/g 29kJ/g - organic acid 3.0 kcal/g 13 kJ/g - salatrims 6.0 kcal/g 25 kJ/g - fibre 2kcal/g 8kJ/g - erythritol 0kcal/g 0kJ/g. 7.

(1)The declaration of the energy value and of the proportion of nutrients or their components shall be numerical. The units to be used are the following: - energy kJ and kcal - protein grams (

1. g)- carbohydrate grams (
2. g)- fat grams (
3. g)- fibre grams (
4. g)- sodium grams (
5. g)- cholesterol milligrams (
6. mg)- vitamins and minerals the units specified in the Schedule.

(2)Information shall be expressed per 100g or per 100ml In addition, this information may be given per serving as quantified on the label or per portion available, provided that the number of portions contained in the package is stated. Energy values. Amended by: L.N. 209 of 2004; L.N. 317 of 2009. Method of declaration. Amended by: L.N. 317 of 2009. 4 [ S.L.449.20 NUTRITION LABELLING FOR FOODSTUFFS

(3)The amounts mentioned shall be those of the food as sold. Where appropriate, this information may relate to the foodstuff after preparation, provided that sufficiently detailed preparation instructions are given and the information relates to the food as prepared for consumption.

(4)Information on vitamins and minerals shall also be expressed as a percentage of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) given in the First Schedule for the amounts as specified in sub-regulation

(2). The percentage of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamins and minerals may be given in graphical form.

(5)Where sugars and, or polyols and, or starch are declared, such declaration shall immediately follow the declaration of the carbohydrate content in the following manner: - carbohydrate of which: g - sugars g - polysols g - starch g.

(6)Where the amount and, or type of fatty acid and, or the cholesterol rate is declared, such declaration shall immediately follow the declaration of total fats in the following manner: - fat of which: g - saturates g - mono-unsaturates g - polyunsaturates g - cholesterol mg.

(7)The declared values shall, according to the individual case, be average values based on: (

1. a)the manufacturer’s analysis of the food; (
2. b)a calculation from the known or actual average values of the ingredients used; (
3. c)a calculation from generally established and accepted data.

(8)The information covered by these regulations must be presented together in one place in tabular form, with the numbers aligned if s pace per mits. W here space d oes no t perm it, the information shall be presented in linear form. It shall be printed in legible and indelible characters in a conspicuous place.

(9)The information covered by these regulations shall appear in at least one or more of the following languages: - Maltese - English - Italian. This provision shall not prevent such information from NUTRITION LABELLING FOR FOODSTUFFS being additionally indicated in other languages. [ S.L.449.20 5 6 [ S.L.449.20 Added by: L.N. 317 of 2009. NUTRITION LABELLING FOR FOODSTUFFS FIRST SCHEDULE [Regulation 7

(4)] Vitamins and Minerals which may be declared and their recommended daily allowances (RDAs) Vitamin A (µ

1. g)800 Vitamin D (µ
2. g)5 Vitamin E (
3. mg)12 Vitamin K (µ
4. g)75 Vitamin C (
5. mg)80 Thiamin (
6. mg)1,1 Riboflavin (
7. mg)1,4 Niacin (
8. mg)16 Vitamin B6 (
9. mg)1,4 Folic acid (µ
10. g)200 Vitamin B12 (µ
11. g)2,5 Biotin (µ
12. g)50 Pantothenic acid (
13. mg)6 Potassium (
14. mg)2 000 Chloride (
15. mg)800 Calcium (
16. mg)800 Phosphorus (
17. mg)700 Magnesium (
18. mg)375 Iron (
19. mg)14 Zinc (
20. mg)10 Copper (
21. mg)1 Manganese (
22. mg)2 Fluoride (
23. mg)2,5 Selenium (µ
24. g)55 Chromium (µ
25. g)40 Molybdenum (µ
26. g)50 Iodine (µ
27. g)150 As a rule, 15% of the recommended daily allowance specified in this Schedule supplied by 100g or 100ml or per package if the package contains only a single portion, should be the percentage taken into consideration in deciding what constitutes a significant amount. NUTRITION LABELLING FOR FOODSTUFFS SECOND SCHEDULE (Regulation 3) [ S.L.449.20 7 Added by: L.N. 317 of 2009. Definition of the material constituting fibre For the purposes of these regulations, ‘fibre’ means carbohydrate polymers with three or more monomeric units, which are neither digested nor absorbed in the human small intestine and belong to the following characters: - edible carbohydrate polymers naturally occurring in the food as consumed; - edible carbohydrate polymers which have been obtained from food raw material by physical, enzymatic or chemical means and which have a beneficial physiological effect demonstrated by generally accepted scientific evidence; - edible synthetic carbohydrate polymers which have a beneficial physiological effect demonstrated by generally accepted scientific evidence.