<p> 25 June 2013 Dear Stakeholders,</p><p>NUTRITION LABELLING</p><p>Last week the UK launched its new front of pack (FoP) nutrition labelling scheme. The scheme combines the use of red, amber and green colour coding and percentage reference intakes, alongside the amounts of energy, fat, saturated fat (saturates), sugars and salt in a defined portion of food. This letter alerts you to two sets of guidance on nutrition labelling that have been published:</p><p>1. Guidance on creating front of pack labels that comply with the scheme that was today recommended to businesses by all four UK Health Ministers 2. Technical guidance on the nutrition-related aspects of EU Regulation No. 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (EU FIC).</p><p>Front of Pack Labelling Provision of a FoP nutrition label remains voluntary under EU FIC. However, the Regulation sets out requirements that must be met if companies choose to provide FoP information. In addition, under Article 35, it allows Member States to recommend to businesses the adoption of “additional forms of expression” which help consumers to interpret the nutrition information and apply it to the food choices that they make. The additional form of expression that the UK has recommended is red, amber and green colour coding based on defined criteria for the use of the colours. The scheme has been developed in close collaboration with industry, as well as with organisations representing consumers and health interests, and is based on extensive consumer research.</p><p>Guidance on the scheme can be found at: http://www.food.gov.uk/scotland/news-updates/news/2013/jun/scotlabel</p><p>EU FIC Nutrition Labelling Technical Guidance Further technical guidance on the articles of EU FIC relating to nutrition labelling has also been published. This guidance will eventually form part of wider joint Defra/ DH/FSA guidance. We have been asked by a number of our interested parties to make this information available early, to ensure that they are fully compliant with the EU FIC nutrition labelling provisions when they adopt the FoP labelling scheme. We intend to add to this document over time before combining it with guidance on general, and allergens labelling in due course. </p><p>This technical guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/technical-guidance-on-nutrition- labelling</p><p>Food Standards Agency, St Magnus House, 25 Guild Street, Aberdeen AB11 6NJ Yours faithfully,</p><p>Kathy Guinee</p><p>Food Standards Agency, St Magnus House, 25 Guild Street, Aberdeen AB11 6NJ</p>