The European Parliament has approved new legislation that will see the printed labels on foods altered to carry extra information.

MEPs this week backed plans to include tables on products that clearly display their fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugar, protein and salt levels.

It will also be necessary to indicate the presence of allergens and clearly show where products are imitation foods, for example, cheese that is actually a mixture of oils.

While previously it has only been necessary for beef to have printed labels declaring the country of origin, this is now likely to be rolled out to include pork, lamb and poultry.

MEP Renate Sommer told IEWY News: "The new rules are supposed to provide more and better information to consumers so they can make informed choices when buying."

Earlier this month, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland accused manufacturers of being over-cautious with allergen labels after a study found that many foods do not contain even traces of potentially dangerous substances.

Denny Bros Ltd, 07 July 2011