The rules aim to reduce food waste. In addition, there is to be more transparency regarding the country of origin of certain foods.
The EU Commission wants to relax rules for unsightly fruit and vegetables so that less food is thrown away. Products with external defects are to be allowed to be sold directly on site, the Commission announced on Friday. This would allow short delivery routes for farmers and fresh fruit and vegetables at affordable prices for customers.
In addition, all countries of origin are to be listed on labels of certain foods such as honey, nuts or dried fruit in the future.
“We want to improve the transparency of sold products for consumers,” said Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski.
Until now, the rule for labeling has been that if honey from the EU is mixed with imported honey from China, for example, this only has to be generally indicated on the packaging as a “mixture of honey from EU and non-EU countries.” Theoretically, small quantities of EU honey can be mixed with a large proportion of cheap imports. In the future, it will not be necessary to specify how much honey comes from which country.
In addition, fruit juices are to be allowed to bear the words “without added sugar”. Unlike nectar, additional sugar is not permitted anyway. However, the Commission argues that most consumers are not aware of this. The authority also has a proposal for jams: the fruit content per kilogram should be at least 450 grams – 100 grams more than at present. Parliament and the EU member states will now examine the proposals in the coming months.
Source: dpa – F.A.Z Online
History of the “ugly” fruits topic in the EU
The European Union (EU) has a history with “ugly fruits” or “ugly produce”. In 2008, the EU established a set of regulations on the marketing of fresh fruit and vegetables, which aimed to promote the sale of quality produce and to improve the functioning of the market. These regulations included specific standards for the size, shape, and appearance of fruits and vegetables sold in the EU.
However, the implementation of these regulations resulted in a significant amount of food waste, as produce that did not meet the cosmetic standards were often discarded or left unharvested. This led to a movement in Europe to reduce food waste and promote the use of “ugly” or imperfect produce.
In 2014, the EU introduced new rules allowing the sale of “unusual” fruits and vegetables, which do not meet the standard appearance criteria, but are still safe to eat. The regulation allowed for the sale of these products at a discounted price, as they are often seen as less attractive to consumers.
Additionally, there have been various campaigns and initiatives in Europe to promote the use of ugly fruits and vegetables. For example, in France, supermarkets have started selling “ugly” produce under the label “Les Gueules Cassees” or “Broken Faces”, at discounted prices. This initiative has been successful in reducing food waste and promoting the use of imperfect produce.
Overall, the EU’s regulations on the marketing of fresh fruit and vegetables have evolved to recognize the importance of reducing food waste and promoting the use of “ugly” or imperfect produce.
How many tons of fruits and vegetables are thrown away in europe because of uglyness?
It is difficult to determine an exact number of tons of fruits that are thrown away every day in Europe due to ugliness or cosmetic imperfections, as data on food waste is often incomplete or inconsistent. However, according to a report by the European Commission, around 88 million tonnes of food are wasted annually in the EU, with fruits and vegetables accounting for a significant portion of this waste.
In recent years, there have been various initiatives and campaigns to reduce food waste and promote the use of “ugly” or imperfect produce. For example, the French initiative “Les Gueules Cassees” has been successful in reducing food waste and promoting the use of imperfect produce, and similar initiatives have been launched in other European countries.
While the exact amount of fruit waste due to cosmetic imperfections is difficult to determine, it is clear that reducing food waste is an important issue for Europe and initiatives to promote the use of “ugly” produce can play an important role in addressing this problem.
However, according to a report by the European Commission, approximately 88 million tons of food are wasted annually in the EU, and fruits and vegetables are among the most commonly wasted food categories.
A study conducted by the European Parliament estimates that around 50% of fruits and vegetables are wasted in Europe each year, which translates to approximately 30 million tons of fruits and vegetables. While this study does not provide an estimate for how much of this waste occurs daily, it suggests that the amount of fruit waste in Europe is substantial.
Reducing food waste, including fruit waste, is a key priority for the EU, and the European Commission has set a goal to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030. Efforts to reduce food waste in Europe include measures to improve supply chain efficiency, encourage donation of surplus food, and promote the use of “ugly” or imperfect produce.