Mandatory food information must stay in Dutch

The letter to Parliament was prompted by a motion proposing to relax the mandatory use of Dutch on food labels. This included the idea of allowing English-language labels, with the aim of making products cheaper. However, this motion was not adopted. According to the government, such a relaxation is not practically feasible, is not in line with European legislation, and would not be in the interest of consumers, who need comprehensible information. 

Digital solutions may not replace mandatory information 

In addition, the government makes clear in the letter to Parliament that digital solutions such as QR codes will not replace the mandatory information on the label. Essential food information must remain physically and directly accessible on the packaging. 

The letter to Parliament therefore largely confirms existing policy. For parties who were hoping for a relaxation of the labelling rules, it is now clear that this is not imminent. 

Relevance for imported products 

This confirmation is particularly relevant for importers, as imported products, too, must have correct Dutch-language food information when sold in the Netherlands. This applies, for example, to products from Asia that are placed on the Dutch market. The origin of a product makes no legal difference in this respect. This raises language and regulations questions around import and international trade.