Regolamento 1169/2011: qualche approfondimento

art. 7, par. 4, lettera b)

 

(b) the presentation of foods, in particular their shape, appearance or packaging, the packaging materials used, the way in which they are arranged and the setting in which they are displayed

 

 Article 8  Responsibilities

1. The food business operator responsible for the food information shall be the operator under whose name or business name the food is marketed or, if that operator is not established in the Union, the importer into the Union market.

2. The food business operator responsible for the food information shall ensure the presence and accuracy of the food information in accordance with the applicable food information law and requirements of relevant national provisions.

3. Food business operators which do not affect food information shall not supply food which they know or presume, on the basis of the information in their possession as professionals, to be non-compliant with the applicable food information law and requirements of relevant national provisions.

4. Food business operators, within the businesses under their control, shall not modify the information accompanying a food if such modification would mislead the final consumer or otherwise reduce the level of consumer protection and the possibilities for the final consumer to make informed choices. Food business operators are responsible for any changes they make to food information accompanying a food.

5. Without prejudice to paragraphs 2 to 4, food business operators, within the businesses under their control, shall ensure compliance with the requirements of food information law and relevant national provisions which are relevant to their activities and shall verify that such requirements are met.

6. Food business operators, within the businesses under their control, shall ensure that information relating to non-prepacked food intended for the final consumer or for supply to mass caterers shall be transmitted to the food business operator receiving the food in order to enable, when required, the provision of mandatory food information to the final consumer.

7. In the following cases, food business operators, within the businesses under their control, shall ensure that the mandatory particulars required under Articles 9 and 10 shall appear on the prepackaging or on a label attached thereto, or on the commercial documents referring to the foods where it can be guaranteed that such documents either accompany the food to which they refer or were sent before or at the same time as delivery:

(a) where prepacked food is intended for the final consumer but marketed at a stage prior to sale to the final consumer and where sale to a mass caterer is not involved at that stage;

(b) where prepacked food is intended for supply to mass caterers for preparation, processing, splitting or cutting up.

Notwithstanding the first subparagraph, food business operators shall ensure that the particulars referred to in points (a), (f), (g) and (h) of Article 9(1) also appear on the external packaging in which the prepacked foods are presented for marketing.

8. Food business operators that supply to other food business operators food not intended for the final consumer or to mass caterers shall ensure that those other food business operators are provided with sufficient information to enable them, where appropriate, to meet their obligations under paragraph 2.  

1. Il considerando 28 richiama le, peraltro note, conseguenze legate al decongelamento di alcuni prodotti (limitano le utilizzazioni successive e possono avere effetti sulla sicurezza e sulle caratteristiche organolettiche e fisiche) .

2. Le prescrizioni del regolamento si applicano, tra l'altro, anche ai ristoranti (vedi definizione di "collettività").

Dato che, indubbiamente, le caratteristiche "organolettiche e fisiche" di un alimento decongelato possono essere anche molto diverse dall'analogo non sottoposto a tale operazione, si tratta di stabilire se il cliente del ristorante abbia o meno il diritto di essere informato: direi senz'altro di si.

Questo va fatto sempre?  Allegato VI, punto 2: Tale obbligo non si applica... c) agli alimenti sui quali lo scongelamento non produce effetti negativi in termini di sicurezza o qualità.

E' quindi il ristoratore a stabilirlo, tenendo sempre presente che l'eventuale omissione non induca in errore l'acquirente/cliente. Il pane decongelato è diverso da quello fresco? Non saprei dire quanto lo sia organoletticamente, ma lo è con ogni probabilità in termini di costo/prezzo... e questo, ritengo, vale per ogni altro alimento, quindi, a mio avviso, l'informazione di cui stiamo parlando andrebbe fornita SEMPRE.

Per quanto riguarda la "fase tecnologicamente necessaria", certo qualche collega potrà illuminarci.

 

Saluti

 

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