Food labelling in focus: a transnational analysis of chilled ready-to-eat products in the EU, the Western Balkans and Turkey.

IF 3.7 2区农林科学 Q2 FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition Pub Date : 2026-05-01 Epub Date: 2026-04-15 DOI:10.1080/09637486.2026.2655369

Nada Smigic, Sibel Ozilgen, Vicente M Gómez-López, Sandra M Osés, Zorana Miloradovic, Biljana Aleksic, Jelena Miocinovic, Sonja Smole Mozina, Lea Demsar, Raquel Guiné, João Carlos Gonçalves, Joanna Trafiałek, Ewa Czarniecka-Skubina, Marijana Blazic, Dora Herljevic, Aleksandra Nikolic, Alen Mujcinovic, Snezana Barjaktarovic-Labovic, Ilija Djekic

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Food contamination may occur within the complete food chain, with domestic handling and inadequate storage often contributing to foodborne illness. Therefore, accurate food safety information on packaging, including date labels and storage instructions, is essential. However, cross-national comparisons of labelling practices for chilled ready-to-eat (RTE) foods remain limited. This study examined and compared labelling practices in six European Union (EU) countries and four non-EU countries, focusing on date labels, recommended storage temperatures, and secondary shelf life. Data from 2665 food labels were collected between May and September 2023 through in-store observations and online resources. Most labels indicated either a "Use by" or "Best before" date, reflecting microbiological and quality stability. Cluster analysis identified two groups: Cluster 1, mainly from Portugal and Spain, included more stable products with "Best before" dates, whereas Cluster 2, dominated by French and Turkish labels, comprised more perishable foods with "Use by" dates. Recommended storage temperatures varied from +4 °C to +12 °C, indicating potential consumer confusion.

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聚焦食品标签：欧盟、西巴尔干和土耳其冷藏即食产品的跨国分析。

食品污染可能发生在整个食品链中，家庭处理和储存不当往往会导致食源性疾病。因此，包装上准确的食品安全信息，包括日期标签和储存说明，是至关重要的。然而，冷藏即食食品（RTE）标签做法的跨国比较仍然有限。本研究考察并比较了6个欧盟国家和4个非欧盟国家的标签做法，重点关注日期标签、建议储存温度和二次保质期。在2023年5月至9月期间，通过店内观察和在线资源收集了2665个食品标签的数据。大多数标签都标有“此日期使用”或“此日期前最佳”，以反映微生物和质量的稳定性。聚类分析确定了两组：聚类1主要来自葡萄牙和西班牙，包括更稳定的产品，标有“最佳食用日期”，而聚类2主要来自法国和土耳其，包括更多标有“截止食用日期”的易腐食品。推荐的储存温度从+4°C到+12°C不等，这表明消费者可能会感到困惑。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition 工程技术-食品科技

CiteScore

7.50

自引率

2.60%

发文量

审稿时长

1 months

期刊介绍： The primary aim of International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition is to integrate food science with nutrition. Improvement of knowledge in human nutrition should always be the final objective of submitted research. It''s an international, peer-reviewed journal which publishes high quality, original research contributions to scientific knowledge. All manuscript submissions are subject to initial appraisal by the Editor, and, if found suitable for further consideration, to peer review by independent, anonymous expert referees. All peer review is single blind and submission is online via ScholarOne Manuscripts.