Members of the European Parliament have today (12 March) voted to reject a European Commission proposal to set up a framework for labelling food which contains nanomaterials.

Nanomaterials are very tiny particles that are being increasingly engineered and placed into products. They are not covered by existing European Union legislation such as the REACH chemical regulation. The Commission proposed a framework which would have defined what a nanomaterial is and required any food containing them to be labelled as such.

However MEPs were concerned that the Commission’s proposal would have excluded all existing food additives on sale before 2011 from the labelling requirements. Industry association Food Drink Europe has pointed out that many commonly used products such as homogenised milk contain nanomaterials, and to suddenly begin labelling these products with a word that is not commonly understood would have caused confusion.

However BEUC, the European consumers’ organisation, opposed the pre-2011 exemption. “The Parliament has given heed to consumers’ uncertainty of nano foods’ risks and benefits,” said Monique Goyens, BEUC director, after the vote. “The Commission should make sure its definition does not contradict the spirit of the new food labelling rules that will be effective at the end of this year. Consumer choice should not be sacrificed for the sake of food makers’ ease of doing business.

The proposal was put forward as a delegated regulation, meaning the Parliament and member states can reject it but not amend it. The rejection means the Commission will now have to put forward a new proposal.